Why? Both AirTran and JB start out at a lower salary than EK but top out higher. Not to mention proper rosters and lots of days off. Both seem to have similar times to command (4-6 years).
Well, I would agree with the first part. Air Tran and JetBlue start at about 1/3 of the EK pay after tax. They do not top out higher on an after tax basis though, not even close.
There have been at least two people who have left Air Tran to join EK in the last year. More before that, captains included ( who came as F.O.s). So maybe it isn't all rose petals at the Tranny either.
First Officers at EK might be able to justify the move if they are young enough to make it up in the long slog to captain at the U.S. carriers, but financially it is a bad move for captains at EK. It would have to be a lifestyle/quality of life choice because it certainly doesn't make sense financially.
About 7 years ago I got an invite to Southwest for an interview right at the time I was doing my upgrade at EK. I did sit down and run the numbers for my remaining 20+ years. It came as a wash financially based on an 8 year upgrade at SWA and based on the Captain pay at EK at that time. As it turns out the upgrades at SWA will run way beyond 8 years and the pay at EK went up over 30% from my original computation so the move would have been bad financially. Lifestyle wise it would not have been good for me, but it may work for others.
.....and before I get slagged off for writing this, it isn't meant as a ringing endorsement of EK. I would love to be able to live in my home country, but the jobs there just don't pay enough or give enough time off to justify the move. Right now the best job I could get would be between a $75,000 and $100,000/year pay cut on an after tax basis.
Typhoonpilot