Monday 1 September 2008

Welcome

BA-be-fair is a blog linked directly to the website of the same name:

www.BA-be-fair.com

The website is intended solely as a source of detailed information for people wishing to support the campaign organised by ABAP (Association of British Airways Pensioners) to urge British Airways to correct the unfairness in three specific aspects of its new Staff Travel scheme. It supplements and expands on the information contained in the campaign's mailed and e-mailed literature. Please read this and the detail in the website before commenting here.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a channel for anyone to comment on any aspect of the BA-be-fair campaign.

The blog is moderated. That means that your comments may not appear on the blog immediately. However, this is not censorship; the moderator has no powers to amend a comment, merely the decision whether to allow it to appear as it was written or not. Only comments which appear libellous or which, in the view of the moderator, make the commentator or the blog owner liable at law will be prevented from appearing.

There is no need to descend to such depths anyway. No matter how strongly you feel on an issue, you can express yourself forcefully and unequivocally without over-stepping the legal limits.

Finally please remember that comments to which you add your name will be read with more respect than anonymous comments. Having said that there will be people who, because of their circumstances (their employment for example) will feel unwilling to identify themselves. For that reason, the facility for commenting anonymously remains available.

47 comments:

  1. Since other airlines' employees will retain ZED fare travel with BA throughout their retirement surely it would be fairer (if and when the new ST rules are implemented) if retired BA staff could retain ZED fares interline access even after their 'inhouse' BA staff travel entitlement has expired

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  2. A nice thought, but as we have to apply for Other Airline ZED tickets through our connection with B.A. - not direct with the other airline - how do you reckon that would be possible ?

    Only B.A. employees or previous employees eligible for Staff Travel can access the BA Intranet booking system, and overseas applicants have presently to apply to their local BA office, but once we have lost eligibility we will become 'non-persons'and denied access for Staff Travel, either B.A. or Interline.

    Yes, it could be technically possible, but who would set it up - B.A. ? !! They just want us to P**s Off out of their hair.

    We will be no different to Joe Public in the eyes of other airlines, i.e. no eligibility for Staff Travel concessions.

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  3. If I read this correctly does it mean that retirees from other airlines will continue to have lifetime travel on BA through the ZED agreements, but that BA's own employees will not. Hmmm!?

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  4. Further to my last.

    Touchdown mag. occasionally publishes a list of all the airlines that are available for some sort of Interline fare, the last I have immediately avbl. is a year old, but that shows 149 other airlines with which BA has some sort of an agreement.

    Do you think that BA can keep tabs on how many retired staff of those 149 airlines have passed their 'use by' date ? and on an almost daily changing basis ? and what right could BA claim that they can dictate to the other airlines which of their staff qualify for rebate travel ?

    It will be either all Interline retired staff are accepted as now, or none are. And the latter course of action will start an Interline war against BA.

    We are being vindictively picked on.

    Fight back NOW, once the new rules are in force on 1st April next year, it will be too late.

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  5. I have already been in touch with BA about the unfairness of this new policy. Some of us helped BA in their hour of need, i.e. took voluntary severance on the basis of the attractive package that BA offered in 1999 which included, in addition to the normal staff travel entitlements, a 100% standby or a 90% firm booking which also entitled you to travel in club class. This will be revoked in 2014, i.e. 5 years after the date of the new policy which will commence on 1 April 2009 I think this is unfair and renegeing on the terms of the redudnce package.
    Shobha Jaisinghani
    Retired Staff No. 695323

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  6. My husband joined BOAC in 1951 one of the first apprentices. After serving 5 yr apprenticeship he became an overseas ground engineer. I went to all overseas stations with him with small babies.It was not always an easy life. He became flight enginner in 66.Our whole lives were BOAC/BA we were proud to work for such a super caring company. Sadly my husband died last year His staff travel entitlement was passed to me in writing.Now it is being taken off me. How sad he would be, to know thats what BA thinks of their pensioners and their widows.We count for nothing. We made the airline the company it is today.They just want us to die off and go away. Disgusting, is all I can say. I have written to everyone I can, telling them of our lives with BOAC/BA. As an ex overseas wife I also gave a great part of my life to the company. They have no heart. Thanks BAPA for all your efforts you do a great job on our behalf. Sheila Morris.

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  7. I worked (proudly)for 11 years as BA cabin crew, taking severance in 1985 - very aware that I needed to complete the 10 years to qualify for full staff travel before I left - now this! Everyone should be very careful- if they can do this to Staff Travel - watch out - what could happen to our pension rights in these times of recession....!
    Please B.A., do the honourable thing, loyalty is a priceless advertising medium - don't loose it for the sake of this legislation.
    Janice Legge

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  8. Lord Mandelson surely, in your list of contacts?

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  9. Quite correct - when he was given the post in government I had time to change the list from the previous office holder. Unfortunately I have been too busy getting the campaign launched to note his elevation to the peerage. It will be done. Thanks.

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  10. I understand there is a discrimination law in the EU that says that all must be treated equal.
    If BA allows other retired EU airline staff to travel on BA unrestricted but not its own retired staff, it must be that we are being discriminated against.
    einstein

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  11. I took voluntary severance in 1982 after 15 years' service and started drawing my pension eight years later (at age 50) so that I could reactivate my staff travel (unlimited 90% subload, one 100% subload annually). My decision to leave in '82 was very much influenced by my severance package. My wife (wife, a U.S. citizen, and I moved to the USA that year. I read the following paragraph in the December 2007 Touchdown -- "Existing former staff who, at the time of leaving, were identified as eligible to staff travel concessions, whether immediately or in the future, will continue to qualify based on the criteria that was in place at the time of leaving" -- and assumed that the new regulations did not apply to me. It appears that I may be wrong. I decided to draw my pension early so that I could enjoy the benefits of staff travel. Sir Henry Marking, Kenneth Wilkinson and Roy Watts (some of the gentlemen who I had the privilege to work for) must be turning in their graves to see how shabbily people are being treated by their successors.

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  12. It has just been noticed that Staff Travel 2009 has been amended. www. my.baplc.com /Retirees FAQ’s/ Staff Travel ( currently item No. 10 - Update )

    Page 6 now contains a new privilege, but ONLY for those who retire between 1st Dec. 2007 and March 31st 2009 who will now be granted 2 Annual free trips after only 20 years, instead of having to wait 30 years, like everyone else.

    It has been suggested that one of the Management team who created the document that now restricts your eligibility, and cuts off some immediately – apart from a derisory 5 year extension – has himself retired in this new period that has been established, but I couldn’t possibly comment ! BA still claim that the new rules are treating everybody equally !

    Page 7 originally stated that it would no longer be necessary to be in receipt of a pension to be granted Staff Travel on retirement, this has also been changed, pls. read it for yourself if you think you maybe affected.

    Also, Pages 6 and 7 are still dated 15th November, 2007 which in time will assume that the new clause was there from the start. It wasn’t.

    There may be a perfectly valid reason for making these changes, and this might actually be a good move, if ‘they’ can change the new rules to suit themselves, and ‘they’ have always maintained that Staff Travel concessions can be changed at any time – except to restore our lifetime eligibility, or even commence the countdown on the same date as everyone else – then there is obviously no bar to changing the rules to accommodate us, is there ? But why the deviousness of trying to make out that it was in the original document, can’t they redate the page to show that it is an amendment ?

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  13. My husband, now deceased, took the severence package in 1982, with the guarantee that once he retired we would then get our flight benefits again. Unfortunately he passed away only 2 months after officially retiring at the age of 55. It took me two years to get BA to give me the benefits for me and our children. Since his death, I have been going to school so that I could get a job to support my family. Now that I finally have the time to travel, I find that BA has decided that I should no longer have the benefit that was guaranteed when we made the decision to take the layoff in 1982. This is very unfair to all of us who "banked" on the BA reputation of being fair. I am truly disapointed and angry that BA can do this to us.
    Signed
    Peggy Finnegan, Widow of Frank Finnegan

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  14. I do not take the BA News so I have no way of knowing how this staff travel development is being reported to current BA staff. While I have always accepted that BA could vary the staff travel offer, I worked at a considerably reduced salary (compared with other industries) precisely so that I could enjoy my concessions which I expected to continue to enjoy when retired. I don't know whether it has occurred to current staff that when they retire, if BA is allowed get away with this amendment, this is the thin end of the wedge for them. Once this goes through, BA will feel able to cut and prune concessions as and when they feel like it. At a time of monumental finacial disaster in the travel industry you would think that BA would be on bended knees asking us to spend more money on staff travel rather than less. Illogical!

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  15. Why has so much time been wasted putting together a package which is obviously so unfair? How come who ever negotiated on our behalf, had no possible connection with any former staff member that would be affected? Who gave this clandestine group the right to decide who would benefit and who would be axed? As pensioners we were all members of a very loyal workforce, therefore we should all benefit on an equal basis. If the company wish to change the staff travel procedure they should put into place new policies and procedure for new staff joining the airline at a determined date after January 2009, not in the middle of an existing privilege. What you start with, you should enjoy to the finish. Support for this campaign must come from every British Airways worker, but not to count on those who wish to change our staff travel.

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  16. I agree with all the above blogs, I also left on the BEP scheme in 97 with 20 years service, on leaving my documents are clear that staff travel will be available to me on taking my pension which became available at 50. I have not taken the pension but understand that I will now only be able to have 8 years staff travel. What a let down is this true can anyone help with this. Who is running the company now what a let down, know wonder I have also lost a mint on the shares. Lets hope ww goes back to running with the boys and picking potatoes in the field.

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  17. I also took severance back in 1983 and was shocked and dismayed that we will lose our staff travel.

    One of the reasons were so poorly paid back in the 70's and eary 80's had a lot to do with the so called "perks" now nastily and vindictively taken away. There are not so many of us and besides I nearly always travel on other carriers as I am sure that many of my peers do also. If there is no room we don't go. If there is we add to the airline's bottom line.

    I only just read all this and whilst I am mad as anything, I am sure we will just be discarded as we have no further use to BA!!!

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  18. Further to my post of 23rd October .........
    I alluded to the possibility of some sort of favouritism towards a member of the team responsible for the new rules, and I have now been told that this wasn't the case, but it still begs the question of if they can change the rules before the document becomes operative,why can't the also change the rules to restore our staff travel ? What's the problem ?

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  19. Its unbelievable of BA, this situation with Staff Travel and its former employees!!! This withdrawing of privileges of staff travel in 5 years and 4 months time means that I can travel on BA and any other airline that will let me have retired staff fares, because after leaving BA (early retirement in 1983) and joining another British airline, I can use their staff travel. I was only with them for approx 5 years but qualify for retired staff travel - we havent been told our staff travel is tied into the service given. This means I can travel on BA through my short service with them but not through the staff travel of the airline I gave a lot of years to.

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  20. Just read in Touchdown about this lovely Christmas present. Thanks very much to all concerned and best wishes for a prosperous future.

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  21. Just read in Touchdown about this lovely Christmas present. Many thanks to all concerned and best wishes for a prosperous future.

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  22. ANON said
    What on earth is this Country coming too ! Years ago you were proud to say you worked for BA, why are they penalising the people who made them the airline they are today ! Who makes these decissions ?

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  23. So far I have refrained from commenting on this blog but the latest article in Touchdown from our Staff Travel manager is making me go to print. She says that it would be unfair to have some retired staff with travel for life and some without. A lot of staff who retired in the last few years might have stayed on longer if they had known about this scheme. If I had stayed another five years it would have given me travel until 90 instead of 80 as it now is. I cannot say if I will still be able or want to travel at 90 (or will still be around to enjoy it) but I might. I was not given the chance, unlike staff retiring now and in the future. Is that fair? And in any case this scheme is causing a two tier system as staff that retired after 1st December 2007 get a better deal than staff that retired prior to that date, is that fair? It is crafty that they are giving bookable concessions to current staff after only 5 years service, obviously to butter them up. There is no way they can say any more that it is a concession for long and loyal service. However if any current staff are reading this then remember that this could be the thin end of the wedge, what will they try and do next? Another go at pensions maybe?
    The management staff who are implementing this scheme should remember two things :
    1. If it was not for the efforts in previous years by the retired staff then they might not have a job with BA today.
    2 One day they will also be retired staff, at the mercy of BA management plans.

    I think most of us are by now fed up with seeing that well known phrase (Staff Travel is a non-contractual benefit etc) in every article written by staff travel management. It was always in staff travel regs, but was always considered to be there as a threat to staff who went on unofficial strike or misbehaved, not to kick retired staff in the face with.

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  24. I've just written this, despite her saying that no more letters will be answered by her, that doesn't stop us writing them !

    Dear Ms. Hatchwell,

    Ref. Touchdown No. 241. Pg.7

    Further to my last e-mail, I have now just received the current Touchdown, and been able to read your comments in detail, and in addition I would now like to make the following observation.

    You state that : " Few companies, if any ..... etc." This is not true. In the Airline World most major Flag Carriers grant concessions on retirement, many for life, in fact Qantas took the very reasonable approach of allowing their retirees to maintain what they had worked for, and been promised, but denied them the new benefits, rather then the Draconian approach that you have foisted upon us.

    I can't speak for others of course, but I would be happy to go along with the loss of lifetime travel providing I am allowed to start my countdown on 1st April - LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I have no objection to present employees being granted better concessions, the World moves on, but don't spit on me to achieve your better benefits.

    It would have been interesting to see which approach a joint BA/QF airline would have taken, the BA way or the QF way. Of course that is of no consequence now. Sadly.

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  25. I think it is dishonorable to welch on an agreement such as we had in Staff Travel.
    Secondly I have wondered about the motivation behind it. I seem to remember a retired member criticising Willie Walsh on his informal, or sloppy appearance viz. not wearing a tie. Could this be the needle that goaded him into this apparantly senseless and inhumane action? It would of course never be admitted!
    Best wishes Jim Mclean 39years service s/n 821561

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  26. I am not surprised that BA have rejected the proposals. It will take more than a mere request to move them. I agree with Murg, I myself would be quite happy to start the countdown from the start of ST2009. The people driving the change (and I would think that it is higher up than Ms Hatchwell) should feel ashamed at the way they are attacking the pensioners that have given long and loyal service to BA. If I was still working at BA and was asked to implement this sort of change I am sure that I would be looking for a different position in the company, I would not like to be associated with such an underhand scheme.

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  27. I don't know what pensioners reactions were to the request from Willie Walsh to support the push for a 3rd runway at Heathrow, but I supported the request.

    I scratched his back, and he has kicked me up the **** by way of thanks.

    From a purely personal standpoint, living in New Zealand, granting me the concession to purchase ZED fares through Staff Travel will cost BA absolutely nothing, BA don't service New Zealand anymore, but I need to be part of the 'family' to use Qantas, for instance.

    The Jan. 22nd edition of B.A. News is full of self congratulatory comments from staff regarding the 3rd Runway, but also makes a comment about the imminent introduction of Staff Travel 2009 from a Hilary Brayfield, described as Policy Co-ordinator, Staff Travel - perhaps she is the person to whom you should now send your letters ?

    I have just sent this to W.Walsh, with a copy to Ms. Brayfield. Other may wish to do the same.

    31st January, 2009

    Dear Mr. Walsh,

    3rd Runway at Heathrow success.

    Congratulations on achieving the first step in the proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow.

    I responded to your recent request to BA pensioners to complete a petition supporting a third runway, which I hope assisted your case, and now I would like some assistance from you in return.

    I am one of the older pensioners who have now been retired for a longer period than we served with BOAC / BA and are about to lose our Staff Travel Concessions with the introduction of Staff Travel 2009 in April.

    My situation is worsened as a result of my agreeing to take Severance in 1983 – at the request of the Company, to also assist them at that time - so I served less time than I had anticipated, and being flying staff with a compulsory retirement age of 55 didn’t help, either.

    At age 74 I don’t consider a five year ‘concession’ either ‘generous’ – as described by the Staff Travel Manager, or adequate.

    I am not alone in this opinion, as I’m sure you are aware.

    I am prepared to relinquish my expectation of Lifetime Staff Travel in accordance with the new policy, but also wish to be treated the same as everyone else, i.e. to start my Service –v- Retirement period on 1st April 2009

    Why not ?

    I appeal to you to re-consider this cruel aspect of Staff Travel 2009.

    Thank you,

    Alan Murgatroyd
    Capt. BOAC / BA Ret’d

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  28. Many Pensioners retired abroad based on the availability of Staff Travel to help with their own travel (avoiding school hols if poss!) and with relatives (hotline)

    To deny this is highly unfair and also removes a substantial block of people who regularly contribute to BA profits from Staff Travel

    Pete Smith

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  29. Pierre,

    Absolutely right, but unfortunately you're preaching to the converted, and there's none so deaf as don't want to hear - and BA have made it abundantly clear that they will not listen to anymore sense. Staff Travel Manager was publicly published in the last Touchdown as saying that no more correspondence will be entered into, so be a good boy and don't bother to write to her anymore - or maybe not !! See my post above !
    Nil Illegitimum Carborundum.

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  30. With regards to BA's appeal for support for the 3rd runway I wrote to the Company Secretary raising strong objections to my PRIVATE postal address being used for such propaganda. Since my village will be demolished by pro-Franco Spanish-owned Ferrovial (aka BAA) I strongly object to the lies and false promises that local residents have been fed by BA, BAA, the unions, the DfT, and Brown's sleazy Gov't.

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  31. from Giulia Lansdowne Staff 179671

    Does anyone know the outcome of the legal advise sought a few months ago? Did we get a favourable opinion? and could it
    be made available to us all?

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  32. Giulia

    The opinion will be published in full along with the Working Group's proposals for the next stage of the campaign in the very near future.

    Thanks for your patience.

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  33. The more I think about it the better Murgs idea of everyone starting the countdown on 1 Apr seems. If they have to change things this seems to be a good compromise that would satisfy the majority of retired staff. They would not even need to compensate people who have been retired longer than they worked or are within 5 years of using up their time, that in itself is unfair as what about the poor retirees who have a few days more than 5 years left.
    Can anyone explain why people who left after 1 Dec 2007 get a better benefit, that seems to be discrimination aginst all the ones that left before that date.

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  34. Giulia - are you by any chance the very nice Giulia that I sat next to on LHR-Singapore on 7th Sept & we discussed this very issue?

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  35. BA-be-fair........ Comments.

    John, The issue of changes to benefits to staff leaving after 1st dec. 2007 was noticed by an eagle eyed member of the Canadian Retirees Ass'n. who happened to srutinise the S.T. 2009 document sometime during mid-2008, having already read the original document dated Nov. 2007.which didn't include this new condition at the time of first publication. Someone reading the document now would be excused for thinking that the way it is now, was the way it was first written ! The changes were subtly introduced !

    I wrote to Clare Hatchwell,then Mgr. S.T. 21st October,2008 suggesting that I approved of changes taking place, because that meant that there was no bar for further changes - to our advantage, for instance starting our Countdown on 1st April, 2009,like everyone else. If the document can be altered to suit them, then it can be altered to suit us. No ?

    Here are extracts from my letter, and her reply.

    Ms. Hatchwell, I attach two editions of page 6 of the Staff Travel 2009 document posted on the FAQ's of the pensioners section of the my.baplc website. I'm delighted that changes are taking place, that means that there is now no bar to changing the eligibility for the older pensioners, removing the clause that states that they must start their 'countdown' from the original time of retirement, ( plus a derisory 5 year extension ) not in April 2009, like everybody else.

    from her reply .......... There was a change made to policy, which has been updated on the intranet .......however, I accept it doesn't have the correct date on it.

    She did not explain why.

    Note that BA will NOT be advising of any further changes, they rely on pensioners scrutinising the Intranet, FAQ's for pensioners, how often are you prepared to do that ? !!! Everyday with you breakfast cornflakes ? ABAP are asking for volunteers to form a Staff Travel Watch, to keep a look out for this sort of skulduggery.

    Murg.

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  36. ...well, reading above comments I would like to bring to attention recent ZED fares, after 1st Apr 09. Staff travel ZED fare LGW - KRK (Krakow)is £70.64 and Hotline is £84. Not much difference and huge advantage to be treated like commercial passenger..
    Perhaps Staff Travel unfair rules will become insignificant once price comparison comes into it.
    I am sure each and every one of former BA Staff have used Staff Travel to the full while in employmet - I did.

    I am a pensioner too, don't mind new rules, as I do not envisage to travel longhaul on Staff Travel past my 70th Birthday, due to hassle, offloads and stress concerned with travelling on Staff Travel tickets. There comes a time to pay up unless you want to take it all with you in travellers cheques....

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  37. It is all very well saying use Hotline but how are we supposed to do that when we will no longer have access to the staff travel site after our time runs out? I am 71 and I do not find the need to stop using Staff Travel due my age. The biggest hassle as far as I am concerned is the attitude of certain members of staff travel management.

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  38. ...another option is to own 200 BA shares and qualify for 10% off commercial fares.

    I do feel sympathetic towards Staff Travel Management because they are stuck between the orders from above and the needs and displeasure of employees.
    I wish that comments were directed to the Unions, as they represent us in negotiations with the Head Office. Staff travel Management is just a cog in the wheel, can't you see that?

    I wish complaining employees have bigger picture in mind not blinkers on their eyes "I, me, mine,". Times are changing and nothing is "for life" any more, have a look around.

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  39. These will be the same Staff Travel Management who don't respond to or even acknowledge letters; the same Staff Travel Management who are on record for publicly humiliating a pensioner who allowed a neighbour to type his BSAFE password into the computer - exactly as he was advised to do in printed advice issued by BA to pensioners deprived of any other means of contact with Staff Travel; these will be the same trades unions whose Trustees invariably vote with the company against the interests of pensioners?

    Before you plead for some sort of appreciation you would do well to understand why pensioners feel as they do about you.

    Although the rules of this blog require commenters to properly identfy themselves, this anonymous comment was exempted because it highlights many of the problems pensioners (the principal subjects of this site) have to deal with.

    Far from being ego-centric, most supporters continue to be focussed on the plight of the few thousand pensioners who will lose all Staff Travel completely. No-one else stands up for them. The trades unions (with the exception of BALPA which has a retired staff rep) ignore you once you stop paying your subs, even Retirement Services, hitherto a polite exception, are now adopting the practice (honed in BA by the CEO downwards) of ignoring anything they don't like eg letters, e-mail etc.

    About a year ago the CEO, supported by his lapdogs in the unelected Retired Staff Liaison Council, sent all 47,000 pensioners an expensive colour leaflet asking for their support for the airline's campaign for a third runway at Heathrow. No doubt if there is a change of government after the next election they'll need support for the destruction of Sipson once again. Next time support will have a prce.

    Finally, very few pensioners are demanding Staff Travel "for life" - even though that was what they believed the company offered when they made their contract with it. Most would have been happy to have started their qualification period when the new scheme was introduced last month. What everybody felt to be very unfair is to change the rules retrospectively.

    If you can defend that and are prepared to put your name to your opinions please reply.

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  40. ...let me say, last month in Hillingdon Hospital Cardiac Clinic I overheard a conversation of two retired BA couples. All were expressing opinion, that with the demise of Staff Travel telephone booking line they do not use Staff Travel anymore, as they do not own a computer and can't be bothered to ask family for help.
    I was dismayed hearing this, I feel very sorry for them and no doubt hundreds of other Pensioners who are constructively deprived od access to Staff Travel because of the new procedures. Who will stand up for them?

    Letters to Staff Travel and Retirement Services are ignored, because staffing levels have been cut to the bare minimum by orders from the Board. There is only a few staff in Staff Travel at Waterside, how on earth can they reply to all serving and retired staff queries??

    I have long ago come to the conclusion that BA has changed beyond all recognision. On my last day after 18 years service, there was not a Manager in sight to wish me happy retirement..The rules are not fair, but what's new. Unions are useless,unless engaged in Cabin and Flight Crew negotiations.

    I do not wish to waste my time and energy on fight against Staff Travel Management, Sipson Residents Association, Third Runway and Willie Walsh's bonus or not.
    I wish you all the same - enjoy your retirement, take what's on offer and use it to the full. We've done our bit, you can only do so much, let the current BA employees take over.

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  41. Although I don't share the writer's emotions, few pensioners would fail to understand them. Coincidentally on the same day as this comment was posted I received a letter thanking the STCWG for its work with this notation "Against fools even the gods battle in vain."

    I'm sure none of the STCWG thought of themselves as gods but they certainly felt the frustration.

    A modern saying (often mis-attributed) claims that "for evil to prosper all it takes is for good men to do nothing". I regard the people at BA less as evil, more as fools, but be sure that there are considerably more than a few good people ready to make BA management pay for the way they've treated pensioners.

    With the CEO's latest cuts there are now more pensioners than BA staff. It may be Sibson, the third runway or whatever, but sooner or later BA will want the goodwill of its pensioners and the fools will then realise that our goodwill has a price tag. We will not give up.

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  42. The Times 27th June ".... BA Board vote for pay cut ( one months' salary ) but keep free, First Class, Staff Travel FOR LIFE. ... "

    I wonder how long some of them have served ?

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  43. Just sent this to BA News........

    The Editor,
    BA News.

    31st August,

    How nice of BA to invite reminiscences from older former employees to help their 90th Birthday celebrations, and then with the other hand slap us across the face by throwing us out of the Staff Travel 'family'.

    Yes, I used to enjoy working for BOAC more than 50 years ago.

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  44. Page 2 of the Sept. 24th edition of B.A. News contains another breast-beating, self congratulatory, pronouncement .........

    " Staff Travel Shake-Up now offers more choices "

    Yeah, right ! for those who get any choice at all.

    It is now coming up to 6 months since the introduction of Staff Travel 2009, which will shortly remove us from any access to rebate travel, and this article is reminding those who will still qualify that the first period of 6 months is about to pass, and those who wish to can now nominate a totally new Travel Partner, who will enjoy most of the benefits of the rebate travel that is shortly to be removed from us - even tho' they have never worked for B.A., never mind given a lifetime of service.

    Further comment is superfluous

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  45. It has gone very quiet on this site. I see today in BA News that "We're proud to back BA". At one time I was proud to work for BA and in the current situation I would have been prepared to back BA (in any way a retiree could) however after the slap in the face that we have had I would find it difficult to volunteer. Willy should realise that he needs to keep everyone on his side including the large retiree population that he has so successfully alienated.

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  46. We were a family working for BOAC/BA - I still love BA even though now sadly, we have been thrown on the scrap heap. It is ludicrous that in this civilised country that somebody can walk into our beloved airline swinging an axe and ruthlessly decide to deny us our very well earned travel concessions. I believe that decency and principals are assets that cannot easily be taught to the very uncaring and heartless.
    Katherine Baptiste (retired staff).

    I prefer to be known as "retired staff" rather than "former employee"

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