As an FO on the B777 I will earliest see command after 36 months based on my senority and at will 99 % be on the A330 or A320. But I first have to spend 6 months in the right seat ( company policy ) on said aircraft before I can do the upgrade so I am looking at 3.5 years minimum.
And, just because its been building up for awhile, here's a few other gripes about EY, mainly in comparison with EK up the road.... :
EY;s health insurance provider, a local company called Daman, is not widely accepted in UAE and I find myself paying cash at hospitals/clinics and then having to drive to EY;s insurance department to claim the refund. Dental cover is limited to accidental cover so all normal checkups/cleaning is out your own pocket and in an expensive country like UAE with raging inflation your wallet will take a big hit if you e.g. got kids. Yes, EY has an understaffed small clinic in Abu Dhabi that handles minor stuff as colds etc but its woefully inadequate.EK has a proper clinic and everything is covered. No out of pocket cash required.
EY does not provide transport to and from work or transport allowance. Buy your own car or take taxi. EK provides transport to work and an interest free car loan of roughly U$13000 on arrival.
EY does not have a profit share scheme for employees. Would make diddly do difference as EY are not making a profit though.
EY does not have a retirement scheme/provident fund. EK contributes 12 % of your salary into a retirement account which in turn will be invested as per your wishes and fully accessable after 7 years of service.
EY does not have a currency protection scheme. EK partially compensates you for the falling U$ based on your home country currency. That will add a couple of hundreth U$/month in your salary.
EY puts you in a hotel for "minimum 3 months" and then its onto an apartment with varying standards for you and family. And electrics and water is out of your pocket. EK provides you with a villa and all utilities are paid for.
EY does not adjust it's per diem/overnight allowance at outstations unlike EK. With a falling U$ your expenses at out stations are greater and you will have less money at the end of the month.
EY does not allow bidding for your monthly roster. It is assigned by company. The company reserves the right to change your roster per their requirements so the roster functions more like a "general idea". At EK they have a functional bidding system per a normal airline.
EY;s annual leave ticket is not firm. You can be bumped. Not so in EK.
In conclusion...
The EY management is well aware of the T&C differences EY versuz EK but as "the machine is working", i.e., the airplanes are being flown and pilots are turning up for work and new recruits are applying, why change anything ? Why pay more when you can get the same results for less ? I certainly wouldnt. Normal business model. "No pilots applying anymore ? Ok, improve the conditions ". But plenty of pilots in the pool so why change anything.....
Guys, do your homework before deciding on relocating to a Gulf airline. I obviously didnt as you can tell from above...