tamalai,
Thank you for your enlightening input, but for anyone that is not Canadian, contrasting the two companies is pointless as Air Canada does not hire expats.
For those of us that are Canadian however, the comparison is perfectly valid. It is obvious that CX pays quite a bit more, but the cost of living in Canada is significantly less than that of HK, and a job at AC involves quite a bit less lifestyle upset with regards to moving a family etc.
Furthermore, for those of us with spouses that are employed here in Canada, total family income has to be considered. While my wife may be able to find some sort of employment in HK, it is doubtful that her career would be transferrable directly, so that would mean flushing a $150K education pretty much down the drain for her.
But as I said, thanks for your input into an discussion that concerns you in no way whatsoever!