A few snippets you guys might enjoy...'cause despite theidler's and my set too umpteen pages back I really am on your side.
A bunch...like more than several...narrow body (but some with previous widebody longhaul experience) airbus pilots I know, who showed some vague interest in EK several years ago are being 'harrassed', for want of a better word, via phone to renew interest and come for an interview...one guy I was chatting to recently had them ring several times at his home and he was out...his kids/wife answered and they kept ringing back...I think he said 3 times over 8 days or something...until they got him...I am not sure as to his level of enthusiasm but it didn't seem the least bit 'overt'
Likewise with Etihad...some of the same guys being contacted by phone or email out of the blue...all experienced guys who are good operators as far as i am aware...although I don't fly airbus.
Boeing guys I speak to who have been exploring their options at Etihad report a significant upward adjustment in T&Cs..which if memory serves were a bit above EK in recent years...at least that was the opinion expressed by mate interned with you lot.
Was chatting on skype (we get that here in the world) to a mate in Japan...not saying where...his company recently requested 'a show of hands' from those interested in transfering to the new freighters...and were singularly dissappointed with the 100% lack of enthusiasm
They went away and had a think and came back to the pilots and said, in effect,..."nah guys we are serious...show of hands...come on, you know you want to!!"
Effective response was ''...ahhh...Nope".
So bosses go away for another think and some weeks later, after pondering the huge freight contracts they had with sundry institutions, start dates etc, and I have no doubt, having advertised widely for DE everyfeckingthing, finally said, in effect. "Ahh would a us$30k one off payment and a us$1500/mth payrise (net figures) do it for you?"...and, yes, my reaction too was... YGBSM
Cue sea of hands.
But wait there is more
The affected pilots were offered contracts between 2 and 5 years, take their pick
...and allegedly to a man signed 2 year contracts...these guys are reading the trends
So allegedly there is a Boeing captain contract out there with huge growth plans currently paying USD15K/mth on a 10 consequtive day off commuting basis..where you can also take two days/mth annual leave...and also sell back 2 days for $1500 making it a 14 days on/14 days off commuting roster at USD13.5k gross...tax your problem
I have no reason to doubt the veracity of anything above which has all been told to me in the last 3 days. I am NOT particularly tempted to race off an application to the japan thing because, to be perfectly frank, I couldn't take the 6 mths of licencing BS that preceeds it...but it's definately more grist for the mill and that is all good. Similarly not terribly interested in the sandpit at this point in my life...but people I know scattered around are...rumour mill suggests Etihad
not EK.
I like where I am and I think T&Cs here will go up...not perhaps enough to match the above...but close enough below so it wouldn't be worth the agro, for me personally, to change jobs with all that entails...But I reserve the right to change my mind
Or they won't
I just sit back and smile...call me a fool but I get fewer ulcers that way...and really what else can we do...voting with your feet works for some, and I guess most of us have done it at least once, but it can be a terrible waste of leather too
I know I am going to be working bloody hard in the next few years while all this shakes out and that is ok...my only child is about to head off to college and I am not otherwise burdened...and I like flying...and I think it's gonna be worth it.