this thread is interesting because it baffles me how so many people can come up with some many answers about EK. Even at China, the best of the grumblers could come up with some of the reasons why they didn't like it. There were many reasons to complain, but at least you hd facts.
Anybody want to jump on these observations?
I thought I read that EK had less than 1% of Americans. I think the reason is that most do not want to live in that part of the world for safety fears. Now how, do you tell an America and why would they be good targets?
When in CAL, there were Brits, Aussies, Canadians, Brazilians,etc. and now one could tell until they began to use the English language.
We all got along well. perhaps speaking English out in the streets may be a dead giveaway and the accent narrows it down further. So I am not sure if that is why so few Americans have an interest in being there. Obviously, you are just as vulnerable on a layover anywhere in the world if someone wanted you that badly. I just saw on TV where Suadi Arabia has a
PR campaign to tell the world that we are "good guys" with a few bad terrorists here and there.
Now on the comment of not being able to leave on your days off, is that true? Is any permission needed if you buy your own ticket?
One of the negative things about Taiwan is that there is no system there and other places in the world to use the North American jumpseat program. Pilots of the US and other places believe that the jumpseat belongs to the Captain and its use is a right. In defense of Taiwan and other places, there are customs rules to follow,but these always could be worked out. Even a mandatory uniform requirement is a pain,but often it makes things go smoother after 9-11.
One of the most frustrating things about CAL is that it took a Congressional Amendment to leave on a jumpseat (non-existant), but a reduced fare ticket, or have passes what most airlines in the world seem to have as unlimited passes (with or without a service charge) and ZERO problems writing on a blank company issued ticket with no preparation necesssary. One should not have to buy a full fare ticket to leave and there should be no permisssion required. is that true at EK?
Now I don't know what EK has for a physical, but Taiwan has an extensive initial physical and fairly strict by world standards after the first one. The government did them.
At least one Japanese carrier requires cholesterol under 200 as a condition of emplyment. Now many people can NEVER meet this requirement unless they existed on a water diet and even that may not be possible. The rest of us have no interest in aiming for some arbitary goal. As you get older, everything gets different for when you were 21. I'd sure rather have a 50 year old Captain with a 250 Cholesterol than some 21 year old with 150 flying my jet.
I thought I read where EK had a bidding system. I find it interesting and really sad where places in the world have not discovered seniority and a bid system. One of the thing that dooms places like CAL is that they wouldn't put Americans back to America, Canadians to Canada, Brits to EUROPE, and things like that. They claimed a pilot shortage and when you want to work and the you get 65 hours of pay instead of 90 when sitting around days at a time. I always wanted to work (and get paid) rather than sitting around unproductive with my time. The 8 days off per month were very dear when they came especially when you couldn't get back to your country for 22 or 23 days. That was fixable easily.
I am not sure what EK did. They told me I was too old at 55, so I went nowhere with it. At 56, I am probably too old too! DUH....
On the upgrade issue, why aren't people being upgraded? Perhaps this is one reason to not take a job as a F/O unless you have to. There are jobs I am looking at now, that say, "c'mon, its only for a little while that you'll be a F/O". Most of the ex-pats I saw at CAL were Captains in their former lives although on different airlines and they were likely just as qualified as I was and certainly in a few years.
Is the complaint of NOT upgrading at EK, real or do some really have to make a self assessment of why they aren't getting upgraded?
Anyway, it should be really easy to reach some conclusions about EK from those who know,but the facts seem very elusive to this casual reader.