Why I turned down Cathay Pacific (SO Transition)
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I'm looking swell for a structure of the 32week course in adelaide but can't seem to find any info about it.. i have heard rumors that you do 4 exams every 2-3 weeks till you complete then you start the flying conversion? please someone correct me if its all not true
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Wife will bring something to the table?
Eternity,
I totally get where your coming from and I like your considered approach but a couple of items to think about.
You do make it sound like you'll be the only breadwinner in the family. You're in your 30s and whoever you marry probably will be too by the time you finish kicking the tyres. I doubt in this modern age, the woman of your dreams will be completely devoid of having had a career? She might not come with a dowry but I'm sure she's been working as hard as you and between the joint incomes of you're family you might be able to afford a larger down payment or mortgage.
The other point. I have gone from rags to riches and back to rags several times over my working life. My first mortgage was a monster, I lost sleep at night worrying how I'd ever pay it back. Within a few years, my salary had crept up along with the cost of living and left it behind, it quickly became less daunting.
Bsaically my point is, don't over think things, they will all come good one way or another...
I totally get where your coming from and I like your considered approach but a couple of items to think about.
You do make it sound like you'll be the only breadwinner in the family. You're in your 30s and whoever you marry probably will be too by the time you finish kicking the tyres. I doubt in this modern age, the woman of your dreams will be completely devoid of having had a career? She might not come with a dowry but I'm sure she's been working as hard as you and between the joint incomes of you're family you might be able to afford a larger down payment or mortgage.
The other point. I have gone from rags to riches and back to rags several times over my working life. My first mortgage was a monster, I lost sleep at night worrying how I'd ever pay it back. Within a few years, my salary had crept up along with the cost of living and left it behind, it quickly became less daunting.
Bsaically my point is, don't over think things, they will all come good one way or another...
PPRuNe Secret Agent!
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I too was offered SO Position, 4500TT, been flying for 8/9 years, 36 years old! Not fussed about LHS, just want to be back in a long-term career airline after been made redundant from Thomson in 2010.
I echo the Thread Starter, even as a single guy, no wife and kids but with a very good life in the UK, I couldn't get the Maths to work, would simply be shafting myself!
Big big shame...
I echo the Thread Starter, even as a single guy, no wife and kids but with a very good life in the UK, I couldn't get the Maths to work, would simply be shafting myself!
Big big shame...
Join Date: Nov 2007
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At the risk of receiving much grief, at least there is a housing allowance. The vast majority of people in Hong Kong that own property earn a lot less than a CX SO and have no housing allowance. I was earning HKD24,000/month and owned a place in Discovery Bay (with a 25 year mortgage), and could live comfortably - though admittedly I had no family to support. Then I embarked on a CPL in S.Africa, selling my apartment to fund it, came back home to HK only to break my back and put me out of flying. Now earning less than I was and no property. Oh bugger.
Join Date: Apr 2006
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-housing price in HK
### mega expensive, HK is the most expensive city in the world - to buy you are looking at €250, €500 and €1000 per square meter for a flat in a ****, average and nice area respectively - for renting you are looking at €10, €15 and €50 per square meter.
### mega expensive, HK is the most expensive city in the world - to buy you are looking at €250, €500 and €1000 per square meter for a flat in a ****, average and nice area respectively - for renting you are looking at €10, €15 and €50 per square meter.
Just to put it into perspective (with slight exaggeration), the price of a house of a size of around 4000 square feet at "prestigious" location in HKG can probably buy you Buckingham Palace, or the White House if you're from the states. (Or the country if you're from Ethiopia)
Join Date: Oct 2007
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I've always wondered. What's wrong with living in Tung Chung? That's the first place I thought of when I went for my interview. Cheapest place I could think of. $5-6m gets you 3 BR, 1200 sq ft. It's a little shabby since the floor isn't even and the caulking job is a joke.. but it's not terrible.
Join Date: May 2002
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Practically, no.
You'll have the days off, but no money. Your "take home pay" isnt enough to take you home.
CX staff travel s really expensive. Economy (the seats are dreadful) is around US$200 return, business is US$450 return. The standby system is notoriously inaccurate in its "forecasts" and you're bottom of the list.
Every pilot, flight attendant and staff member who joined before you will be on the standby list ahead of you. Dependants of staff members will be ahead of you. Wives, husbands, kids, the lot.
Flights are full. There is the "jumpseat" option, but that's only if the captain gives it to you ahead of all the other requests he has for the jumpseat. If its a training flight, no are available for request.
If you live anywhere other than SFO or LAX, factor in travel costs, Cathay has almost no reciprocity with other carriers.
You have to travel on a firm ticket. If you miss the the flight (stuck, bumped etc.) that's strike 1 of 2.
Go ahead, commute. Six months, tops, before it ges too much.
You'll have the days off, but no money. Your "take home pay" isnt enough to take you home.
CX staff travel s really expensive. Economy (the seats are dreadful) is around US$200 return, business is US$450 return. The standby system is notoriously inaccurate in its "forecasts" and you're bottom of the list.
Every pilot, flight attendant and staff member who joined before you will be on the standby list ahead of you. Dependants of staff members will be ahead of you. Wives, husbands, kids, the lot.
Flights are full. There is the "jumpseat" option, but that's only if the captain gives it to you ahead of all the other requests he has for the jumpseat. If its a training flight, no are available for request.
If you live anywhere other than SFO or LAX, factor in travel costs, Cathay has almost no reciprocity with other carriers.
You have to travel on a firm ticket. If you miss the the flight (stuck, bumped etc.) that's strike 1 of 2.
Go ahead, commute. Six months, tops, before it ges too much.
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So even with the roughly 75K they give you as forgivable loan plus being able to keep the monthly allowance since you will technically still be HK based the finances would still be hard? That seems like a lot of money to be able to spend on tickets to get home.
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CirrusPro, I was wondering the same. My understanding is that the loan isn't really what it seems like. I think the money isn't available until the four or five years of service have been completed. It's more like a bond. I'd like to get an input from recent hires if there are any in here
Join Date: May 2002
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Do you know what the "forgivable loan" means to your net salary, per month, after tax, over the six years?
HKD2,700 per month.
That's not even ONE "subload" business class return ticket to ANY North American or European destination. Think you can suck it and see with a "commute" home? Think again. You can't afford the tickets and you can't afford to "no show" for work.
Guys, I don't want to p1ss on your parade, but you REALLY don't know how expensive this place is and how poor this offer really is.
Do what you want to do (of course) but don't expect a sympathetic ear when this all comes home to roost.
HKD2,700 per month.
That's not even ONE "subload" business class return ticket to ANY North American or European destination. Think you can suck it and see with a "commute" home? Think again. You can't afford the tickets and you can't afford to "no show" for work.
Guys, I don't want to p1ss on your parade, but you REALLY don't know how expensive this place is and how poor this offer really is.
Do what you want to do (of course) but don't expect a sympathetic ear when this all comes home to roost.
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@Cpt_underpants...It's nice of you to warn us but why are you doing it? just being a nice Samaritan? are you at CX? and what's your current benefits? if these benefits are not enough for us why are you still there?
Join Date: May 2002
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airgent
I don't remember signing up to be your biatch, and don't feel obligated to respond to your demands, but here goes:
I predate B scale, with appropriate seniority and remuneration. I have nothing to lose or gain by this I cadet deal. Nada. Zip. Zero.
I do sit for hours with S/O's who have joined in the last year. I don't "rub" my package in anyone's face. The vast majority of S/O's on this deal are a dreadfully unhappy bunch, cloistering themselves on lay overs, saving every penny, ticking off the years to upgrade...
Don't get duped by CX recruiting on this thing. It's an experiment. If no one signs up, the deal goes up. You're all cutting your own throats.
I don't remember signing up to be your biatch, and don't feel obligated to respond to your demands, but here goes:
I predate B scale, with appropriate seniority and remuneration. I have nothing to lose or gain by this I cadet deal. Nada. Zip. Zero.
I do sit for hours with S/O's who have joined in the last year. I don't "rub" my package in anyone's face. The vast majority of S/O's on this deal are a dreadfully unhappy bunch, cloistering themselves on lay overs, saving every penny, ticking off the years to upgrade...
Don't get duped by CX recruiting on this thing. It's an experiment. If no one signs up, the deal goes up. You're all cutting your own throats.
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@Cpt.underpants...oh shut up you moron, if you didn't sign up to answer my questions why did you even reply to a post that didn't concern you to begin with? Have any mental retardation or it's probably the polluted air in HK keeping you high? So you and others who feel so rightfully "obligated" to tell us how bad CX is, why don't you shove it and stop scaring off people? Don't you realize we're all adults to make our own decisions? Those who chose to accept the deal have their own reasons, why do you even care to begin with?
FYI, the above questions are rhetorical!
FYI, the above questions are rhetorical!