Originally Posted by
Flyingviking2018
So there are some very mixed feeling about Korean Airlines.
I have been reading through some threads here and what seems to keep popping up is training. Can someone elaborate on what is the issue? I understand it takes a long time, up to 4 months on reduced pay. Is the training particularly difficult? Is it more the trainers? Or is it a cultural issue?
Any actual info on working for KE? I am not so much interested in what friends of friends say. I would greatly appreciate openminded info from pilots working at KE. I read mainly bad things but for sure there has to be some good things as well. Or I am too naïve?
I am currently working for an airline in the ME that can not be mentioned here. But seriously looking at other options. One of them KE or OZ but also considering VN.
Different people work at KE for different reason and either stay or leave for different reason, there seems to be a high turnover on the 737 fleets as the salary is not great and the route structure is very complicated.
On the wide body fleet movement is not so high but there are many guys on the 777 looking towards China at the moment purely for the money and the hope of early retirement, but there also seems to be problems with interview process there as hainan for example no longer have access to a 777 sim!
Traning at KE at the moment seems to be running at around four months, give it take a few days Assuming you don’t have any problems, if you fall a flight for whatever reason it can add days or weeks to your process, and the reasons can be completely pointless and just down to how the trainer feels on the day and if he likes you, very frustrating.
Most of the ground school is unnecessary and pointless considering the experience you’ll be showing up with, but it’s there train set so you just have to play the game. The airlaw exam however is serious and can be quite difficult to pass, many guys fail it at least once and some have been kick out for failing it four or five times, they do supply you with support and there is a bunch of info floating around for it but you’ll need to put in the hard work to pass it.
Get ready for a hr long bus ride each day to and from the hotel to HQ!
The main difference between KE and OZ is OZ require you to live in country full time with roster patterns to suit. I know little about VN but I am aware that they are intent on reducing there expat community.
There are strong indications from the company at the moment that they may be either increasing pay by a grand a month or increasing time off by two additional days a month, giving 11 days leave + 2 days Annual leave + 3 days travel!
The expat community in Seoul is pretty good, there are limited options around the hotel for entertainment but you can get by! However everyone’s hr are up at the moment on 777 fleet anyway so reserve days have all but gone off the rosters and Seoul is mostly just a night stop!
I don’t see KE being any different than any other airline in that there are many guys who have been in the company for 20+ years and there are many guys who hate it after two, it really is horses for courses, you either like it and stick it out or you don’t, but I can tell you one thing for a fact the Koreans just don’t care if we stay or leave.
Hope this helps!