Pilot Oli is an A320 first officer based at Gatwick who has flown around Europe for just short of four years. In that time he has worked for two airlines: a low cost carrier, where he was based at Stansted and for a period in Vienna, followed by a UK flag carrier. He rewatches the week in the life videos he made at both airlines and points out where his working life has changed. He says the core job, flying the Airbus from A to B around Europe, stayed the same.

Rosters and early starts

According to Oli, roster changes were far more frequent at the low cost airline, possibly two to three times a week, while at his current airline his flights are reassigned roughly once every few weeks. Early starts were also earlier. He describes report times as early as 4.30 in the morning, which meant waking at 2.30. At the flag carrier the earliest start he mentions is around 5.30, but that is rare: most early duties begin around 6.30 or 7 o'clock. His old roster alternated blocks of five early or late days with four days off. Today he has a late preference and works a week of earlies roughly once every month or two.

Turnarounds, sectors and airports

Oli says the low cost airline worked with 25 minute turnarounds, against 50 minutes at the flag carrier. The shorter turns allowed four sector days, which he calls extremely common there, while he has only ever flown two sector days at his current airline. He recalls a day when two extra sectors were added after he had landed back at Stansted. At the flag carrier, he says, a standby crew would be called in instead. As a new first officer he welcomed the extra hours; he adds that pilots who want a quick command may prefer that pattern. The low cost network also used smaller airports such as Rome Ciampino and Paris Orly, which he links to lower airport fees. Flight preparation, he says, is practically identical: weather, aircraft, NOTAMs and airport briefings.

Swaps, crew food and minimum rest

Swapping flights with colleagues is common at the flag carrier according to Oli, but was almost unheard of at his previous airline. He now receives one or two crew meals per day of flying; before, only water was provided. Late finishes after midnight are rarer than the 2 or 3 in the morning check outs he used to have. He finds Gatwick busier and less predictable than Stansted, with more aircraft queuing at the holding point. He explains that minimum rest is 12 hours between check out and check in after a duty shorter than 12 hours. He gets one or two such days a month now, against two or three a week at times before. With more experience he now volunteers for category C airports such as Funchal, where the longer turnaround leaves time to visit the terminal. Oli says he prefers his current roster, while noting that command would probably have come sooner at the low cost airline.