Chinabeached,
I am not sure what the AOA can do. If the company wants to offer a room at the Headland and sack lunch to new joiners, they can. Despite the vast similarities between our contracts at CX, we are all on individual contracts. There is no collective bargaining agreement in which we have a say over the contract new joiners are brought in on.
Do you think CX pilots are all going to stay home from work because some idiot kid is willing to show up for little to no housing??? Of course not. No pilot group would. Keep in mind, cadet pilots receiving no housing have been around longer than B scale. So why criticize the AOA so loudly? You do not know what you are talking about. The AOA fights battles it can win. Yes, this is largely determined by the pilot group, but one has to be realistic.
In another sense, the company has unlimited flexibility to crew to market rates when hiring new pilots. On the flip side, once on a contract at CX, it can only be improved according to Hong Kong law. Yes, there are tradeoffs like CoS08 vs 99 and the ever present sign or be fired.
The company realizes it is running out of rope with which to reduce crew costs. The inevitability of supply and demand forces is catching up to airlines which are trying to grow. Eventually, I see the return of DEFOs on a base and full housing once icadets start leaving. Hence the bond.
CXorcist