How much does it cost?

You pay a percentage of your Pensionable Pay into the Pension Scheme. In APS, the standard rate at which your pension builds up is 1/52 (Flying Staff) or 1/56 (Ground Staff). You pay a standard rate of 7.25% (Ground Staff) or 8.50% (Flying Staff) of your Pensionable Pay. In addition, members under State Pension Age who have not chosen the 1/54 build-up rate (Flying Staff) or the 1/58 build-up rate (Ground Staff) pay an additional 3.1% of Band Earnings. Your contributions are deducted automatically from your monthly or weekly salary. You get tax relief on whatever you pay into the Scheme. Most members pay Scheme contributions via BA's salary sacrifice arrangement – SmartPension – (you can find more details about SmartPension on the BA intranet).

Flexibility in what you pay

Build your pension at a slower rate

If you are currently under State Pension Age (SPA) you can choose to build your pension at slower rate (1/54 Flying Staff, 1/58 Ground Staff) for future service. You will pay the same Scheme contributions that you would pay for the standard build-up rate (1/52 Flying Staff, 1/56 Ground Staff) but BA will cover the cost of the additional employer's National Insurance Contributions (NICs), currently 3.1% of Band Earnings, passed onto members following the launch of the Government’s new State Pension arrangements from April 2016.

Adult Survivor's pension

The standard pension package includes a pension for your spouse or partner or qualifying Pensionable Dependant when you die. If you do not want this cover, you can choose to pay 1.5% less. You can stop paying the higher contributions towards the cover for future service by filling out the Adult Survivor's pension opt out form or by writing to us, giving at least one calendar months' notice.

Put more on top of your BA pension

You can top up your retirement income by making additional payments called Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).