The FO I just flew with told me that he spent $25000 hkd + to ensure that he and his family were able to get home for the Christmas holidays. This is after working a 900hr year, and minimum G days. As he said, I am working here to 'warm the seat', as he has NO money left after the end of each year after paying for all the ancillary cost of living in HK and raising a family (and never mind how the pilots on the non-housing deal will ever cope). The fact that he has to pay full fare on ANOTHER airline (he said he'd be damned if the money went to CX) just to enjoy a short time in his home country with his family says it all. I predict very bad things if this management does not wake up to the fact that more and more of the pilots are reaching the breaking point.
