HOLD ON! You mean, instead of learning to fly with your own money, having to endure many years in general aviation, getting paid peanuts flying in a death trap, and the forever stress of finding the next job in your career, you CADETS decided to take the shortcut and joined the Cathay Pacific's Cadet program KNOWING full well that you were/are NOT entitled to housing allowance, just so you can wear that pretty uniform and the hat and become an airline pilot?!
GET REAL! Housing allowance is for those who've done the hard yard. There were two paths in front of you when you made that decision, and you chose the cadet route. LIVE WITH IT!
My thoughts exactly.
Cxchildlabour: if you would rather have the housing instead of the free training, why didn't you start your flying career like the rest of the world did?
You say you would rather pay back the cost of training, but that's only half the equation here! In reality, you would have to pay back the cost of training and quit your job, and then hope to be rehired by a good enough airline after spending probably several years struggling. It's easy to just say you would pay back your training cost but keep the job!
And by the way, not only the CEP have to meet the standards to stay employed. Having been through the training system isn't what I called competing for a job....it's what you do when you have the job!
Like I said, someone needs a reality check.