MrBawse
If you have 0 experience and are young the CX cadet program is probably the best in the world, mostly on far superior conditions to those working their way up during the early years, an almost certain job flying a widebody logging hours in 6+ years, after your time as an SO and training. Free training!!!! with a living allowance, accommodation and meals. There is no better way to get an airline job for a 0 - low hour pilot. None of the guys posting here would dispute that even though many point out the drawbacks again and again. The point is it is not sustainable, you will not have a good life if you stay here for your whole career, every expat cadet who works for CX knows this.
CX are in for a tough time, the last of the guys on expat conditions will be upgrading to JFO next year, by the end of next year almost all the local cadets will also have upgraded to JFO, by the end of 2013 they will be upgrading the first guys who joined as international cadets. By the end of 2014 these guys will be approaching 500 - 700 ish hours in a widebody, some will leave who can find jobs back home with minimal total time. By the end of 2015 many will have left, by the end of 2016 for every SO they upgrade one or more FOs will be leaving to go home to fly. They will have two options, hugely increase the cadet package or accept the loss. What everyone who works here as an expat pilot knows is that if conditions remain as they are for expats cadets it is inevitable that most, by most I mean almost 100%, will leave. Cathay played the racial discrimination card in their favor, it will bite them as the increase in conditions will be for all not just expats as everyone is now hired as a cadet, if they can't continue with the inevitable exodus in a few years.
BarronBlue
How many years do you think it will take on this package to get to HK$93,000 a month? I think you may be surprised to hear that it will be well past 10 years at CX.
For experienced guys you have to gamble, will they increase the conditions or will they just disregard seniority and the contract, which does not mean much here in China, and hire DEFOs from third world countries once they see the crew shortage? My bet is No 2. It is inevitable that they will lose almost all expat cadets if they do nothing. The next 5 years are going to be interesting here but if you are pushing past 30 and have some hours do you really want to be getting close to 40 and having to think about starting again somewhere else? Yes it is a good deal as a start, no it is not a good deal for a career, seniority is going to be your worst enemy, starting again at 40 is a hard thing to do, never getting ahead in life is probably harder.
Last edited by SloppyJoe; 6th Dec 2011 at 17:41.