cathay pilot bases

[ashcroft79]

I've been reading post on here about cathay for the last 5 months or so and the majority of it is negative with most of it concerning rostering, paye system in u.k or the pollution in h.k. I haven't heard much about what is thought about the u.s basings, or even austrialia. Can anyone on here give me some feedback about these basings and how you feel about them. I do have an interview coming up and am looking for a little bit more info.. Thanks

[Kitsune]

If you are too idle (or inept) to look it up yourself over 5 months, perhaps you need not apply....:ugh::ugh::ugh:

[ashcroft79]

not to idle man just that every post that I've read seems to be from someone who is based in the u.k or hong kong. If you will read the question again, I am asking specifically for input from those who are based here in the states or in austrialia.

[BigLebowsky]

Isn't it funny how anywhere you read around here, when someone asks an honest question there's always some a*se that has to come with a smart answer!?
If you don't have an answer that helps, keep your f***ing mouth shut. How about that everyone?
I'm going to Cathay soon, but reading all these smart a*se comments everywhere is making me wonder if this is the cind of people I really want to work with, hope you guys are a minority!
/BigL

[Nullaman]

I get the uncomfortable feeling that you are somewhat short-fused BigLebowsky?

You should be fun to sit with on a 12 hour+ sector.:}

[Kitsune]

Enjoy your 20 years to permanent F/O BL.....we'll be waiting for you....:D:D:D

[californiadreaming]

All,

Is there a long queue of Hong Kong based pilots waiting to base away from Hong Kong?
If an new SO joins CX in Hong Kong, how long would it take for him/her to get basing in a N. America base?

Thanks!

[alphaflight]

Anchorage,Atlanta,Chicago,Los Angles,New York.


I just had rotator cuff surgery, and a interview coming up, is this a medical DQ?

[cxlinedriver]

The time to get on a base has varied a lot over the years. Recent changes by CX management to employment policy have screwed it for anyone in HKG wanting to base.

The company is now employing DFOs (Direct Entry FO) onto the bases. They come straight in, a quick type rating in the sim, do about 20 sectors training and are then considered to be based line FOs (with Relief Command). If you are an SO in HKG, or a non-Relief FO you are NOT able to take a base ahead of a DFO - seniority does NOT count. Also, if you are on the wrong fleet for a base position you have to use your once in a lifetime joker to change fleets to take the base (but the management does not have to accept your Joker request).

Retirement at 65. The company want it. The A Scalers want it on their current conditions, and f**k the rest of us. All but the most recent of joiners signed up with retirement at 55. This also gave us hope of a quick (8 - 12 years) time to command. With retirement at 65 coming many in HKG now think that they had better take a base when they can. There are about 20 command slots on bases through out the world. About 120 HKG Capt are listed for them.

I know of senior FOs in HKG who see the only way of getting out to a base is to take another job. The guys I know are talking to V Australia.

Outside the management control: pollution! HKG is getting worse and worse. The air will shorten your life. If you have young children they will go from one Ear-Nose-Throat infection to another to another. The pollution is giving all of the expat employing companies in HKG trouble with their recruitment.

So, if you come to CX assume that you will be suffering in the HKG filth for a very long time.

(the company is also pushing for 3 man crews instead of 4 - so for an SO the job is about to get a whole lot worse).

If only we had a union.......

[Fac6]

Cxlinedriver is right on the money.

[Midnight Rambler]

Got news for you, cxlinedriver: not just DFO's but direct entry captains as well. Now a few more from Oasis they can pick and choose.

[yokuba]

instead try for a certain legacy airline in the USA that starts at $29/hr USD and no health insurance for 6 months for a 777.

it's pretty bad in the States...

[Falconpilot]

Well your post was a pure poetry...Or not?
It 's quite hard to have some definite answers on the Cx experience. What is well understood though is that living in HK is not healthy and not a good experience moneywise... So if what you say is right, why bother? Why does a 747 captain with 1500 hours on type accept a F/O position for two years at CX. I can even tell it's salary... 96K euros/year( but with 50% taxes...) So why does he leave?

What is sure for me is that the B payscale is not enough, but as long as pilots will show to the interviews, they will continue to lower the scale as it has been for the last years or so... The package is not worth the troubles for the moment.

[CXChildLabour]

Being an SO looking to get a base, u're looking at about 3 yers before u'll even be considered for a spot... You can only hold an FO basing slot after you passed your review board for JFO upgrade... and you still have to stay in HK until u get QL'd which would take another 1.5-2 years... With the pace they're hiring DEFO's, CN extending, and FO's passing on commands so they won't have to leave, I reckon there ain't much chance for anyone just joining the company... As of the most recent basing allocation application, they've combined all basing slots into one category so you don't even know if you need to use ur joker or not to get on the base... It's unfortunate but even for myself months away from my upgrade, I can't say for sure if there'd even be a slot available when my turn comes, or even for years to come...

[ACMS]

I'd just like to WELCOME back all the Oasis Captains OVER 55 that hated CX enough to take their A scale P funds and leave.

Welcome back RM, nice to see you on such a terrific wage. Thanks for helping us all out.

good one.

Now why don't you head off to V Australia, the moneys a LOT BETTER and it's a 777.:ok:


Don't you have any PRIDE at all?

[Kitsune]

Isn't there a problem with the HK tax man about taking your p-fund and then continuing to work in Hong Kong? Something about it being tax free as a retirement fund, but if you continued to work it was then taxable? I seem to remember JG screwed it up for the rest of us at some point years ago...:ugh:

[quadspeed]

Of the SO's I know who joined Cathay with the intention of getting a base, the majority wished they'd put off joining until they had accumulated the qualifications for a DEFO based position, or that they could resign right now and rejoin as a DEFO on a base.

With the latter being an unnaceptable option to management, most guys are watching their basing prospects erode away right in front of their eyes. In fact, they'll most likely be making the bunk for the DEFO hired two years later who's now sitting on your base slot blocking it for the better part of your career. Stuck in the slowest lane, replaying the shallow and brutally misleading words of the Cathay's "career options" presentation during the final interview in your mind.

Seniority means nothing as you career choices are reduced to 1)FO on base until retirement or a 2)FC in Hong Kong until retirement. Neither requires seniority once on base, which will likely happen right after your wife has taken your kids and left you for a DEFO flying out of her hometown while you're trying to remember what blue sky and green grass looked like.

The full realization of all this is that Cathay don't fear a turnover of SO's. When an SO quits in frustration (and they do), there's another 10 waiting to take his place with their eyeshades firmly in place on until it's too late. And the circle repeats.

[ACMS]

quadspeed...............excellent post. It's total BS the whole damn thing.

Anyone with an Airbus rating would be mad not to be looking at Tiger or Jetstar.

I've been here 15 years and I can't get a damn base either.:{

[Kitsune]

Perhaps this will help you understand CX:

http://money.uk.msn.com/guides/salarycentre/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8249394

Sorry if the article is too long for you ACMS, get one of your colleagues to explain it to you 'Janet and John' style.......:cool:

[ACMS]

yes I read the whole article, so what's your point old chap?

Seems like a fair and balanced article on the BS the average workers all around the world face from the bully boy managers.

Maybe if WW in BA and GD in QF and TT in CX read this article they might change their management style!! nah probably not.:=

Until then we will still feel like the knife is not only in our backs, but being twisted as we speak. They continue to bend and sometimes break the rules in our contract and generally piss us all off while themselves have Golden parachutes and a big bonus to rely on.:=

[timmy2112]

sorry if i'm going off topic, but why all the bashing?

they might be pushing for three men crews instead of four - but at the crux of it is the pilot; his mindset, for lack of a better word. am i right in saying that most people become pilots for their love of flying? if so, then why do they grumble when they don't get pay rises?

the way i see it, they don't get their pay docked (significantly) if they make a bad landing or if they fall ill. arguably, i understand why they would be moaning; cx management isn't exactly the best. but at the same time, they're undergoing a rather rapid expansion - as well as the CPP, there have been more DESOs/FOs (?) arguably this makes for more competition when competing for an outport basing and i can see why this would affect the pilots, as an outport basing could be seen as a hygiene factor, or motivation factor depending on which motivation theory you're looking t it from.

if they don't want to wait, no one is stopping them from leaving; there are people out there, just as skilled, if not more, and probably more enthusiastic about the job than they would ever be. but then again, joining cx was a CHOICE. yes, back then in the late eighties/early nineties it might have been seen as a more attractive company than it is seen as now - but the industry has changed;so have the airlines, and unfortunately, as it seems to me, so has the mindset of the pilots?

i don't intend to offend anyone , but it seems like in the 60s, pilots flew because they wanted to fly; they loved to fly. might still be the case nowadays, but with all things, money has taken priority, which can't be blamed.

just my two cents worth.

[pill]

That's not worth 2 cents tim

[Hiro Nakimura]

timmy,
its not about the love flying. Ask SOs or relief FOs how much flying actually gets done by them!

What it is about is the constantly attack and erosion on terms and conditions in our contract and changing career expectations.

Imagine if you took off and during your flight you constantly were told to climb or descend 10,000', make 90degree turns, rerouted to new destinations, told to dump fuel etc etc. Then imagine if this kept happening on a regular basis!

As pilots we like to have control over our careers like we have control over our flights. CX management, as well qualified as their zoology degrees make them, don't particularly care about consistency or fairness. They simply change the rules on a day to day basis as it suits them to deal with whatever crisis/opportunity has arisen.

So Timmy, join CX - or if you are already in CX - keep flexible and for gods sake don't assume any period of time to command or expect any base and then you won't be disappointed. Also don't read the CX annual report where you see the executive giving themselves big payrises and bonuses of up to 80% of salary as then you will realise how little we are worth to them!

[bobrun]

I think a big disappointment for many who join CX (me anyway) is to see how Cathay is constantly trying to work around our contracts and doesn't always honor their signatures. If only they would respect in good faith the intent of our contracts that would be enough for me. I love flying but I also expect my boss to respect the contract that we both signed. Direct entry captains, DEFO straight on bases (read 6.3 of the basing policy), late assessment of SOs to avoid paying bypass etc are a few disappointing examples :(