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British Airways commits to no post-furlough redundancies

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British Airways has committed to a ‘no lay-offs’ policy when the Government furlough scheme ends tomorrow.

This represents a step-change in employee relations from the situation over the past 18 months. The company has previously used coronavirus to push through substantial cuts to the pay and conditions of legacy cabin crew, as well as making several thousand redundancies.

Under the plan announced by CEO Sean Doyle to staff this week, all furloughed staff will return to the payroll and will receive their basic pay.

This will still leave cabin crew well short of their historic take-home pay, because of the loss of the allowances received based on flying hours, but the move represents a heavy cost to the airline given the limited flying schedule planned for the Winter.

British Airways will be encouraging cabin crew to look at alternative options, including taking a period of unpaid leave or moving to a part-time role. Some will also be asked to move into call centre roles.

Comment on Flyertalk suggests that some Boeing 777 pilots have been asked to move to Doha to fly for Qatar Airways over the Winter.

British Airways is also re-opening its Waterside head office, allowing management to escape the brutalist horrors of the upper floors of Technical Block C at Hatton Cross, pictured above.

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British Airways and Avios

Comments (28)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Beardless Hipster says:
    29 Sep29 September 05:27

    Two weeks ago I was allowed in the SQ lounge with a negative NHS lateral flow test result which I did on the evening before.

    • 1ATL says:
      29 Sep29 September 06:18

      Maybe that’s why it’s now been upgraded to a PCR? Stops anyone just scanning a freebie NHS LF just to generate a negative test to be eligible for lounge entry (plus the regular credentials of course).

      I’m not sure where I sit with regards to this policy – it will help maintain exclusivity to SQ passengers who’ll need a PCR to enter Singapore anyway. On the other I’m thinking it’s not particularly alliance spirited… given the UA lounge remains closed, the *A options in T2 remain limited to LH as far as I can see…. maybe that is the whole point and allows SQ to circumvent Star Alliance lounge policy in a so-called legitimate way. Sneaky….

      • Beardless Hipster says:
        29 Sep29 September 06:31

        ‘exclusivity to SQ passengers’ Except it was full of Americans who were on UA flights

        • Alex Sm says:
          29 Sep29 September 08:10

          Last year it was full of Dubai-bound pax without ANY tests. Come back 2020… travel was easier back then weirdly

      • Voldemort says:
        29 Sep29 September 09:41

        If you can scan a “freebie” NHS LFT to go to a football match or concert, don’t see why you couldn’t use one for an airport lounge too.

        • Daniel says:
          29 Sep29 September 11:05

          Exactly! Such a farce, but hey, football, Carling and fish & chips are essential.

      • Mco says:
        29 Sep29 September 11:42

        I am convinced lateral flow tests don’t even work properly. A family member was positive and his lateral flow always came back negative.

  • Mike says:
    29 Sep29 September 06:59

    How about sacking non vaccinated personnel as Unities airlines are doing – it would shoe BA is dedicated to keeping passengers safe

  • Jeff Greene says:
    29 Sep29 September 08:04

    Didn’t someone on here say that BA would make people redundant because of people asking for refunds (I don’t think it was refunds in general, it was in response to a specific issue)

  • Save East Coast Rewards says:
    29 Sep29 September 09:06

    Just make your own PCR PDF, there’s no way they could check this as long as you have one that has no QR Code on it. I wouldn’t recommended doing this to enter a country, but if the country you’re going to just requires vaccination or lateral flow tests then I see nothing wrong with people circumventing silly rules.

    • Memesweeper says:
      29 Sep29 September 09:44

      Fraud by false representation

      (1)A person is in breach of this section if he—

      (a)dishonestly makes a false representation, and

      (b)intends, by making the representation—

      (i)to make a gain for himself or another

      … I’m absolutely not going to break the Fraud Act for half an hour on a comfy sofa with a free glass of bubbles.

      • Save East Coast Rewards says:
        29 Sep29 September 09:52

        It’s not really a gain though, it’s getting yourself access to something your FF status or class of ticket allows you to enter.

    • JDB says:
      29 Sep29 September 10:08

      @SECR so much of what we do in our daily lives relies on co-operation and most people’s innate honesty. If you really are willing to fake a document just to get into a lounge, how far are you willing to go when it actually matters?

      • Save East Coast Rewards says:
        29 Sep29 September 10:55

        But the point is it doesn’t matter here, the rule is pointless. If people don’t push back rules get more ridiculous. What would be crazy is spending money to take a more expensive test (one that takes longer for the results) just to get access to the lounge if you don’t require that test as part of your travels. But modifying a PDF takes minutes.

        • Memesweeper says:
          29 Sep29 September 12:46

          Faking documents isn’t pushing back. It’s acquiescing.

          Demanding admission and refusing to leave and making a fuss having security called… that’s pushing back.

  • Andrew NEILSON says:
    29 Sep29 September 15:50

    So currently sat in the SingaporeAir lounge in T2-no power working at tables and limited service !!!

  • James Harper says:
    29 Sep29 September 17:26

    Of the three lounges at T2B I would always rate the SQ one as the third choice (UA first and AC second). It now seems SQ are up to their usual tricks of turning exclusive into excluding. They have a long history of it and I would bet if challenged they don’t have a leg to stand on as what they are doing is not provided for in UK law in any shape or form.

    AC and UA are both returning to reasonable numbers of flights, hopefully one more lounge will open soon in T2B.

    • Nick says:
      29 Sep29 September 17:53

      Hyperbole helps no one. It’s a private space and of course they’re allowed to set entry rules. Exactly the same way as they don’t allow any old commoner from the terminal to enter, but require a specific class of travel (or FF status).

      • 1ATL says:
        30 Sep30 September 03:16

        Except that as a member of Star Alliance, their obligation to is to allow entry based upon status and/or class of travel of not only SQ passengers but those of partner airlines also . Adding in this so called requirement is somewhat convenient for SQ you have to admit which is presumably in order to exclude a significant proportion of passengers who’d otherwise be eligible to enter. I’m also taking this a presumption of a cost saving and a lounge space protector for their own passengers. Not really entering into the spirit of the alliance really is it.

  • G Plane says:
    1 Oct1 October 18:45

    The top floors of TBC are actually very nice. You can’t tell you’re in such an awful looking building once inside.

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