United we fall?

Ok, I confess, I like British airways.  There I've said it.  Like someone who is an alcoholic it's seen to be something of a major issue to suggest that British Airways is actually quite good.  But it is.  I've travelled on Singapore, Malaysian, Qatar, Delta, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Turkish, Aeroflot et al.  All are quite good (except Delta which has seriously scary cabin staff), but when you climb those steps or walk down that sky gate in New Delhi, Qatar, Moscow, Budapest, you know you're home.

About eighteen months ago I got chatting to a lady who, it transpired, is/was a member of the BA cabin crew.  She'd been visiting Doha on personal business, using the airline perk of 10% fares.  At this time I recall paying around £700.00 for my (Premium Economy) return trip to Doha and she'd paid around £30 (10% of coach class fare).  Not that it worried me in the slightest because although I pay my own fares I get good service and if cabin crew can obtain a good deal as a result of providing such a service then so be it.  Anyway we boarded the aircraft and she was immediately whisked upstairs (a 747) to Club class which seemed a very good deal for £30.00!

So, with the above tale in mind I was somewhat gobsmacked, to say the least when at Christmas the first Unite strike ballot revealed that these people get pretty good salaries.  A purser can earn up to £55k per annum (approximately) and still get those benefits.  For what it's worth there are some very highly qualified individuals in the construction industry, responsible for the safety and welfare of workers, known as construction managers, with university degrees who earn a similar sum but get none of those perks.  I'm not decrying the educational standards of the BA staff nor am I suggesting that they should be treated as lesser individuals than the construction manager types.  But for goodness' sake, this Unite bunch are not only trying to close the airline down they're actually making supporters like me reconsider which airline I travel with.  I can, for instance pay a little more and travel business class with Gulf Air and I'm seriously considering it.  Time for Unite to get real methinks.

I will be sad to see it go but having been jerked around at Christmas, I'm of a mind to not worry if they survive or not.  And another thing.  Gordon Brown stole a major lump of my pension, even before the Government imposed recession, so why should I care if these BA people lose their final salary pensions?  Its the way of the world but contrary to the current Labour idea of fairness, it just proves that life isn't fair.

So, my friends in BA, when you find there's no airline to work for and your pensions are frozen at whatever the selling rate is from the bankruptcy sale you'll really enjoy paying full fare for coach class, if and when you can afford it.