To: Sig83, Easybusdriver1, buckdanny and any other concerned party,
I believe your question was "Anyone actually like Emirates?" or something to that effect? The answer is, yes...there are those that are happy here. What you didn't mention (sorry if I missed it) is how old you are, that does have allot of bearing as to whether you should consider coming here or any other expat job for that matter. Another HUGE issue is whether or not your wife/family will be happy here, you must include your wife in this decision as it is she that will be living in Dubai full time!
As for your age:if you are in your early to mid or even late 20's, can you stomach sitting as an FO for up to 10 years? I don't have the concrete facts but just looking at the numbers you can probably expect to sit right seat for at least 7-8 years before your upgrade but if you give yourself 10 and it comes earlier then all the better! What that means is you would be looking at left seat by the time you are in your mid to late 30's.....does that work for you?
As well you have to look at the "today numbers"! Today an FO's basic salary is approx 24,800 AED, Emirates.com/careers will give you the exact number. Convert that into USD and then factor in any taxes etc you may have to pay back home to see if it's worth your while. Don't look at the Provident Fund, bonuses or any "productivity pay" just look at the basic salary and see if you can get by on that. You must remember that Dubai is an expensive place to live, if you join on the AB then you won't get the chance to layover in the States and hit up Costco every month, at least not for the foreseeable future!
What you might want to do is sit down one night with your wife/family and a nice glass of red and start a pro/con list for coming to Dubai vs staying home. Don't rush this process, it may take several nights AND several bottles before your list is complete! LOL As others before me have so eloquently put it, this is a very big decision and not one to be taken lightly. If you are "older" then once you become an expat you will most likely stay one as heading home to join the bottom of the senority list becomes less and less of an option the longer you are away!
Do you know anyone in Dubai/at EK? Is it possible for you to travel out (wife included) to Dubai and stay for a few days+? You really need to get a feel for the place if you can, as stated previously in many posts there are some very good things here and some very bad/frustrating things. All or most of these
things should be factored into your decision. One thing you will find after coming to Dubai is that "customer service" and "after sales service" are an oxymoron but you quickly find out what shops will let you return/exchange and you will not shop anywhere else!
Another very important consideration (if you have children) is where they will go to school and under which curriculum they will study (American or British). All schools here are private for expat families and the fees to some are considerably more expensive than others. This will cut into your pay by up to 2000AED per month for approx the last 3-6 months of the school year depending on the school as EK does not cover the full amount. You can also factor in school bus fees, the cost will be dependent on where you live, school etc. EK does have a bus allowance but it may not cover all of your fees.
Having said all that you need to look at where you'll be in the States in 10 years. If you will be happy flying what you're flying and living where you're living then I think you have already made you decision. Only YOU and your family can decide, take what you can from these "discussions" and throw away the rest! Depending on your view I am one of the "luckier ones' (or not as the case may be) I have been here going on four years and am starting to prep for my upgrade. Four years in the right seat and now I'm looking at command of a widebody, not bad for a guy from my locale (see location under "handle")
Again, as has been stated here many times, we are working flat out! Our T&C's have been "altered" since we started and they may be again, who can tell. You are just a "number here" and one mistake in this company/country can (but not always) have some devastating consequences! We fly east, west, north and south sometimes all in one week, we fly the wrong side of the clock too often (especially on the AB) and we are very very tired! Are wives complain that we are "not there" when we come home and yet.......most of us still enjoy it! Now that may be because we are to "dumb" (read: too old) to retool and do something else but we are still here for all of our varying reasons.
The book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" (and everything is small stuff) really comes into play when you move to this part of the world. Things here are not what they are at "home" and you need to adapt to that or life here can become very difficult (if you let it). Remember that the Middle East is part of Asia and there is a very Asian mentality at work here, sometimes not allot of thinking goes on "outside the box"! It's frustrating at times but if you're ready for it then it is much more manageable and does make life easier.
I do have to say that living here as an FO, with a wife and two medium sized children is a challenge financially! It was easier at first when we were seeing"productivity pay" on our paystubs. In addition, the bonus and annual 3% increase certainly didn't hurt either. We can't count on those things now so we do really watch our money! We have only one car and do not have a boat, plane or any other toy in the garage! We also do not live high on the hog, go out for dinner very often and (minus the annual family pilgrimage back home every summer) do not take family vacations.
On the other hand, we have lot's of great friends from all four corners of the world, have plenty of dinner/bbq parties and get together with great people to raise a glass of cheer any chance we can get! Am I doing something wrong financially?? Quite possibly......but I'm still having fun
The move out here is a long term one, keep that in mind. If your children are young then this is what they will remember as "home" growing up, is that okay with you? It is for me but again we are all different and this isn't for everyone. You come from a great country with many fantastic opportunities right outside your door! There are some here to but you must adapt to a different way of life if you want to enjoy it. You can't keep thinking...."yeah but back home" or "in my previous company", that will only drive you to drink (more)
and make you miserable. You can be happy here if you want to be....you can also be miserable, the choice is yours and yours only
I hope this long winded rant has helped even a small bit!! Please feel free to PM me with any questions you might have (and there will be many, you can count on it)!
Good luck in your career and you upcoming decision!
Cheers,
WL
P.S. "buckdanny" I believe it was your wife with the good job/career? Another big decision but as someone else previously posted there are many opportunities out this way for trained professionals! Do your research/homework first to make sure she finds the right job and the be sure to get EVEYTHING in writing before you move out here! Remember...happy wife, happy life"!!
P.S.S. One more thing guys! You have to remember you are at least 13-20 hours travel from "home". What about you parents or more importantly your wife's extended family? Is she going to miss them terribly and want to leave after a couple of years? Getting home is not easy and requires a great deal of time. Be sure your spouse is okay with missing birthdays, anniversaries and even Christmas and other special occasions! Ahhhh...they joys of living half way around the world