Air Astana the truth for expat fo's
As an expat you are for all intents and purposes a second class person. very odd for you to get any kind of good flight in fact week after week month after month you get the dross because it is official that expats only get what locals don't want so you do the rubbish back and forth to AMS and FRA like this. Almaty-uralsk, uralst amsterdam, amsterdam GUW , no breakfast because you leave to early so they give you a bag with a warm tuna and mayo sandwich a yogurt and a apple. if you lucky you get the frankfurt flight which to be honest is as bad.
The rostering openly send out emails saying you will only get the flights the locals don't want. They roster the expats days off down route and only give you 3 to 4 days in Almaty a month so you have no life at all. When you do they are always surrounded by standbys so you can't even have a night out for a drink. The locals as I understand don’t do standby just expats.
Pay yes you get paid on time but they expect you apply for visas on you contract off days and they don’t issue with a work visa they get you a business visa so while it’s a 12 month visa it’s only good for 120 days after that you have to get another. Which most places takes 3 to 4 days off your days off.
Living in Almaty not really an issue because you aren’t there a lot but be careful if you go out after dark all expats are targets for muggings by the locals and the police, stories of police robbing expats are common and the locals see you as an ATM machine.
If you are happy to be treated in this way and you just want the money and you don’t mind being treated as inferior go and try it not many last long that’s why they always looking. The recruitment poster is nothing like the actual conditions ask your agency the truth see if they can tell you the real story because they know it they have had enough complaints. But I doubt they will.
update
air astana need pilots expats no news there but they will soon have to start altering there terms and conditions parc i understand maybe be the new recruiter. hope they represent the pilots this time.
pilots are leaving in droves 5 locals just left without notice the other day just rang up and finished rostering is in a whirl unfortunately led by a guy called russel that is the major cause of all this i am not sure ifit's hisdoing which i think it is or the higher management . T N is gone and i here F is not here either soon.
don't be fooled by all this they are still treating the expats like rubbish. there is talk of equal rosters but pigs will get there AOC first i think.
just be sure if you sign up what you are getting. crap under a different heading
also the unions went to government and wanted the locals made up to cmd not expats but some one should up and said from Astana as i understand and said they are to incompetent to be made up. but watch that won't stop them.
Last edited by baggins; 24th Feb 2011 at 07:37.
Reason: add more info