Hey Discon,
Please stop moaning for moanings sake!
You mention an F/O has no disposible income. I think you should look up the definition of 'disposible income':
In my case (a year 4 F/O on the 'bus) an average month will see me GROSS around 27000 dhs, this is based on around 75 hours flying and max ERP against the GBP. Take away 1000dhs for education, 1100 dhs for the car loan, 1500 dhs for the povident fund and lets be generous and say another 1000 dhs for family medical and EPC etc....
This leaves a NET of around 22,000 dhs (or $6000 usd). Assuming you are in company accomodation, the fact you get picked up for work, and you don't have to send money home (your choice), lets say you spend 8000 per month at Spinneys on food for the family (which is more than enough), 2000 per month on the kids school trips etc, and insurance/gas for the motor, this leaves you with 12,000 dhs ($3200 usd) ALL of this is 'disposible income'....
How YOU choose to spend it is up to you. You can afford to buy yourself an Aston, or blow it all on curry, (hell you could even buy yourself some flying lessons).....But for FCUK's sake will you please stop bleating on about F/O's having no money, its waring thin!!
For the record My October pay cheque was circa 37,000 dhs and my June one was 42,000 ($11500 usd) albeit with a large proportion of over tme! Me thinks not many F/O's are on that kind of whack.
Also
You say we are at a peak of the airline cycle (not even close my friend), and that the inevitable downturn will hurt EK... It may be worth casting your mind back to post 9/11 which saw the largest ever downturn in aviation history, EK was just about the only airline expanding/recruiting and happened to place the worlds largest ever single order for airliners ($19 Billion, as you seem to have forgotten!).
Hope this helps cast some light/FACTS on the subject for you Canadian chaps as these 2 ingredients seem to be few and far between on this forum... (Mind you dispite my FACTual post, standby for the inevitable barage of jibberish). All that said, all is not a bed of roses here in the pit, and there are issues that you will have to confront when you come over, however these are not insurmountable, and just require a positive attitude!
Good luck
