So what does "Ok" to "good" mean? What is "good" or "ok" to you may not be to the person standing next to you. It seems with the package they are offering now, you can get by on your own, maybe not "well", but it beats being unemployed, living at home with your parents which by the way, is the case for 5 million Americans between ages 25 to 35 right now. What kind of life is that? I think right now, Cathay's icadet would good to them as it is a guaranteed job for six years (ironically that bond is also a guarantee you will likely have a job for next six years in these turbulent and unpredictable times)
Maybe I am looking at this with too much business sense (maybe because I am finance guy working for a well hated Wall St. I-bank), but what incentives does Cathay have right now to pay someone "the old package"? Is their pool of applicants drying up? Do they not have to worry about potentially a second financial crisis that is looming (this time, govt debt which is 100 times worse than Lehman). Doesn't Cathay have to make back the billions they lost during the 2008-2009 turmoil so they have a war chest that can sustain them when they lose billions again?
Your notion of not being able to enjoy life for next 10 years etc, with due respect, is it your own personal experience? How can you say someone else would go down that same road? What do you base it off of? Frankly that doesn't have any meanings to me as I control my own destiny and happiness as everyone else should.
By the way, so are now admitting you want to build hours and jump ship, was that your original plan at Cathay? If that was the case, nothing against you as that is your prerogative and how you want to control your life, but I am sure Cathy would have been thrilled to find that out back when they hired you. Maybe in a senese, they got screwed too?
So regarding HR “bending” the truth, you don't think other companies/industries no matter airline, banking, construction etc etc do that? Promises of bonuses, promotions etc that never happen? First, don’t expect anything not written into a contract will happen. This is very common with bonuses which people get screwed on or told they will become a manager "in two years" or whatever. Did you or other cadets make Cathay put into writing when you would expect to upgrade? Second, maybe Cathay had told you what they plan to do in future but their plans changed because of changes in the business environment? (Like company wants to give you bonus but they can’t because they lost money for a particular year). Bottom line, don’t expect something if it is not in writing.
FYI, I love the pay for training programs, how they advertise. “If you pay us $50K, and you finish the program “satisfactorily” after 500 hours, we “may” offer you a permanent position.” Ha! They will really hire the next sucker who is willing to pay $50K to fly in the right seat! Now that is “bending” the truth at its finest.
I think with working/flying for Cathay, you have to expect to be in Hong Kong for your whole career. CX is an airline based in a territory of the PRC and also with at least 29% owned by Air China. If you want to be based out of London, go apply with BA, want to be based in US, choose one of the US carrier. If you chose Cathay, expect to be in Hong Kong, simple as that. Why would you expect to be based in Europe or anywhere not in Asia when you work for an carrier based in Asia?