In my family's time at EK I came to learn a few things about attitudes in Dubai. There were/are many that are happy enough to have the job. As long as they had the 4x4 in the driveway, a maid in the quarters and a steak on their BBQ, life was/is good. Vortex is this exact specimen. Perfect for the airline but not exactly super intelligent. Blinders on. I could never relate to someone who could not see through the absolute hypocrisy and corruption of, not just the airline, but the entire city. We left. Best thing we ever did. There are other options. You just have to weigh what your priorities are. Getting paid is nice but isn't the yardstick to which I could measure my quality of life - it's a given when you are working. Clean air, living where I choose, normal friends and proper community plus not flying my bag off so I am a sack of **** on my days off means more to me than the so called "tax-free" pay cheque that Vortex so keenly covets.
I totally respect anyone that would walk after being dicked around by the minions in accommodation. Yes Istanbul is a city with real people and not a bull**** caste system where the locals reside on top and do sweet eff all. EK was built on a pretty awesome vision and an enviable location globally. The visionaries have been slowly leaving for awhile and you know who is left…..the glory days are so well and truly over. Keep your eyes open and your loyalties in check for that 'given' that is your paycheque. May not always be so.