Mobile phones in HONG KONG

[C-152Captain]

Ok..1 more question.

How are the rates for mobile phones over there? I've looked online but have not found any local company that provide wireless service. Do most guys have monthly service or is it better to stick with buying the SMS cards?

Also, does CX require guys to have a home phone #?

Ok...that's 3 questions.

Thank you.

C-152Captain

[Capt. J]

I'm not sure how much it costs but from what I see, it sounds like it's very little. I live in Australia and let me tell you that here, we'd rather use a home phone than a mobile phone unless we're out.

In HKG, I see everyone treat their mobile phones as a home phone, I've only seem my cousins use their home phone a couple of times so I assume it's cheap. I stand to be corrected with this info.

C-152Captain, what course are you doing with CX? Are you joining as a cadet or joining by direct entry?

Cheers

[C-152Captain]

Thanks for the info Capt. J

I'll join as Direct Entry.

C-152Captain

[HotDog]

Capt. J, having lived in Hong Kong for 33 years, I can tell you that mobile charges are far higher than home phones. All home phone local calls are free in HKG, you only pay line rental.

C-152Captain, you are required to have a telephone contact; be it your home or hotel or your girlfriend, if that's where you can be contacted.

Just about everybody has a phone line in Hong Kong and new connections are can be arranged in minimum time. I personally think a pre-paid Sim card is a cheaper option for a mobile but you should have no trouble to afford a mobile contract tailored to your needs, if you get a job with CX.

[404 Titan]

HotDog

My mobile monthly fee is HKD$90.00. For that I get 700 minutes free talk time per month to any phone in Hong Kong, Message bank, Caller ID, International Roaming etc. Also to make an international call to Australia, US, Canada, UK, and NZ I pay HKD$0.23 per minute or about AUD$0.04 per minute all day, every day. This is way cheaper than my home phone which has a monthly rental of HKD$258.00. Just like my mobile all local calls are free. International calls range from about HKD$0.58 per minute during non-peak times to HKD$2.00 per minute during peak periods. You can get cheaper international rates if you look but because the mobile is so cheaper and doesn’t have any restrictions i.e. peak period etc, I use it.

[HotDog]

Wow! Wasn't like that when I left the place.

[404 Titan]

HotDog

Competition. There are more mobile phone companies here than Chinese restaurants.

C-152Captain

CX requires you to be contactable when on reserve etc. Whether you have a home phone or mobile or both is your choice. Most have both. As for which way to go, pre paid sim or a plan, I would go for the plan for the reasons I stated in the previous post.

[C-152Captain]

404Titan, thanks for the info. very informative.

Also, when you make an international call, I understand there is a per minute charge, but will the minutes also get deducted from the 700 that you get for the 90 HKD?

As for international roaming, will it be available worldwide or just the asian countries.

Thanks again.

C-152Captain

[404 Titan]

C-152Captain

It’s deducted from the 700 minutes. International roaming is worldwide as long as they have the GSM network. Also it is a good idea to have a tri-band phone for North America. They only place my phone doesn’t work is Japan, South Korea and Alaska.

[christep]

A slight aside, but, 404 Titan, why are you paying HK$258 per month for the line rental on your home phone? PCCW's standard residential line rental is HK$110 per month. Even if you take all the extras

(i.e:
Caller Display
Call Waiting I & II
Duplex Ringing
Local Call Transfer Conference
Block-the-Blocker
Music On Hold
Follow Me
Fax Support Service
Do-Not-Disturb
Appointment Service
Abbreviated Dialing
Net Surf Call Forwarding
Fixed line SMS)

then the charge is only HK$166 / month.

[404 Titan]

christep

Old contract that still has a few months to run. Thanks for the heads up on what they are offering now. It gives me a line in the sand when I renegotiate a new contract.

[Flying Bagel]

And as far as I'm concerned, you no longer need a landline number. I've only got my cellphone as the primary and only number in the profile, and crew control has been effortlessly using it on a consistent basis. This is what I was told when I joined the company, as compared to the flight attendants, who can only have a landline as their primary contact.

[C-152Captain]

On a completely different topic. Do new guys sit "reserve" all the time until they hold a line? That's how it is here in the states, just curious if CX has something different.

Thanks!

C-152Captain

[spitfiremk8]

Hi C-152 Captain,

Here is a fellow from Texas whom is currently flying Corporate and is higly interested in joining CX. I got the application and it should be heading there soon. Can you elaborate a little on your experience from application to interview. BTW what is your background?

Texmex

[C-152Captain]

Dude, check your private message.