I think there are very few of us who didn't go through some sort of "toy phase" on first arriving in the Sandpit. We all went out and bought some luxury that, in all probability, we would never have bought back home.
(Mine were [both "cutting edge technology" at the time], a fax machine and a Casio organiser. Hoo Harr!! Oh, and a second hand **** Range Rover, which broke down on my wife every time I went away on a trip and turned out to be a very costly mistake.)
Some would say there's little harm in allowing yourself a toy phase. However, the cruncher, in my opinion at least, (and which very few seem to feel needs to be added), is "if you have the funds to cover the buy".
Over the years, I've been amazed at the number of newcomers to EK who arrive and buy, immediately, or within a very short time of arrival:
- the grossly overpriced membership to a club
(Less so since the advent of the excellent EPC, thank you Mike and others, but there are still those who simply have
to be full members of the 'right' club.)
- the stink boat
- the sailing boat
- the brand new top of the range 4X4 and/or the luxury sports car
- the wave rider
- and lately, the London-priced megavilla
....and all on borrowed money.
Unions or pilots associations are frownd on in EK (to put it mildly). Whether it's right or wrong, the only weapon (or weapons) a pilot has at his (and lately her) disposal should he/she feel aggreived have five toes on the end of each of them. People who get themselves into huge debt buying toys, (and those who get tied into a large mortgage now that you can't make an overnight large profit should you sell your property), are robbing themselves of that one weapon. I know of any number of Flight Attendants who would be gone from Dubai tomorrow but for the fact that they have a crushing credit card bill they're unlikely to repay in years. I suspect there might be more than a few FO and Captains in similar situations.
To get back to the subject of the thread. Yep, I know one who's happy. I'm going to his farewell ding in a few nights from now.
