Housing is a big issue. Which still remains unresolved.
They say policy is to provide all pilots housing. However if nothing available you will be given the allowance. You will have up to 4 weeks in the company accommodation. You may be able to stretch this another 2 weeks if you can't find anything.
You will not be able to find out until the day you arrive if company housing is available, if you can, better to leave the family at home until you are settled. If company housing is available no problem, but if you need to move out many guys goto serviced apartments, this activates the housing allowance which you accrue. Thus giving you some time to look around for something and get a feel for the place and the areas of the city regarding schools, malls, traffic, etc. Some single guys or commuters do share and actually bank money out of the allowance.
Housing rentals are expensive and the allowance is insufficient. Secondly there are up front costs. Normally half a months rent to the agent, a month up front and 11 post-dated cheques. Plus one undated cheque as a security deposit. If non-type rated they take the bond deduction from day one, so if you can save some money before start date it does help with these up front costs.
Hopefully there will be a rent freeze (there was one a while back) and then an increase in the allowance.
