‘I was depressed all the time’

For many career cabin crew members and passengers alike, British Airways has been seen over the years as the gold standard of service. That’s why passengers pay premium ticket prices – for purportedly premium standards of excellence.

This is what drew James* to leave his position as cabin crew for Emirates and join BA, whose Mixed Fleet cabin crew began a 48-hour strike yesterday (January 10).

“Back then, everyone wanted to work for BA,” he told UNITElive.

James started just as the company introduced its Mixed Fleet contracts in 2010, which saw new cabin crew start on much lower pay and worse terms and conditions than legacy BA cabin crew.

“I knew that the new contract would be different – with a mixture of short and long haul flights,” he said.

But he had no idea exactly what he was getting himself into – he and his colleagues were doubly hit by the stress of eking out a living on abysmally low pay while also being worked to the bone, in a constant state of fatigue.

When Mixed Fleet was first introduced, BA promised much higher starting rates, but James notes that in the 18 months that he worked for the airline, he never earned more than ÂŁ17,000 a year, including allowances.

“Over a short period of time, I amassed loads of credit card debt just to keep my head above water,” he noted. “Having to constantly ask your parents for money at the end of the month, who themselves can’t afford it, and just generally having to be worrying about money all the time, takes a huge toll on you emotionally.”

James is among Mixed Fleet cabin crew who live in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world.

“I had to share a flat totally not fit for purpose with six other people,” he explained. “As a fully grown adult with a full-time job I was living in a student home.”

So much more than serving tea

James explains that on the surface, most passengers only see cabin crew serving tea, coffee and meals but the job he notes is so much more than that.

Part of the job is dealing with problems that arise on a flight as discreetly as possible, so that’s why passengers often don’t understand what cabin crew have to go through.

“From administering CPR to stopping passengers from smoking in the lavatories to dealing with intoxicated passengers who are acting out abusively – it happens more often than you’d think,” he said.

“Just because it isn’t happening in the area you’re sitting in doesn’t mean that there are all manner of incidents going on in different sections without passengers even realising it.

“Cabin crew have to be fully vigilant and awake to deal with these issues – often an all but impossible feat given the gruelling schedules Mixed Fleet crew are typically on.”

James recounted having four consecutive days of short haul flights, arriving back at Heathrow at 9 pm, having to drive home afterwards and then being expected to be back in work the next day for a long-haul flight to Las Vegas. Upon arriving, he’d only have one rest day before flying back.

“The toll that takes on your mind and body when your internal clock is all out of sync is unimaginable,” he explained, noting that when he worked for Emirates, rest breaks were much more generous, with up to four days given to recuperate from flights that crossed several time zones.

In the end, the worst outcome from working for BA Mixed Fleet, James notes, is that he lost his passion for the job.

“I had committed to cabin crew as a career because I absolutely loved it,” he explained. “But I always tell people British Airways destroyed my love of flying.”

He said many of the company’s tactics went against his values – especially management’s anti-union stance.

“I was a Unite rep and so a vocal advocate for better pay and conditions,” he explained. “But I was denied a promotion – a promotion that I was actually initially granted but had to turn down earlier because of family reasons – despite having an exemplary record. This was no doubt because of my union work.”

‘Couldn’t afford the job’

Ultimately, James quit because he simply couldn’t afford the job.  “I was depressed all the time,” he said.

Afterwards, James started a new career as a train driver, and the pay, terms and conditions couldn’t be any more different than in his previous job working for BA.

“Part of the reason that wages are so comparatively good for train drivers is that they serve a vital safety function – and my company recognises that,” he explained.

“On the other hand, cabin crew assume that exact same safety role but they’re paid a pittance – it’s enormously unfair.”

One point James hopes passengers, who may be frustrated by strikes understand, is that passengers themselves do not benefit at all from British Airways’ relentless cost-cutting — in fact, it’s very much the opposite.

“One might think that by keeping cabin crew wages low, the savings are passed on to the customer,” he argued. “But at BA ticket prices are as high as ever — all those savings from low wages only add to the company’s ever-increasing profits.

“Passengers are losing out just as much cabin crew in this whole dispute — if you don’t have decently paid, well-rested staff, the service suffers and most importantly, safety is seriously compromised. It’s not worth the risk, a risk that very well could be life-threatening.”

James sends a message of solidarity to all striking BA cabin crew today.

“I urge them to stay strong,” he said. “As so many successful strikes have shown, there’s power in numbers.”

*Name changed to protect privacy. 

Pic by Mark Thomas from January 10