Hi!
A good reason he might not want even to bother with Cathay is that he can spend the time finding a better job somewhere else.
The Cathay plan of no FOs and no housing made sense to them a year or so ago. In another year, they won't be doing it.
Just saw an ad for 747-400 DECs, who are NOT type rated. Hadn't seen much of that in the past two years.
The pilot shortage is just getting cranked up, and the HR dept employees will be ready to shoot themselves in a couple of years!
cliff
AMS