Which is why crew turnover is high in AirAsia. Ideally everyone wants to go to airlines like Emirates and Eitihad but some people just prefer to be closer to their families.
Some captains can make close to RM29,000/month while the average is around RM23,000-RM26,000. That's quite good already if you live in Malaysia. FOs, though making so much less than the standard, RM7000-RM9000/month for a 20 year old is really good. In 2 years with more than 1500 Airbus hours or 5 years with 4000 hours, they can really go anywhere they want. You might laugh at the cars we drive but some of us have young families to raise and gettting home to them everyday is priceless.
It's bad enough that some hostility has been created accidently (with TF's decision to increase Captain's allowance but not the FO's in tandem). Unlike anywhere else in the world, FOs are paid about much lower than the Captains so you will get what I mean. Why make it worse by practising bad CRM in the cockpit? You might be in awe or call me a liar but some of the bad adopters of CRM are the ex-MAS captains. I won't get into the details but I have heard of a lot of things. It's sad really. We're growing so fast and new people come in all the time so having this in the cockpits is not really good. Some FOs have lost the interest to come to work but they slog on for we try to be professionals.
Pilot unity though close to none existant with the local pilots, it is very strong with the Indonesian expats. You might argue since they are expatriates they have no choice but to be close to each other. I find that argument hogwash. Educated Indonesians are just naturally more friendlier, laidback and trustworthy people and so anywhere they go in this world the situation is the same. Malaysian pilots in general will look at someone new as a threat while Indonesian pilots in the same situation sees someone new as a new friend. Local pilots as you guys can see at your own companies backstab, gossip, look down at other people, too protective of their surroundings etc. They talk about CRM but don't really believe or practice CRM, talk about SOP but believe and practise only on selected SOP. I'm not saying all of them do this but the number is significant. So I wish all FOs pick up a thing or two here from the expatriate group and don't become the local type of captains when they make it to their left seats. Just take in all the good and leave the bad examples outside as you gain experience in an airline. FOs have to unite and be strong now to face the challenges ahead. Learn a thing or two also from the experiences and problems of pilots in MAS with their management as some day we too shall face something like that. The current (friendly) management won't be there forever.
So the AirAsia FO dilemma is this; they get to fly new jets at least 80 hours per month and the career is secured as the company is strong, something a lot of people just dream about having. But are paid much less than the Captains when the difference should be quite close together and not more than 100%, some AirAsia X cabin crew take home more than FOs do, the workload is 100% more while being paid 50% less (than industry standards), in the cockpit we have to learn to adopt power distance is an okay thing rather than something that is unacceptable in today's flying and being told to accept all this as: "in a short time you shall be a Captain yourself".
My point in my rant today is this. FOs do not have to accept all this. Not happy with the current situation or your future? LEAVE. You don't have to accept it lying down if you don't want to. But if you are happy staying, let's stay professional, get our experience and knowledge and try making command in 4-5 years like they are planning to. As you stay, learn to get along with your fellow colleagues. Grow up, mature fast and get rid of this cliques, cliques within cliques or inability to talk to people because " you're 20 and it's your first job". No one will eat you if you say "Hi". We're all pilots. If you're junior, go up to the senior guys and introduce yourself and socialise a bit. You won't making it if you go for it alone. When you make it as a Captain, treat your FOs they way you want to be treated when you were an FO. When you make it as a management pilot, manage the way you hope it could be managed when you were a line pilot. Get the pilots' rights sorted out, make this good working environment even better and tell senior management they have to take care of the pilots or there won't be any pilots to fly the new planes. And please get rid of the MAS crew culture creeping in within cabin crew department.
We have a big responsibility in our jobs. Do you want to assume these responsibilities with the low pay and its problems? I am now ready to be flamed.