It has been a long time since I have posted on here and even looked on PPrune, but this grabbed my attention.
I have been in Dubai a long time now. I have seen many things change and many attitudes change. The company is huge now and still playing catch up. Someone posted a few pages back that if you let the UAE get under you skin you will be unhappy. There are good things and bad things in Dubai. I guess like all places on this earth (and I have seen many) DXB definitely has a dark side and the future for me is uncertain. My dilema like many is where I will end up. After 10 years here I am finding myself starting to allow the place to get under my skin. The problem is however, where do I go. The issue and problem is that I am a pilot and having had several jobs, where is there left to go. Every place will have its pros and cons. Any company you join will have night flying and lets face it, no one likes that.
On the plus side, I havent forgotten why I came here. I have a rostering system that does give me a choice. It isnt always good but it allows me to choose. I always believe that the simplar you keep the bid the more chance your expectations will be met. I generally get 85% satisfaction from my bid. I still have free medical for my family (well almost) as well as dental coverage. I get my limo to work, schooling, housing and bills covered. Before you all jump up and down the negative side will be covered. I can write my own tickets for staff travel and the route network is second to none. Petrol is cheap and it is a cosmopolitan place to live. My work colleagues generally are really great guys and I have now travelled pretty much the world.
The negative side is however starting to increase for all of us. This is not the place I came to 10 years ago. We work harder, but the company has expanded. Officially we are contracted for 900 hours. They make us fly that. In fact now they dont count the time in the bunk on ULR, I think I at one stage at the end of 2010, got my hours up to 970. The rostering quality as far as east to west is a concern and is being worked on. I find I sleep more (maybe thats just cos I am getting old?) My contract bears no resemblance to when I first joined. It wouldnt stand up in a court of law in pretty much the rest of the western world. They have reduced my salary by about 25% through increasing the threshold for overtime. I was told TCAS got DHS2.3 million as a bonus for meeting his budget. Well done you! Well after all this is a rumour network. My DEWA bill is now capped! That wasnt on my contract when I joined. I see a gradual chipping away of my terms and conditions which if you keep a record really adds up. The place is freaking expensive now and this is recognised but not acted on. It boils down to greed and that I really do hate. I see many changes in the company and many have left. On a different post someone called all of us EK pilots a bunch of whiners who never leave. The simple way is to look at the seniority list on a weekly basis. Last week it was 2550, this week it is 2535. I think I am right in saying that EK has taken on approx 1000 pilots in the past 3 years. And yet the seniority list has increased by about 350 ??? I think I move up a place a month and I am 10 years in. However people still join.... The expansion plans are huge. Loads of new aircraft and quite frankly an expasion plan that pilot wise I dont think they can meet. I am told they are looking to hire 400-500 pilots a year over the next 4 years. I dont actually know if there are that many out there. I also believe the next couple of years in EK will be very interesting. They need to have a very close look at how they treat the pilot force. Lets face it we have conceded many things to keep the company in profit. So far they have given nothing back......i will say again, they have so far given nothing back. I hope they are wise and start to repect that dubai is expensive, the schools and cost of living is hugely expensive. I dont hold much hope though. I think their idea of chucking money at us just to shut us up may happen. A bonus is good but short lived. The whole package needs to be looked at. And when you declare a half yearly profit of 351% profit, the whole world will now be looking at you very closely. I am sure there are many other things both good and bad. These are just a few that come to mind. I think the next 2 years will be make or break time for many including me. I believe the USA contingent will probably leave enmasse. They right now are the second highest nationality in the company after the brits. I think the company are quietly sweating, but who knows?
Someone once said, when the **** bucket starts to overflow, its maybe time to leave. I think the majority of us have fairly full buckets.
Last edited by Uplink; 17th Jan 2011 at 06:32.