Hi Buford:
Good idea to look everywhere but don't let all the negative comments over on the M.E. forum dissuade you from still trying at Emirates. It's still a pretty decent job.
I'll tell you my experience as an American trying to get noticed/hired by Dragonair. I started sending resumes and letters shortly after 9-11. Never got a reply of any kind. I found their office phone number here on Pprune and decided, nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I jumped on an airplane and flew to Hong Kng with my wife ( we were on our way to Taiwan anyway so it wasn't far out of the way ). We camped out in the airport hotel and I called the recuitment office looking for Doris Au or Ann Law ( think those were the names, it's been awhile ). Finally got a hold of Ann on the second day and she was nice enough to agree to a meeting to discuss my application later that day. My wife ( Chinese ) and I went to meet Ann and had a nice sit down discussion for about 20 minutes. I tried to impress upon her that Dragonair was where I would most like to work and that my previous experience in Asia plus Mandarin speaking ability might come in handy. With 10,000 hours total time, 5000 hours PIC in commercial jets, and multiple type ratings they sent me a letter a few weeks letter saying I was not qualified
.
My opinion, and it is only that, is that the letter should have said, " You are not Australian or British nor do you have an Airbus type rating so piss off "
That is not to be read as a slam on Brits and Aussies nor on Dragonair, but it would seem to me, an outsider, that is the case.
Typhoonpilot