I for one find working for KA repetitive , fatiguing and to be quite honest, boring. It's certainly does pay the bills, and I've yet to find anything worth resigning for,but it's become a particularly uninspiring place to work. And emotionally unrewarding.
I'd love to fly to NYC, breakfast at Balthazars, drink a few beers in soho, but that's not available. We have nothing thats even even a poor substitute. *I did not apply to CX. If I was younger I would prefer CX, period. KA has little lifestyle choices. We have monthly options but they rarely soften the mundane nature of our work. An old hand once told me you should never join a company primarily for a quick command. It's about more than this. Once the promotion arrives at KA, the frustrations of being a dead end career starts to dawn,
KA is certainly in the CX shadow. And 20 years ago, CX was THE place to work. The company. Well at least for pilots who could not achieve employment through their own countries legacy carriers. Working for the second *choice carrier L
in HK was still fine. There was ambition, and a certain community feel that KA was the undiscovered jem of an airline. However this is long gone, and since the takeover, the stagnation arrived. Yes we may go to Bali, or Penang, but who really cares, it's just because our job in china is comparatively so bad, and escape is better.*
The majority of CX pilots are now not the old gentry of past. Generally they are a mixture of low timers and career wannabes. This is fine, as the only way into CX now is the low ball, low TnCs job. Again fine if you are 25 with 2000 hours of*
air taxi. KA did attract the more mature, experienced pilot. Most joined for 1) Money, 2) opportunity. A relatively quick command follows for the right guys. No one fails command now at KA. Funny how commercialism interferes with the chopper brigade of the 2nd floor.
Anyway, we choose our paths in life and deep the rewards or suffer the consequences. As a percentage of expats in hk, the pilots are quite high. It's common for a bunch of pilots from CX or KA to be spotted drinking at the plaza.*
I believe the job has lost its prestige because to be honest there are too many pilots stuffed into a few *areas in hk, many on each others door step. The kudos is not there, and underhanded comments of who's best or who flies the Trippler are common.*
Regrettably, the ownership of KA by Swire has constipated the company. It's let the deadwood prosper on the 2nd floor, taking their bonus, smirking over their lattes in the KA cafe. Loving their polarized lifestyles of flying once a week and sailing on a weekend. I know this is the CX way, but at least your guys have a backbone to address the pilot community.*
We have no minimum guarentee HDP. But if we did I guess it would make sickness rates increas. The incentive is not there.*
If I was flying to NYC, Sydney, London or LAX, I think I'd feel more personal esteem.*
OK I agree I made the wrong choice to joking KA. And boy am I now paying the personal cost.*