Emirates - Crew Discussions II

[ME_Expert]

Consider life in UAE when choosing EK and EY

Hi guys, I am new on Pprune but moderately old in EK.
Here are my thoughts on what it is like to live in UAE.

Wannabees - take a carefull study on what you gonna change your life for. Thanks to Mari - she really did a great job taking her time to show good example of how your life can change depending on your own circumstances.

Here are some facts for you guys out there aboutn life in Dubai and life while you are in EK.

1. Prices

Prices in Dubai are very high for everything. Shopping is good here but it is all made in China if you check the label, so considering we have 5 layovers in China a day will you go to a shopping mall to buy a blouze to spend 10 times more for it than in PVG? If shopping is one of the reasons to come to live in DXB - consider revising it.

Accommodation - 1 br in International City - middle class - 45-50 000 a year + water electricity add another 15 000.
1 br in Dubai Marina high class- 95 000 + 20 000
1 br in Sharjah - neighbour emirate - 35-40 000 + 15 000 + 2 hours in traffic every day you have a flight.

Taxi - no taxi driver speaks good english. All smell bad. Everybody is trying to cheat you. Average trip on an average distance - 30-40 AED. If you are drunk in the taxi some drivrs threaten to call police and report you if you dont give them tip. Taxies are difficult to catch. Consider buying you own car sooner or later.

2. What crew do in their free time -

a) sleep, and unfortunatelly most dont know how to manage their sleep;
b) Go to gym, swimming pool and other recreational facilities;
c) have relationships with various nationalities untill they have ticked all countries or at least continents;
d) Read and watch movies, chat on the internet and write e-mails to friends
e) going clubbing and getting drunk

if you do only those above you will find the life boring and not worth of living, your thoughts of going to your family and resignation will reach you in Grade 1 or so. It 's a pity when people leave Ek without haveing tested real taste of life!

Here is other stuff crew do:

f) Open their own business - illegally ( hard to explain why illegally - there are certain provisitons of EK contract and UAE Labor Law and Residence law) but anyway I did it and this is why my future after leaving EK was secure.

g)working part time as personal fittness trainers, private teachers, guides, safari drivers, models - illegally( for the same reason illegally)

h) studying online or distance learning
i) running family life with kids etc
j) Going home for their days off with staff travel tickets if there is a seat.
having these activities will decrease your amount of free time but witll either lower or improve your cash in your pocket, but quality of your life will be different, you will fell the taste and will secure your future.

k) Buying and selling property

3. What is the law like in UAE?

I is very simple to understand. When it comes to police and court, locals are always right. If you have UK passport they will listen to you but locals will be right anyway. If you have local friend and UK passport you might win. If you are from the other country than UK, US, OZ, NZ, some Western EU - you are always wrong.

By law you are not allowed to drink without the license ( everybody does)
have sex without being married to that person ( everybody does) and share accommodation with that person ( some do). When police catches you - see information above why and below what will happen:

Drinking and driving - 3 months in jail, 20 000 AED fine and deportation.

Pre-maritual sex - 1 month in jail + deportation

Showing middle finger from the window of your car - 5000 AED fine, 1 month in jail and deportation;

Testing positive for being pregnant - results in being escorted from the doctors office who declares your pregnancy directly to police station, where you will stay untill you produce your marriage certificate. If none available you will stay in jail till birth , after which child will go to orphanage and you will be deported; or you will be deported on your last week of pregnancy. Your partner will serve 1 year in jail followed by deportation.

Testing positive for using drugs - 4 years in jail even if it is Codeine, widely available in most countried in the world and even if consummed outside the UAE. Also deportation. No list of permitted and restricted for use medications is available to crew. It is kept a secret to make you affraid.

4. What are the best benefits you get being EK cabin crew.

a) A lot of places to see in short time.
b) Tax free quite competitive salary on the local labour market.
c) Good quality accommodation
d) Peope you meet are the biggest asset. Make real friends and open business toghether, trade or anyhitng in the future. Dont waste the people around you. Dont sleep all the time. Go out on layovers to learn new opportunities.
e) Passengers in J and F class can offer you a good job simply as they like your service. Collect business cards. Dont give your number - they can e-mail to the company and complain of you harrassing them to get a free ticket; but you will be fired.
f) bank offer loans easily - take max loan and convert it in Euro and put under interest in EU or open business, by property or anything. Dont waste your money on clubbing.

5. What are the worst things about being in EK as CC ?

a) company does not know your name. Everybody knows you by staff number. Even your manager.
b) Exchange rate protection policy is a joke for kindergarden starters but not for ones with family and kids. Max is 300 AED.
c) Passengers in Y class think that there is 1 crew for 1 pax and that they are in the restaurant - this happends often. In fact there are 8 crew for 400 pax in Y class B777-300 ER. Average ratio in Y is 1 for 46-50pax and 1 for 13 in J. Most passengers in Y - cheap laborforce from South-East Asia going for work in GCC and EU.
d) no proper rest onboard except if there is a CRC on that A/C.
e) very few things company can do for you if you are in jail, actuially nothing.
f) medical services are below 0. Dont get sick. Take care of your health on your own.


Good luck to all who are and who wannabee EK CC, make sure you did the right choice and get the most of it.