Thanks Wai, always enjoy a little spit ballin'.
Apart from the tax issue that you mention, (which would,of course, apply to a Cathay New Joiner Aus Based DEFO anyway...), the other reasons cannot, surely, be game-breakers leading to change of employment.
- Length of time as an SO at Qantas could be reduced if you were prepared to take a domestic FO position instead - depends on how much value you put on real stick and rudder time. But at least they do have the option there.
- The whole 'calling the Captain "Captain" or "Sir"' thing appears part of the Qantas culture and has been ingrained for some time now. Surely a candidate looking for a job with Qantas would know of this feature of the flight deck culture there ahead of time and would have either dealt with it then or applied elsewhere if it was such a big deal to them. Can't see this particular issue leaping up at them out of the blue, blue.
- And as for the Qantas 'murky Jetstar divide and conquer' long term plans. Well, leaving to ditch that scenario would be a little bit like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire if they were to come here to Cathay on that premise.
Just spit ballin' Wai, but if what you posted were the real reasons for guys leaving Qantas to come to Cathay, then I figure you'd see reverse-flow before too long.