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BA to close HKG base [confirmed for Cabin Crew]

Old Sep 29, 2018, 10:12 am
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BA to close HKG base [confirmed for Cabin Crew]

Old Sep 25, 2018, 9:29 am
  #1  
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BA to close HKG base [confirmed for Cabin Crew]

Is BA to close its HKG base?
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 9:31 am
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Not confirmed yet but its seemly likely, very sad and the race to the bottom continues.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 9:49 am
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Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA forum Twin aisled, it's good to see you here and I very much hope that you will continue to participate in the forum. I don't have any insight into this issue, but I know it has been rumoured for years, given the gradual closure of other bases, such as Brazil quite recently. I fear it is a matter of time only.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:00 am
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Why is it an issue if the base is closed? How does it matter?
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:03 am
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A few hundred long serving loyal cabin crew loose their jobs and there will be no Cantonese speaking crew onboard, it matters!
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:10 am
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Originally Posted by Can I help you
... and there will be no Cantonese speaking crew onboard ...
Given the composition of the Y cabin market on HKG, it seems a little odd if BA has decided that there is no need for either Cantonese or Mandarin skills on board. Are they called on that infrequently?
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:14 am
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I suppose if it matters that much people will fly CX instead.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:20 am
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Thanks for your very friendly welcome, "corporate-wage-slave", and your insight.
A friend of mine in HKG said it is all over social media in HKG that the base will close.
It is indeed a shame "Can I help you", as with all cuts in so many companies.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:21 am
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And why would BA want people to do this and yes Cantonese speaking crew are essential as we carry less English/Western customers and more Chinese customers?
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:31 am
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You know there are enough people in the UK who speak cantonese?? I believe other airlines hire people in their homebase that speak that language. Probably BA is doing something similar, hiring people that speak Korean for their ICN route. Similarly, IB hired crew that speaks Mandarin and Japanese... and they only fly those routes.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:34 am
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As BA found out with hiring Japanese speakers any decent applicants won’t work for BA for peanuts and either don’t bother to apply or leave very quickly.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:40 am
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My limited experience flying the HKG route is that there are a higher proportion of non-HK people on BA compared to CX. Additionally the Chinese on these flights are more likely to be HK people rather than other asians since BA doesnt have connecting traffic from China like CX does. HK people generally speak English so theres not such a demand for Cantonese speaking crew.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:44 am
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That’s what I used to think sxc but surprisingly I am finding many non English speaking customers on our flights.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:52 am
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Originally Posted by Can I help you
Thats what I used to think sxc but surprisingly I am finding many non English speaking customers on our flights.

With the approach and then the advent of 1997 many local Chinese stopped bothering to learn much or any English. In fact a friend of mine was only recently turned away from a shop because he did not speak any Chinese. They refused to serve him.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 11:31 am
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My question was due to comments from colleagues, some of whom have travelled to both GRU and GIG and EZE and they said it appeared the crew struggled without local speakers.
They voiced concerns that the same issue might happen on the HKG flights.
Also, I am sure more people speak Spanish, than Cantonese, yet they still had issues on those other flights.
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Last edited by Twin aisled; Sep 25, 2018 at 4:29 pm Reason: Edited to clarify.
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