[MrMichael]

As I stated on a post a few months ago, AF/LH/BA and a few other legacy carriers are paying more per pilot hour than they need to or should. It is ironic to me that it is the wide body pilots who reckon they are worth substantially more than their narrow body counterparts. I still see no major difference between the skill set required to keep me safe on a B777 or that required for a B737. Is it not merely the difference between a minibus driver and a driver with 70 on his bus. I am not suggesting for a second that pilots should be paid as bus drivers, just that the legacy carriers wide body pilots think they are owed something like 3 times what a 737 loco pilot gets……they are not.

I could argue the short haul pilot should be paid more, the critical part of the flight, takeoff and landing are performed 4 x as many times by a short haul pilot than a long haul pilot.

[CXDiamond]

Oh dear, I think I’ve said I have enjoyed the Christmas goose in LH F too so perhaps I’d better post something.

There is a vast difference between how an airline manages its passenger service and how it deals with industrial relations. LH have their problems which must be tackled and resolved if the airline is to continue to trade successfully. Even at times where there has been industrial unrest at LH I have never experienced the sort of behaviour I have had from BA crews at similar times. LH crews remain professional and would not imagine involving passengers in their problems. They have more sense and know their jobs depend on people flying with them and they only rebook on the basis of a good experience.

I agree with what John has said above about the situation up until now. Things need to change but there are ways to achieve this. The way not to do it is to polarise the workforce by being divisive and playing one group of customer facing staff off against another leading to animosity which is obvious to your highest spending passengers.. To do that is an act of gross stupidity as so much of the business is dependent on customer experience.

LH have never done that and I doubt they ever would. The situation will be resolved in due course and at the end the workforce will remain on good terms. That is a huge positive in their favour.

I understand that there is discontent at BA among the pilots and of course it’s now quite a few years since Walsh bribed them. The same tactics won’t work twice as the pilots have seen the damage that was done so for the moment book BA tickets with confidence if you wish to fly with them but take heed, it won’t last and there will be industrial relations problems. Still, given his background perhaps Willie can get back in the cockpit to keep things running!

[BigDog.]

AnthonyDunn – 04/12/2014 14:47 GMT

You now have 5 responses. Hopefully their consistency addresses your concerns wrt inconsistency and are no longer perplexed being now in a position to understand why there weren’t any uber critical comments and criticisms forthcoming concerning the LH leadership team.

One hopes you are enlightened by responses and are to your satisfaction, can now relax and have a great weekend.

Hopefully you will be able to participate in some goose before it flies off the menu 😉

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve just booked LH from jnb to NYC via FRA for February. I’m confident I’ll still get to fly and I’m sure by then this will be resolved. Just in case it isn’t, I have a backup booking with Swiss via ZRH, also in First.

And here’s my point. I think most people who fly LH will as an alternative fly with Swiss instead, rather than with BA.

[AMcWhirter]

It’s worth bearing in mind that although it’s gone very quiet recently, the Lufthansa pilots’ strike is far from being settled.

Let’s hope things will be settled early in 2015.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-19/lufthansa-pilot-strikes-may-resume-on-arbitration-snubs.html

[AMcWhirter]

Bear in mind that the Lufthansa situation is far from settled. Reports in today’s German aviation media websites state that further pilot strikes are possible in the near future.

http://www.airliners.de/bei-lufthansa-streiks-piloten/34648

http://www.airportzentrale.de/neue-pilotensteiks-bei-der-lufthansa-jederzeit-moeglich/37361/

[TominScotland]

This has to be seen in a wider LH context, I think. According to Airline Route, LH are also dropping First from one of their two services to both New York and Boston next summer which perhaps puts earlier similar (and much criticised) moves by BA into perspective. LH are clearly facing restructuring challenges with as much pain as their competitors..

[Author]

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