Who is happy at ANY ME airline, post here

[kempilot]

I get it, nobody seems to be happy at any airline in the Middle East. It is the order of the day!
BUT I know there has to be at least 1 in each airline. Would love to hear from you. You know you will be called a brown noser if you say you are happy, don't be scared! LOL
:)

[mutt]

ME:ok::ok:

Mutt

[MrMachfivepointfive]

Its not en vogue to admit it... but me too.

[Panama Jack]

There are good days and there are bad days, like at any other job, however, overall I am happy. If I wasn't, I am sure I would have moved-on long time ago (life is too short).

[Jet II]

me too - when I get unhappy I will leave (or perhaps stay unhappy and keep whinging on internet forums) :ok:

[Stall Inducer]

Ditto the above , overall I'm very happy here. I enjoy the ME & the flying. Hard hat on !

[fractional]

The number of years here moulded me, so that I ended up weathering the big and small storms.
Basic stuff to watch out for here, is (good and spacious. you and/or your family will spend a lot of time indoors) housing hopefully supplied by the employer, full paid or subsidised utilities and school fees for those with kids (6-19). Then you have set your targets on how much you need to save, add the daily expenses hopefully without those above. With similar package, you will certainly save more in Riyadh than in Dubai, but then life styles are so very different.
In regard to the job, well, it's like everywhere else. There will be ups and downs. Don't let them expose you to safety/security neglect and you should be alright. This is why a good HOME is important after a bad day in the "office" flying the machine or the desk.
... And try to visit the place if you can to see what's in waiting for you...:rolleyes:

[White Knight]

I like my job and living over here - works for me and my family!!

Doesn't mean I'm happy with current practices in our esteemed leadership though:uhoh::uhoh: And if any of you fairies want to call me a brown-noser (as I've been accused of in the past) then A. I assure you I am quite the opposite and B. Come say it to my face:E:E

Keep your chins up chaps!!!

[Nightfire]

I'm happy here. (EY) :ok:

[Severely Jetlagged]

Another one happy at EY

[kempilot]

I was starting to think you guys did not exist. I joined this group a year ago to get a feel for what's going on in the ME. Boy was I in for a surprise when I started reading. I knew there would be a lot of negative stuff, we are pilots after all, that's our nature it seems.

I know that it is not a bed of roses there, but geez :eek:!!!

Thanks for the fresh air guys. :ok:

[lcristler]

Im relieved too! I was thinking everyone was in hell over there..maybe we will move to Dubai afterall! Thanks postive people I knew not everyone hated everything!:ok:

[kijangnim]

I am very happy and I am in QR :ok:

[kempilot]

kijangnim


Glad to hear at least 1 guy at QR likes his job. I have an interview in December.

I am not discounting any of the negatives posted on the threads by any means, but it just seems to me that the guys at EK say don't come here, then the guys at QR say don't come here go to EK instead......... you get the picture.

It is just hard to decide when you try to get information to make a decision.
I know that in a perfect world, none of you guys would be in the ME if there wasn't some compelling reason. It is the same for us guys contemplating the move. We didn't just wake up one morning and decide that we want to pull up roots and move to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Doha.

It just gets a little annoying when guys just start with "don't come here" when all you want is basic info.

[mensaboy]

Just because I bitch about the insane practices of this airline, does not mean I am an unhappy person. I am happy. True.......... the lunatics in charge of the asylum here are truly the worst imaginable managers on the planet, but there are still some good things about Emirates for example. Honesty or intelligence is not their forte though, haha

Get out and go kite-surfing, or spend and afternoon of amusement at the Mall of the Emirates..... seriously...... after you watch most other people in action in this city, you HAVE to go home smiling. (or cursing, depending on your POV)

What I worry about the most, are some people who are obviously in denial about things here. It's almost as if........ they are trying to convince themselves that they have made a wise choice to bring their wife and kids to this ****ehole. I can sympathize with them, because that is my story too, but at the bare minimum, I am realistic.

Living in bliss and in denial works for a while, but I do fear for some of my pals because things are not so good on the home front and they don't even see it yet. It worries me alot actuall, because they are good people in general.

When the false glitz and glamor finally shows its true worth, then most people long for their days back home. I wish it did not bother me so much, because I enjoy my life here, but I cannot get past the fact that many people are living in denial.

Imagine bringing your loving wife and 2 kids to a place that has no laws with respect to decency, and then add into the equation that most drivers seem to want to kill you on each and every day, plus the fact that this place truly is a disgusting environment....... but since you made the move, you are basically stuck here for the duration. No wonder this place attracts the most self-centered, drama queens, of any city in the world.

You either adjust and take advantage of the good things (ie,the wife and kids are seemingly happy, and you get to go golfing occasionally) but in truth, this place is one of the worst places to raise a family.

Xenophobia is rampant. Lies, misrepresentation of the truth, homophobia, duplicity, outright propaganda, are the norm here. You have to admit those facts to be true, otherwise your kids are going to grow up, messed up ! Throw in a maid who doddles over your family for a few hundred bucks a years, and people wonder why their kids grow up being self-centered?

This 'paradise' for some, will result in a sad ending for them and their kids in some cases. I have to withhold my beliefs when chatting with most families I know, even considering I am happy here. They don't seem to see the writing on the wall with respect to their kid's health (something quite often overlooked here). Their kids normal progression towards adulthood is not normal in Dubai.

Sadly....... the underlying stress and sadness of many wives here does not become evident until they decide to LEAVE !

I got lucky. No question about that, but I am the first to admit this place is NOT conducive to a normal family life. I shake my head each and every day listening to some people justify their existence here, even though the signs of the decay of their family is so evident. I worry for these decent people, but then again, they should be realistic about this cesspool.

Darn it all, I love my job. I enjoy going to work each day/night/afternoon or morning with a smile on my face, yet I am the first to admit this company is raping us. I don't even get bothered about the duplicity and lies of this country anymore. I figure I"m here to do a job and make some cash, so what do I care if they are a bunch of hypocrits and liars!

This place will meet its destiny in short order and I am hope we are gone before that happens.

Happy? damn, what does that mean? I am happy because I don't worry about job security (other than the occasional 'firings' of pilots for no reason), I make acceptable money, I don't go to work when I am fatigued ( about once every 2 months now) and I take enough fuel considering all aspects of a given flight. Screw our pathetic managers is my point of view. I (WE) are the pilots and they have no CLUE, so drag me into the office if you wish.

Respect for Dubai and Emirates??? pretty much non-existent here. Sorry to burst your bubble if you want to come here. But then again, if you are tolerant, can put up with insanity on a daily basis, and figure you might get some good experience flying wide-body jets to every imaginable destination on the planet, then good for you. You might end up happy too!

[Schibulsky]

@kempilot
Don't get too exited about meeting all the happy people, they are probably the guys who are here for some time or came from some crappy outfits, its all a question of what you had before coming here.
I really doubt there are happy people in temp accommodation or between the guys stuck in the right seat or all the others watching their package going downhill.
I would have said I was happy about two years ago after I joined EK but now I am just happy I quit and have quality of life again!
Anyway good luck and better go and have a look before signing anything.

@ mensaboy: you nailed it:ok:

[wapses]

The only reason anyone would be happy working for a ME airline is because they have a job.

[kempilot]

mensaboy and schibulsky

I hear you loud and clear. I have visited Dubai twice, Ahu Dhabi once. EYES WIDE OPEN! Guys I am 48 years old, born and raised in a third world country before moving to the US at 24 years old. I know crap when I see it.

When I ask the question about being happy, I am asking about work, not personal happiness. Just making that clear. My job sucks to high heaven right now, losing $2k per month come January, facing possible move back to the right seat, but guess what, once I reach home to my wife and son then life is good.

I enjoy lots of things, motorcycles, cars fishing, you name it. The unfortunate thing is that I am only home 3 days per week. I commute 1900 miles one way to work once per week for a 4 day trip. I have to go in many weeks on my last day off so as to report at 0545 or 0600 the next day. Not much frequency to my base.

I only work because I need money just like the rest of you. I am a bum at heart LOL. The love affair with airplanes went away for me many years ago. Got my ATPL in 1986. I FLY ONLY FOR MONEY. almost 19k flight hours.

I know how to do many other things, this is by far the easiest job I have ever done. Tiring sometimes...... yes I am used to the backside of the clock, know it very well.

No offence guys.
Thanks

[BritishGuy]

F8 CVG by chance?

[kempilot]

Useless Air

[BritishGuy]

I hear you brother..... am there too. Living the dream.

[planesmack]

Totally Happy. Been in Dubai for more than a few years now and do not miss the commute back and forth up the US east coast to get to work and then spend the four days of duty to end up with one day home a week, not to mention the less than grand hotels/motels the old carrier provided... and the list could go on and on....

[Jet II]

I was starting to think you guys did not exist. I joined this group a year ago to get a feel for what's going on in the ME. Boy was I in for a surprise when I started reading. I knew there would be a lot of negative stuff, we are pilots after all, that's our nature it seems.


You have to remember that most of the guys that are happy simply cant be bothered posting on PPRUNE nowdays - after getting personally abused by sad people several times you just give up trying to put an alternative view to their doom and gloom.

If you are unhappy you are going to be more motivated to whinge about it on an internet forum - if you are happy then you are more likely to be out enjoying life.

It's human nature whatever country you are in.

[halas]

Why not move to where you are based rather than move across the world?

Kill two birds with one stone. Stop commuting and be at home more often.

halas

[airtractor]

Moving from N-America to the ME was the best move ever, pilots here are respected, well fed, well treated, it is like going from the bottom to the top of the food chain!
No more 14 hrs duty days
No more 11 segments/day
No more blowing -40C and icy runways
No more ****ty/greasy foods
No more Fking deduction for federal tax, Pension plan, Union, Group benefit plan etc...
WY (Oman) is a great please to be!

cheers

[IXNAT]

Kem,
Couple of differences. After the "thrill" wears off of the big planes, etc. you will feel very similar about the company as you do at Useless. The difference will be, you will go home to a somewhat normal lifestyle. Here you will fly 90 hard hours a month, mostly on the backside of the clock, no duty rigs, no union or organizational protection, and flying 10 plus hours with no augmented crew. Don't count on commuting, don't count on numbers of days off in a row to allow anything but recovering from turnarounds to the subcontinent. You are flying in a "normal" ATC enviornment, ie, radar contact, even if you are flying international at Useless. You have jumpseat priviledges througout the country for commuting.

You will see your extended family very infrequently. You will get very little US sports coverage (if that means anything to you), you will spend a number of hours online trying to keep up with what's going on back there. A lot of the normal daily things in life that you take for granted will suddenly disappear. You will be dealing with 115F heat for half the year. The cost of living is higher here than in MCO.

If you have no choice, please come here by all means. It's an ok job. But if you are living a normal life, with a normal family (is anybody's), able to commute with not too much trouble.......think twice, three times before making the call. Here at EK the upgrade is probably minimum of five years now.

[Chandler Bing]

Mensaboy !!
It's one of the most realistic and honest post I have ever read on pprune about being here, in the sandpit.
Well done and spot on !
Thanks

[Nightfire]

I agree with most of what mensaboy has said.

The question for my family and for me is not, weather or not we love this place. I've worked for a nicer airline before and for two worse ones, as far as "enjoying it" goes.
But there isn't really much choice now, anyway. This place here is definitely much better than working for some sh!tty LoCo-carrier back home, or living in China, or being a bush pilot in Africa. Salary- as well as life-quality wise.

Once the first year is over, you start getting used to it. Thinking positive is not the same as self-deception, and for us it works pretty well.

[Captain Oryx]

Happy at Qr!:ok:

[Captain Oryx]

Now I'm really happy!!!:):)

I'm in Qr, and Fatpilot's not!:ok::ok:

Cheers:E

[repapips]

hahaha
Bravo, Capt. Oryx!

kempilot:
"The unfortunate thing is that I am only home 3 days per week."

This is far better than what you can expect in most airlines in the ME.

[kempilot]

Fatpilot

People like you come a dime a dozen. Your belief that anywhere considered to be Third World is a s..t hole speaks volumes about who you THINK you are.

Very disrespectful of others. 'Nuff said.

BTW I am from a Third World country called Jamaica.

[T O G A Boy]

Fatpilot if u claim that Middle East is a thirld world place, what the hell are you doing here then. Why dont you go back to your first world...If it was that great, you wouldnt have travelled thousand of miles to get here. So stop this prejudice and inappropiate wording of yours...

[Fubaliera]

Im happy QR, the problem is living in Doha. Its for family wimps or Arabic speakers, not single guys who speak english

[kempilot]

Sorry for you fub, but I am a married wimp LOL. So if I get hired then I will be fine in Doha. :ok: Good to know:}

[mensaboy]

Wow, A340UAE, you are ME about 4 years ago. Hope you keep that same attitude, good for you. Sadly, I fear things will wear you down over time.

[ironbutt57]

I'm quite happy here in Bahrain, lived in Abu Dhabi for a spell, can easily see how living in Dubai could be a bit stressful, here on the other hand is relatively relaxed, and if the glitz and glamour (tongue in cheek) of Dubai is needed, then a short weekender cures that...

[kempilot]

Thanks guys.

[sheikmyarse]

My level of happyness was so extremely high that I left..as many others did.. Incompatible with unilaterality ...not to keen on being treated like a slave with no rights, fed up with ridicoulous kindergarden like management ( what management?) practices..hating the ******* sandy hot humid damn place. But I pretty much believe that if you come from some ****** up country like the US or worst...... you might take it as improvement..But just wait... the same **** you got there is coming to you soon with the only difference that in the ME you can just shut up!
Enjoy!!!

[Captain Oryx]

SMArse

Curious, if the US is a ****** up country (your definition) what country is not ****** up and where is the crossover point?

Not a flame, just curious.:)

[IXNAT]

Kem,
Let me say it again. An airline is an airline. All airlines have their "superior" management personnel, whether it be Airways, or any of the others. You will find that the airlines around here seem to have their marketing down fairly good, but their operational management can leave a lot to be desired.

You say you are 48. That gives you 17 more years of flying at airways. Seriously, could you spend 17 years away from extended family members, having minimum days off, no matter how many hours you fly, having very little rights as an exapt? It's not about the airline, it is about living in an area and livestyle so different than what you are used to. Believe me, Jamaica is no third world country compared to some of the destinations we fly to.

You have a somewhat stable job. So what if you get bounced back to the right seat, so did I...numerous times. Hey you'll be senior and commuting will get easier. Airways will be around. Sure it looks like a crap job right now and might stay that way for 17 more years. But hopefully your life is defined by you family and friends, not the fact you work for a crap airline. Please, brother, think long and hard about traveling thousands and thousands of miles away just for a better (defined) job.

A lot of the guys posting here live only hours away from the ME. Commuting or traveling to Europe is like commuting from MIA to say SEA. Six or so hours, not 15. It will take you three calendar days of vacation to get to and from the US. Other guys posting here that are happy have had their "alternatives" taken away by either bankrupt airlines or countries where opportunities are very very limited.

And remember, no duty rigs, flying close to 1000 hours a year etc. The captain of the EK MEL accident had flown over 98 hours in the last 30 days. And at EK, the time in the bunk as the augmented crew does not count for your flight time totals (paid-yes).

Now am I happy here? If anyone cares, having no other real choices, lets say I get by. The good news is that everyone is in the same boat so you will make some great lasting friends. But I would trade places with you tomorrow and I am VERY familiar with Airways.

[Captain Oryx]

FYI,

Last time I checked, Canada/ Mexico/ US/ Brazil were all farther than Europe.

Yes we do have pilots from Jamaica working in the flight deck at QR.

The lack of roster control does take getting used to. I would rate the lack of input as somewhere in the middle of the pack. General rule of thumb, the amount of roster control is inversely proportional to the distance traveled east from the US/ Europe.

At the end of the day, it is what you make of it.:ok:

[neilb767]

Yep,, id have to say im in the happy pool also.. (EY),

[White Knight]

I'm sorry to hear that so many airlines where the guys come from fall into the 'crappy category'... That'll include BA, BMI, Easyjet, SAA, Swiss to name a few from my joining date and these are obviously crappy 3rd world countries too..

I say to you miserable sods - GET A LIFE! If you're going to spend your whole life moaning then I'm not interested.. For you it will ALWAYS be glass half empty, wherever you go and however green the grass is.. Neither do I have any sympathy for those who didn't do their homework BEFORE moving to the ME:rolleyes: What the heck did you really expect?????????? Are you really as stupid as you seem to be??????? Mensa????????? Oxymoron that one:eek:

As I said - I like my job, I like living in DXB, not at all happy with the personnel levels above us but things will change - for our benefit!!

[kempilot]

IXNAT

Dude, let me know when you want to trade places. My not liking Airways has nothing to do with the type of flying that I do. I am losing 2k per month in salary come January. Just had the two older children graduate from college, one more to go. I have a LOT of expenses!

The one thing that I notice that we all agree on is the practices of CEOs is universal! Things just get worse here at Airways every day. I was originally America West, so if you are familiar with Airways, then you know all about USAPA. It REALLY sucks when you pay dues to a union that basically was formed to overturn an arbitrated seniority list. not They don't have the west pilot groups' best interest at heart. That came out in court! DFR trial.

So, between USAPA, CEO DP, losing 2k per month in pay I have reached my personal threshold as to how much of the BS I can take. So rather than stay at Airways and bitch about the things I can't take there, I chose to make the move.

Yes I heard all the negatives about the ME, but my wife and I are quite ready to make the move. Yes she has been to the ME three times already. I just want to work get paid and be unknown. Everyone has some special place they call home, the USA isn't it for me, so if I am not in Jamaica, then I might as well be anywhere. MY opinion, and you know what they say about opinions......

[FlyingCroc]

Having a job, living in the USA to come to the sandpit takes some guts. I hope you come here as a captain. :eek:

[Orangewing]

.....And I hope you don't!! :ugh::ugh:

[etihadceo]

Im happy too but its the work i like more than location.

[lcristler]

We are hating Airways too (ex HP) and ready to make the move..Hope we get the interview soon..sooo done with this company. Good Luck to you and your family