region,
The all important question of time to command is probably best answered on this thread:
www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum7/HTML/001493.html
You will not jump the queue to command by starting as FO - unfortunately for you but fortunate for those who've done the hard work ahead of you and established a company wide seniority list.
As to the other responses, pretty well correct, except that the
contractual minimum days off per month is 7, (not 9), averaging to 8 over a rolling three month period. Rosters are frequently built around contractual minimums, no time off for good behaviour.
I don't know why you are confused: "...
I had the impression CX is a well admired company around the world..." Well I still admire them - I don't know any other airline that currently treats all of its employees so badly!
(Although CX is in good company with a few of the least reputable of the 80s airlines in the States - and look what happened to them.)