"zonker...you obviously aren't mixing with enough QF pilots" - He he, I'll come back to that one later.
You seem to be talking about the QF 767 fleet and then assuming the rest of QF is the same across all fleets. Simply not true. The 767 fleet has had years of poor rostering, and been paid less than domestic 767 drivers makes it even more galling. Flying the 747 is far better. Sure there are still problems, but they seem almost trivial compared to CX. Pay could definitely be better, but we always say that don't we.
Time to command at CX is tragic, and getting worse. I have a good friend who joined QF in 1989 (that's QF international, not the domestic situation going on at the time) and he is now a captain. CX has too many 55 yo just waiting to be extended, and I'll bet there are a few BA direct entry captains before long. CX has too many aircraft coming next year and not enough crews. Do you really think management are just going to accept cancelled flights without doing anything?
Oh, and as for tax, I pay less than 30%. Just because you earn a high salary in Oz doesn't disadvantage you. (Negative gearing). So comparisons between CX and QF pay leave CX for dead, after tax and COL.
Plenty of CX S/Os and even F/Os have left for QF - I don't know the numbers but it always seemed to be about one to three a month, over several years. I haven't heard of anyone going the other way, but I suppose it's possible. More likely what was discussed above (QF leaving for greener pastures) refers to some lose talk about leaving for Emirates. Quite a few AN drivers have done this, I haven't heard of any QF but I have heard talk about it. Not to CX though!
When I went for QF interviews about 75% were CX, both pax and freighters. I was told in the sim that this had been the case for ages. I remember when military mostly went CX, now they come here or (gasp!) stay in. Other postings talk about how poor the interviewee quality is for CX, does this sound like QF pilots going to HK?
I'd wasted several years in CX and I am now having to start the seniority game again. Maybe about 12 years to command in QF, perhaps less with the expansion. CXs talk of expansion is just that - talk. No orders. And CX now has all these 55 yo falling over themselves to delay your command even further. I don't think I'll do heaps better command-wise in QF, but I'll not do as badly as at CX. Of course I've lost all that time I spent at CX - grrr. But I made my decision based on stability of employment and lifestyle, and I haven't regretted it yet.
You are fighting for your (contractual) lives. Don't give up because if CX succeed then other airlines will try the same tricks on us. I still have many friends in CX and hope for the best.
[This message has been edited by zonker (edited 05 December 2000).]