The flag carrier of the United Kingdom (UK), British Airways (BA), turned 50 years old at the start of 2024. The airline, owned by the International Airlines Group, serves over 200 destinations around the world with a fleet of more than 200 airplanes operating out of its bases at London’s Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, and City Airport.
The Oneworld alliance founder is one of two full-service airlines in the United Kingdom alongside Virgin Atlantic. BA operates on all six inhabited continents around the world and employs close to 15,000 cabin crew members to aid its service. Here is a look at how much their cabin crew is paid and the other benefits they are entitled to.
British Airways Cabin Crew Salary
British Airways cabin crew is paid a relatively low salary in comparison to the industry in Europe as well as across the globe. In the recent past, flight attendants have made their dismay at poor pay very clear although thousands still work for the carrier and pursue their jobs passionately.
At the moment, the entry-level salary at British Airways is £16,800 ($20,400) per year which usually rises up to £28,000 per year depending on allowances and flying hours.
The most experienced cabin crew (classed as in-flight managers by BA) serving regularly on the airline’s longer and flagship routes such as New York and Sydney (via Singapore) can expect to pocket up to £50,000.
The base pay for an entry-level cabin attendant at BA is admittedly very low and stands at just over £8 per hour, assuming work is done for 40 hours per week for 52 weeks in a full year. Meanwhile, the highest threshold is slightly above £4,000 per month before tax is deducted – an amount that most professionals in conventional fields earn with 3 to 5 years of experience.
Mus Read: Qatar Airways Cabin Crew Salary in 2024
Benefits Enjoyed by BA Cabin Crew
British Airways cabin crew are not the best paid in monetary terms but are entitled to some fantastic benefits such as those below:
- TECH SCHEME – British Airways has a tie-up with electronics retailer Curry’s. All members of the cabin crew are provided with an optional £1,500 tech allowance that is deducted in equal installments from their salaries over a 12-month span.
- CONCESSIONAL TRAVEL – Discounted tickets are accessible to the cabin crew as well as their family members and friends. Moreover, there are unlimited standby tickets available alongside standby fares in premium cabins for the nominated beneficiaries.
- PENSION SCHEME – British Airways offers a pension scheme to its cabin crew starting with an employee contribution of 2%, which can rise up to 7% through mutual consent. This encourages saving habits among all employees.
- FLEXIBILITY – Before a roster is announced for a set period, cabin crew members can request specific days off, swap shifts with their colleagues, and also ask to be scheduled onto destinations they wish to fly to.
- TRANSPORTATION – British Airways covers the transportation costs of its cabin crew when they are traveling, whereas there is also free parking available at all three of the airline’s hubs in London. The Heathrow Express train tickets can be availed at a 75% discount too.
- TRAVEL DISCOUNTS – BA provides travel discounts to its cabin crew on partner hotels and airlines as well. There are also tie-ups with restaurant chains and retail brands in the UK and abroad, which their employees can benefit from by availing throwaway pricing.
- LIFE INSURANCE – British Airways does not provide medical insurance but does offer its cabin crew life insurance. This ensures that their nominated personnel receive fair compensation in case of the BA employee’s death or injury leading to inability to work.
British Airways Cabin Crew Hiring Process
British Airways requires cabin crew to fulfill the following criteria to qualify for their roles.
- To be aged 18 or over at the time of application
- Fluent in both spoken and written English
- 12 months of customer service experience
- Hold a valid passport (with a minimum of 12 months before the expiry date) with
- the unrestricted right to live and work in the UK which allows unrestricted global travel
- You will need to be able to acquire a US Visa
- To undergo a Criminal Record Check for all countries of residence for six months or more in the previous five years and be able to provide satisfactory references for the last five years
- Ability to obtain and retain an airside pass
- Be willing and able to work shifts covering 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for your entire career
- Be willing and able to spend periods of time away from home and conduct stand-by duties in the proximity of your airport base
- To wear the British Airways uniform to the required standard with no visible tattoos or body piercings. Tattoos or body piercings must never be visible on the body or through uniform clothing and MUST be able to be covered. Only tattoos that can be reasonably covered up are permitted. Plasters and bandages must not be used
- To undertake and successfully complete initial training to obtain a UK CAA (UK Civil Aviation Authority) Cabin Crew Attestation (CCA) (which will be provided to you upon successful completion of your course)
- Yellow Fever vaccination certification, or eligibility for an exemption
British Airways performs the following steps as part of its hiring process.
- APPLICATION – The application submitted by the British Airways cabin crew candidate includes a resume, sometimes a cover letter, and any other supporting documents such as copies of passports, visas, etc.
- ASSESSMENT DAY – If an individual’s application is forwarded to the next stage, there is an assessment day wherein role plays are conducted, attributes in a group setting are checked, physical and tattoo tests are conducted, and visas as well as passports supporting the person’s ability to live and work in the UK, as well as travel to most places globally, is attested.
- INTERVIEW – The penultimate round in the hiring process is a 30 to 40-minute interview wherein the candidate is asked deeper questions relating to the role whilst also testing their knowledge about customer service and hospitality.
- OFFER – If the interview is successfully passed, British Airways will make a conditional offer. This offer is subject to the completion of a thorough background check by the airline.
British Airways’ background check includes the following:
- Full details of your five-year background history, inclusive of employment periods (directly or via an agency), educational periods, and any gaps outside of these.
- As soon as you’ve submitted your employment and referee details, we’ll start contacting your referees.
- Closer to your start date, you’ll need to apply for a Criminal Records Check (CRC), also known as a Disclosure Baring Service certificate (DBS), and where applicable, an overseas CRC if you have lived abroad for a continuous 6 months or more, in the last five years.
- You’ll be invited to book your Joint Appointment at our Waterside office, which will consist of your uniform fitting, security interview, and psychoactive substance test.
FAQs on BA Cabin Crew
British Airways pays its cabin crew a salary starting from £16,800 per year as the base, whereas depending on seniority, routes, and allowances, this number can reach £50,000 per year.
British Airways cabin crew operate on the Boeing 777 or Boeing 787, Airbus A350 or Airbus A380 among the long-haulers, and the Airbus A320 family on the short haul.
British Airways cabin crew is based in London. They can be called to fly from any of the airline’s three bases in the city depending on rostering and operational requirements.
No, British Airways currently hires cabin crew with the rights to work and live in the United Kingdom only. At the moment, there are no vacancies with the airline.
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