Flight deck positions at FlyDubai Master Thread - Merged
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Yes, Arcdu is right. There is no activity in FDs career page.
Ctc site is the only one which is working now. I guess its just the heavy demand.
Ctc site is the only one which is working now. I guess its just the heavy demand.
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Accompanied by the standard out-of-touch, KoolAid drenched, gee whizz what a great bunch of guys & gals you all are, covering letter: flydubai have just announced their new super-dooper-thanks-for-going-the-extra-mile revised package, and the figures (for Captains, at least) are:
Almost speechless and overcome with emotion, for some strange reason I can feel a very nasty attack of Tourette's Syndrome coming on!
- No change in the basic salary.
- Flight Pay increased by a whopping great 5 Dhs per block hour, i.e. up from 160 Dhs to 165 Dhs per block hour (effective 1st April 2014)
- Housing allowance increased by a whole 1,000 Dhs per month, i.e. up from 14,000 Dhs per month to 15,000 Dhs per month (effective 1st Aug 2014) *
- Transportation allowance increased by a whole 300 Dhs per month, i.e. up from 2,300 Dhs per month to 2,600 Dhs per month (effective 1st Aug 2014) *
Almost speechless and overcome with emotion, for some strange reason I can feel a very nasty attack of Tourette's Syndrome coming on!
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First Officers got:
Better than a kick in the nuts but still falls short of covering the increase in living expenses here in Dubai.
- No change in basic
- Flight pay increased by 4 AED/Hr
- Housing allowance increased by 600AED/month
- Transport up by 300AED/month
Better than a kick in the nuts but still falls short of covering the increase in living expenses here in Dubai.
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Ok so maybe I am still trying to hold out a little bit of hope but it doesn't say anything about not getting an increase in Basic salary, it is referring to our compensation package, i.e. Transport and Housing, so lets just see if another email is sent before the 26th !! If I'm not mistaken all previous increment increases where announced by the Chief Pilot. Maybe i am being a little naive but lets just see 
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I am very happy here and I'm here a since 2009. As i said I am grateful however its not extra money in my pocket, unfortunately it is going to go to the landlords here in Dubai, we have always received an increment in the basic salary which does go into my pocket therefore I am holding out some hope, where have i complained may i ask ??? I gave an opinion
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In a nutshell....
This is still a new company just now starting to level off in many areas. What I mean to say is that during the first couple of years of operation it was total chaos. Now one may argue that such can be expected of a new venture while it struggles to find its place. That is only true of an organization that goes off half-cocked from the onset, following the "if we build it they will come" philosophy.
The guys and gals who have been here during the first 2 years have had to ride the wave of trial and error, and much of the "figuring it out" process was done at the expense of managing expectations.
Therefore, the "original" pilot group has had to suffer through the pitfalls and fickle nature of the growth and expansion of our operation across all departments. From pay scales to rostering to upgrades, each of us has undoubtedly felt that the company has dropped the ball at one time or another.
My point is that if management would simply acknowledge the efforts and patience of those of us who have had to endure by simply cutting us some slack in the above mentioned areas, then we would not feel as taken advantage as so many of us do.
The guys and gals who have been here during the first 2 years have had to ride the wave of trial and error, and much of the "figuring it out" process was done at the expense of managing expectations.
Therefore, the "original" pilot group has had to suffer through the pitfalls and fickle nature of the growth and expansion of our operation across all departments. From pay scales to rostering to upgrades, each of us has undoubtedly felt that the company has dropped the ball at one time or another.
My point is that if management would simply acknowledge the efforts and patience of those of us who have had to endure by simply cutting us some slack in the above mentioned areas, then we would not feel as taken advantage as so many of us do.
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The hidden costs of working in the UAE.
We got a pay rise but it’s inadequate especially with regards to Housing and Pension. And the package that I signed up to is being progressively eroded by inflation. I have worked out that I take home about AED7,000 more per month than I would in Europe, however, I have also worked out that it will take me at least 3-5 years to simply break even because there are huge hidden costs. Here is the reality of those hidden costs.........
There is ZERO pension which is a hidden cost of circa AED 32,000pa. Although there is an End of Service gratuity, it is now where near a replacement for the lack of pension; it equates to just AED4,000 pa if you stay for <3 years, AED8,000 pa for 3-5 years and a paltry AED12,000 pa for > 5 years of service.....a 20,000k short fall at best or 28,000k shortfall in the worst case. Ouch!! That is very, very painful!
This is a company that has chosen to do everything it possibly can to avoid / minimise that end of term gratuity.....only the basic qualifies......that’s why FDB uses so many allowances and that is why FDB has never ever increased the basic.....all increases have been made to the allowances.
The housing allowance is now inadequate. You won’t rent a 3 bed villa for much less than AED145,000 pa unless you live on a building site. And rent is increasing at an alarming rate. It’s in excess of 10% pa and FZ have only increased the allowance by 5% in 3 years. And, if you have children, you will have little control over where you live unless you want to drive huge distances. School places are very limited and can dictate where you live which can mean living in a more expensive area than you would otherwise choose.......many companies pay schools debentures which mean their employees get priority school places but FZ did not when I joined.
Schooling fees may, in some cases, have a shortfall of up to AED20,000 per child. And you get ZERO allowance if you choose to school you kids in their homeland. FZ have chosen to confine the allowance to schools only within the UAE.......(the government want you to spend your money here rather than sending it home). This is OK for Junior School as the Junior Schools are very good. However, the Senior schools in the UAE have a poor reputation and it could be very expensive mistake for your kids in later life if they end up at a poor senior school in the UAE.
Dubai is also expensive. Many items costs 30% more than in the US or Europe even after VAT...it’s allegedly tax free but the base price of most things is far higher than it would be outside the UAE. On average our shopping basket costs 30% more. This includes everything from food through footwear, clothing, consumables, electronics etc. Cars and fuel are however cheap.
This is a company that provided literature at the interview which categorically said “You are entitled to concessional tickets on the Flydubai........and Emirates....”. This is untrue; there is ZERO discount on FZ travel......not even one dirham. And although Emirates concessional tickets are available they are almost impossible to use as there is no formal access to predicted loads.......how can you expect your wife to turn up at the airport with young kids, in your absence, without having the slightest idea whether the flight is under or overbooked? Unfortunately, despite being given literature that said concessionary travel was available, it’s not repeated in the contact.
And your parents will have to pay full fare tickets to visit you or their grandchildren.
There is no annual increment & when you return home you will start on year 1. The difference between a year 20 pilot and a year 15 pilot can be between AED25,000 and 50,000 pa!
It costs AED 25,000 to ship here and AED 28,000 to ship back.
You will pick up other considerable other one off costs.....curtains, white goods, selling vehicles at home.....
Another hidden cost is about AED7,500 pa for your family to return home each year.
Another hidden cost is about AED 3,000 pa for a family with kids for trips to the doctor / hospital.
There is NO compassionate leave for your parents.....you will miss their funeral. It only covers your children/wife. However, it appears as though the company will help, but only if it suits them.
The package also offers little or no compensation for the additional risks that occur when living in Dubai which simply would not be present in the US or Europe. Blood money can be payable should you be unfortunate enough to kill a pedestrian or be involved in an accident. Standard Blood Money, when found liable for causing a death, is AED200,000 and it’s also payable in varying amounts for damaged cause to a person’s body parts. Most insurance companies will pay the deceased directly but will then recover the amount from you! Some won’t pay at all in which case you can go to jail until the amount is paid. For other offences, you or your family can be asked to leave at any stage.
Other costs include losses on selling your cars when you leave Dubai and how much will it cost for white goods, curtains, setting up house when you return home?
And how do you go for an interview or sim ride?
When you do return you could possibly end up with a seasonal contract which would prove to be very expensive indeed if you end redundant at the end of the contract........you return to zero seniority when you return home.
The list goes on and on.
This is a very one sided post and there are many very good things about FZ and Dubai however, don’t come here on the hope of making more money than you could in the US or Europe. Only come here if you are unemployed or are from a politically unstable /dangerous country.
Rant over.
There is ZERO pension which is a hidden cost of circa AED 32,000pa. Although there is an End of Service gratuity, it is now where near a replacement for the lack of pension; it equates to just AED4,000 pa if you stay for <3 years, AED8,000 pa for 3-5 years and a paltry AED12,000 pa for > 5 years of service.....a 20,000k short fall at best or 28,000k shortfall in the worst case. Ouch!! That is very, very painful!
This is a company that has chosen to do everything it possibly can to avoid / minimise that end of term gratuity.....only the basic qualifies......that’s why FDB uses so many allowances and that is why FDB has never ever increased the basic.....all increases have been made to the allowances.
The housing allowance is now inadequate. You won’t rent a 3 bed villa for much less than AED145,000 pa unless you live on a building site. And rent is increasing at an alarming rate. It’s in excess of 10% pa and FZ have only increased the allowance by 5% in 3 years. And, if you have children, you will have little control over where you live unless you want to drive huge distances. School places are very limited and can dictate where you live which can mean living in a more expensive area than you would otherwise choose.......many companies pay schools debentures which mean their employees get priority school places but FZ did not when I joined.
Schooling fees may, in some cases, have a shortfall of up to AED20,000 per child. And you get ZERO allowance if you choose to school you kids in their homeland. FZ have chosen to confine the allowance to schools only within the UAE.......(the government want you to spend your money here rather than sending it home). This is OK for Junior School as the Junior Schools are very good. However, the Senior schools in the UAE have a poor reputation and it could be very expensive mistake for your kids in later life if they end up at a poor senior school in the UAE.
Dubai is also expensive. Many items costs 30% more than in the US or Europe even after VAT...it’s allegedly tax free but the base price of most things is far higher than it would be outside the UAE. On average our shopping basket costs 30% more. This includes everything from food through footwear, clothing, consumables, electronics etc. Cars and fuel are however cheap.
This is a company that provided literature at the interview which categorically said “You are entitled to concessional tickets on the Flydubai........and Emirates....”. This is untrue; there is ZERO discount on FZ travel......not even one dirham. And although Emirates concessional tickets are available they are almost impossible to use as there is no formal access to predicted loads.......how can you expect your wife to turn up at the airport with young kids, in your absence, without having the slightest idea whether the flight is under or overbooked? Unfortunately, despite being given literature that said concessionary travel was available, it’s not repeated in the contact.
And your parents will have to pay full fare tickets to visit you or their grandchildren.
There is no annual increment & when you return home you will start on year 1. The difference between a year 20 pilot and a year 15 pilot can be between AED25,000 and 50,000 pa!
It costs AED 25,000 to ship here and AED 28,000 to ship back.
You will pick up other considerable other one off costs.....curtains, white goods, selling vehicles at home.....
Another hidden cost is about AED7,500 pa for your family to return home each year.
Another hidden cost is about AED 3,000 pa for a family with kids for trips to the doctor / hospital.
There is NO compassionate leave for your parents.....you will miss their funeral. It only covers your children/wife. However, it appears as though the company will help, but only if it suits them.
The package also offers little or no compensation for the additional risks that occur when living in Dubai which simply would not be present in the US or Europe. Blood money can be payable should you be unfortunate enough to kill a pedestrian or be involved in an accident. Standard Blood Money, when found liable for causing a death, is AED200,000 and it’s also payable in varying amounts for damaged cause to a person’s body parts. Most insurance companies will pay the deceased directly but will then recover the amount from you! Some won’t pay at all in which case you can go to jail until the amount is paid. For other offences, you or your family can be asked to leave at any stage.
Other costs include losses on selling your cars when you leave Dubai and how much will it cost for white goods, curtains, setting up house when you return home?
And how do you go for an interview or sim ride?
When you do return you could possibly end up with a seasonal contract which would prove to be very expensive indeed if you end redundant at the end of the contract........you return to zero seniority when you return home.
The list goes on and on.
This is a very one sided post and there are many very good things about FZ and Dubai however, don’t come here on the hope of making more money than you could in the US or Europe. Only come here if you are unemployed or are from a politically unstable /dangerous country.
Rant over.
Last edited by asteroid02; 19th May 2014 at 05:00.
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Out of the frying pan.....
Boredbusdriver
Anybody recently jumped ship from Ryanair to flydubai, any information would be greatly appreciated
We need a little more? I'm ex FR (not for very long I hasten to add) but a fair few years back. If you want to know if the grass is greener. Then we need to know if you are Capt or FO, which base your at in FR. Are you single or married, with or without kids, etc.
FZ has lots to offer but it comes at a cost and the cost is only worth it for some (will happily say many) but not all demographics.
So ask away and I'm sure those of us getting edgy about the onslaught of summer will be happy to help!
Anybody recently jumped ship from Ryanair to flydubai, any information would be greatly appreciated
We need a little more? I'm ex FR (not for very long I hasten to add) but a fair few years back. If you want to know if the grass is greener. Then we need to know if you are Capt or FO, which base your at in FR. Are you single or married, with or without kids, etc.
FZ has lots to offer but it comes at a cost and the cost is only worth it for some (will happily say many) but not all demographics.
So ask away and I'm sure those of us getting edgy about the onslaught of summer will be happy to help!
Last edited by Vortex Thing; 19th May 2014 at 15:57. Reason: It submitted itself before I finished typing!!!
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Hi vortex thing,
Currently an FO, single with no kids and in a uk base. I've got the hours for command in fr but a 5 3 roster in Southern Italy isn't very appealing.
Basically how long can u expect to wait for command?
Is the money enough to have a decent lifestyle down there, (decent appartment, good social life while putting a bit away each month.)
I've heard FOs can expect around 7.5-8k euros per month, do U get the full housing allowance if u managed to find cheaper accommodation (unlikely I know in dubai)
How many times a year could a trip back to Europe be planned, i see u get 42 days leave, is it difficult to get a couple of weeks at a time?
Cheers
Currently an FO, single with no kids and in a uk base. I've got the hours for command in fr but a 5 3 roster in Southern Italy isn't very appealing.
Basically how long can u expect to wait for command?
Is the money enough to have a decent lifestyle down there, (decent appartment, good social life while putting a bit away each month.)
I've heard FOs can expect around 7.5-8k euros per month, do U get the full housing allowance if u managed to find cheaper accommodation (unlikely I know in dubai)
How many times a year could a trip back to Europe be planned, i see u get 42 days leave, is it difficult to get a couple of weeks at a time?
Cheers
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Upgrade F/O -> Capt
Hello guys !!!
What are the minimum requirements for an upgrade from FO to Capt in Flydubai?
How long time are FOs expending to become Capt?
How is the upgrade process?
Thks
What are the minimum requirements for an upgrade from FO to Capt in Flydubai?
How long time are FOs expending to become Capt?
How is the upgrade process?
Thks
Last edited by Rodolfo; 19th May 2014 at 18:08. Reason: grammar error
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You still get the full housing allowance even if you find a cheaper place and that is how a lot of single people make a bit of extra money. But even apartments are expensive now! Cheap 1 bed studio apartments are about AED60,000 pa while nice 1 bed studios in Downtown are more like 100,000 - 120,000 pa.
And you can take your leave as individual weeks which means you could potentially use EK staff travel to make it back to Europe occasionally.
As a single guy, the major hidden cost here will be the lack of pension. There is an End of Term Gratuity but it leaves you with a AED28,000 pa shortfall if you stay for less than 3 years. If you stay for longer you get a bigger gratuity but, even if you stay til you retire, it still leaves you with a AED20,000 pa shortfall!
Generally its a lot easier for single folk. FZ is not anti family but it damn well feels like it sometimes.......my wife is even unwelcome at the annual company party!
And you can take your leave as individual weeks which means you could potentially use EK staff travel to make it back to Europe occasionally.
As a single guy, the major hidden cost here will be the lack of pension. There is an End of Term Gratuity but it leaves you with a AED28,000 pa shortfall if you stay for less than 3 years. If you stay for longer you get a bigger gratuity but, even if you stay til you retire, it still leaves you with a AED20,000 pa shortfall!
Generally its a lot easier for single folk. FZ is not anti family but it damn well feels like it sometimes.......my wife is even unwelcome at the annual company party!
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Guys, most (if not all) of that info is already on this thread. I'd strongly suggest to go ahead and read up the entire thing, worth your time. At least the last third of it for the most recent/relevant information, it will answer all your questions. Well worth it if you are considering FD.
As for those asking for interview tips, start on page 90 on this thread, there's some info on interviews there.
As for those asking for interview tips, start on page 90 on this thread, there's some info on interviews there.