Wow!
Now and then I have a read on pprune, just to see how things are going in Europe and the ME, my old "love"
.
Sad if that what is written here is really true. I considered EK for a long time the only "good" place in the ME(my opinion).
Have been a lot of years ago with QR as a captain on a widebody, then decided that I had enough of their BS and went back to Europe, flying big biz jets(yep, QR made me do that).
After a lot of years on GA side of flying I seriously considered moving back to airlines, considered EK. Even got an interview date already, but what I read here does not really make me confident to move my family back to the ME.
Apart from starting again on the "wrong" seat(isn't right always wrong
) what would have been ok for me(have been captain now for a long, loong time) considering the long term advantages of EK(sorry, I thought at least so) over a more or less uneventful biz jet career.
But reading some threads and what I heard as well from some very nice people via PM doesn't fill me with confidency that I would stand EK(if passing even the interview) in the long run.
I had all what was mentioned here already in QR - bad rosters, always some "mafia" running fleet upgrades or for the SO and FO - upgrades, always nightflying, always having leave cancelled or not given at the last moment, never getting your famous 4 days off in a row, lousy housing, spying and reported by FA's(for asking for O-Juice, dates,or shortbread) and always being monitored for every Sh*t that may happen, even the most minor one.
It seems EK took somewhere the wrong turn and applies QR(ish) procedures to their employees.
I am more and more considering to even not waste good 6-7 days of my life(instead of being with my family) to attend that interview because most likely, even if I would pass, I would decide against EK(all the other ME carriers are anyway a "no-go" for me).
In my present company we do operate quiet a lot of aircraft, doing worldwide flights. Huge pilot force(small if compared to EK), muliple fleets, airline SOP's and Standards(I should know that having seen both worlds over a long period). Still they surprise me by being - human. Had a fight about my roster for next month with Planning, 2 days later one of the bosses rings me and asks if everything is ok and what went on with planning(i did not tell him, they did).
Still he ensured me he will help and look into it. Never would have happen in QR(you couldn't even reach planning, not lifting phone or answering emails, door always locked, if you knock, they would not open) and it seems as well not in EK.
Another thing that makes me think and reconsider. Even that you guys laught at us(now) flying our tiny (compared to a 330/777) jet and being lousy paid in comparison to an EK Capt.
BUT - as many said already, here and in other threads, the aircraft and pay is not the ultimate goal(or should be, we know all this guys which would just kill to get a rating on a shiny, heavy jet - I do know a few) in a pilots life.
It is family, time with them at a place that everybody can enjoy, working for someone that might be not the biggest and nicest company, but they have a heart and a soul and sometimes try to understand what their employee wants(of course it always depends which kind of employee you have been over the last couple of years
). But most of us need a good amount of years to realize what is really important in life. At least I did, took me lots of thousand of flying hours, a lot of companies, 2 kids to realize that.
So, thanks for this thread, and some of the others here in the ME forum. I was wondering already about the significantly lower entry requirements when I submitted my application 2 months ago. I think I know now why they went down on that. Sadly not a good sign.