On a personal note, I'm unemotional (not ecstatic) about delay in pay review because I know if will be retroactive.
Having said that I believe that the longer the Co. wait the greater the expectation and more importantly the greater the negative reaction will be ...if it's not a 'show stopper'.
In my view there are a lot of level headed operators on-line saying "let's wait and see before we react". Agreed.
However I think that should the review be disappointing they will have a real problem on their hands.
Here's why;
Firstly - According to a contact I have at one of the big Contract agencies - they have been telling clients in Asia that based on their research there will be 'serious crisis' in LHS heavy pilot numbers in the next 12-18 mos never before seen - massive deliveries of aircraft to China/Asia, THY & ME3 with no more feed from the USA.
HNA decided now to react and have set off a lot of soul searching by offering $349k pa without using an agency ie you work for the company.
Secondly - the guys who are now hitting the seven year mark at EK are ready to move. From summer '06 to summer '08, we hired hundreds who now have and will have 7 yrs under the belt. In the same way EK cleared out FR in recent years, a lot of the VA guys who came from down under have had enough and are looking to go back. They are just sick of the petty shyte (cue new handbags ..FFS stop it... list too long).
I suspect that HR have told the 9th floor "This is what we need to do to attract and keep the best" and that - that has caused a long pause and a lot of back and forth.
...,as someone who thought I would be here for a long time, I can tell you that.. If a contract hits $400k pa in Asia (yes I know, no school, no housing) then it will take some serious soul searching to stay...and I believe it will happen.
Next week we should know a lot more at how they value their flight deck...
...BUT when you have a company that doesn't even have the respect & HR soft skills to inform pilots that they cancelled 70 aircraft & $16bn of what we thought we would be flying ....it's quite frankly shocking....but explains why... there is zero brand loyalty from cabin and flight crew to an amazing global brand...how sad.
Roll on $400k.
Missive over..
f.