Dragonair

[Australia2]

Greetings All,

Have read much regarding the entry of Cathay into the China mainland market and the possible effects to Dragon. Greatly appreciate the thoughts from any Dragonair crew on the employment prospects over the years to come and job satisfaction levels.
Very difficult to obtain any info on what seems like a great job prospect.

Thanks :ok:

[hughorgen]

:E That is because we are all so tired from working so hard !!!

Hard work ! Under crewed ! Expanding ..........

Hard working environment and 'Management' constantly eroding our conditions with petty scrimping and saving ...........

Not even allowed a coffee machine in the crew room !!!

Go figure ....................

Find a happier work environment .................. :O

Keep smiling :}

[boocs]

OZ2,

I wouldn't take Hugh's words as gospel. From some of my friends who are employed with KA they tell me that they do work hard but are rewarded for this. Expansion plans are underway.

Perhaps best to get a reply from others (not just 1 dissatisfied employee).

[Australia2]

Thanks to both for your input, (accept that we will never all agree )

Very interested with an initial interview planned early in the new year.

Anyone with further input most welcome !!

Regards to all

OZ2

[M.85]

HI guys,

Do you have to be rated on one of their A/Cs to join?Whats their requirement?
Went on their website but cant find any application form..

Are cvs sent by mail?

Thanks,

M.85

[Australia2]

.85,

I have no airbus.

OZ2

[ROO-C26B]

I am pursuing Cathay and Dragon as well. At this stage no invitation as yet. Last communication with Dragon, I was bummed off the S/O listing to Direct entry F/O because I have exceeded the S/O hours entry requirement. My new minimum now stands at 4000 hours. No Airbus type rating neither.

From good source that they are expansing rapidly.

Would like to ask what are your qualifications? I have 2500 TT with 1200 turbine in the Metro 23. Care to comment! :ok:

[julietmikepapa]

Folks

I also have been invited to an interview in Melbourne, mid January. I would love to hear any constructive comment regarding conditions at KA and lifestyle in Hong Kong.

Also, any idea what the interview process in like?

Cheers

[744_driver]

G'Day julietmikepapa,

I'm also very interested in joining KA. Could you advice when did you send your application and how long was the wait?

A few of the guys from whereI am, have sent in theirs a few years ago but have yet to get a reply. Some are type rated on the A320s, A340s and even the 744s. Their hours range from 4000 onwards, with wide body experience.

Just not sure where do we stand.

Thanks.

[julietmikepapa]

744_driver - I have sent you a private message.

Cheers

[Foreign Worker]

You Dragonair chaps seem to be very tight-lipped in passing on any info - but perhaps you are all working too hard to find the time to reply?

Is there an Internet application site for aircrew?
If no, from where can one obtain the applications?
Do Dragonair curently employ any foreign (or local) female pilots?

Dragon is advertising for a multitude of positions, but NONE of those are for pilots.

Thank you for your responses.

[Dixi Normus]

KA has stopped advertising its pilot positions because it doesn't need to, it has enough CVs on hand! The recruiting department is overloaded. KA is still expanding in 04', more buses and frighters coming on line. The training department is overheating, for both cabin crew and pilots. Most pilots are into overtime every month, hence the lack of info in these forums. KA have female pilots, both local and expat. Great working environment, China is the new Asian economic engine. If there was no money in China, why is CX trying so hard to get back in? KA is Hong Kong's true airline.

[Fly747]

KA has HK's only female chinese captain.
If you have a computer look on the website and get the address to send to. Doesn't matter how many applications they have, they only seem to look at the most recent.
Expansion? 1.2 billion people are about to go travelling, how many 380s will they need?

[Foreign Worker]

How about remuneration?

The word around is that Dragonair are willing to pay fair market price for experience, and for that reason they look set to move ahead in leaps and bounds.

Nothing like an unhappy workforce to rapidly #@%* your business - regardless of mentality!

[YMMBB]

If anyone get a chance being interviewed with KA, you may get a chance to be interviewed by that chinese female captain. My firend had her for the interviews when he was applying the direct entry s/o.

[idg]

YMMBB,

Think you'll find the lady doing the interviews is the Manager Crew Resources and not the female Chinese Captain as alluded to earlier in the thread.
:ok:

[singletrack]

I don't know wher half of you get you info, but it is off the mark alot. First off, no female chinese captain would have interviewed anyone. That lady is from operations, the one who most likely processes your CV.

Yes, we are working hard, the 320 captains are flying 80 to 90 hour months, the f/o's close to the same. The 330 roster isn't as bad, but between 28 to 36 sectors a month, 6 to 8 over nights, with late finishes.

I have been here for quite awhile, and yes we are working harder than in the past year, but the company is in such a fever to cut costs, they are trying anything on regarding attacking our COS.

If you are planning on showing up here with a wife and two kids who are in school, you won't be saving much. HK tax your salary,(small when considering our home countries), tax your school allowance, tax your housing allowance, tax your travel allowance.

Don't be surprised if the Govn't introduces sales tax in the next 4 years.

Did I mention the pollution? Enough said...

On a positive note, the guys are great to work with, and that helps.

If you are looking for a quick command, this is the place, but if you are looking for destinations, a back end crew you can have fun with, then this isn't the place.

Good Luck.

[Australia2]

Singletrack,

Thanks to you and the other KA folk for the input, the information is very useful.

Can anyone elaborate on how the COS are being attacked, ie: any areas in particular, will this become more widespread (on current indications) ?

Thanks in advance, Post or PM's appreciated.

Oz2

[hughorgen]

:{ Believe it or not !!!

They took away the coffee machine to save money....

And then ..........

:E spent 5 days putting up Xmas lights in a walkway that nobody
sees at night .........


DOH !
:confused:

[Foreign Worker]

"It's not that they can't afford them, they are just *******with your mind."

They're only *******with their OWN (tiny) minds, JM - trying hard to justify their menial positions and exorbitant salaries.
Which would have been cheaper - to have left the coffee machines in place and continued to have paid for the hot water, coffee, and coffee cups, or to continue paying these full time parasites, salaries, holiday pay, sick leave and staff travel??

The tail wagging the dog?!!

H.R. is something that is a waste of time and money, and superfluos to NECESSARY operating costs of any airline.
They are the leeches on an otherwise healthy body, sucking vital blood supplies.

[FlexibleResponse]

Yep, sounds exactly like CX, now they have a room full of coffee makers sitting there collecting dust. As Mike Moore said, "It's not that they can't afford them, they are just *******with your mind."
The answer may be much simpler. Ask yourself who in the Company would benefit if the staff did not have access to free coffee and had to buy their own?

[Pointer]

Well i'll hope that i can get a seat with Dragon because if you guys (and galls?) have time and energy left over to :{ whine :{ over a coffee machine, in my book that's a good sign.

The more pilots complain about petty little things like that...the happier :ok: they are


:E :E :E Pointer :E :E :E

[Chinos]

You guys make me grin...or maybe I dont get the drift?
What do you have to do to classify anything as "non"- direct entry? Especially when refering to S/O position? How much worse can it get?
I am curious now if I missed the beat somewhere...and happy to learn something new.. comments welcome- really am not trying to be smart..
Cheers and happy new chinese year!


:cool:

[James T. Kirk]

Is Mike Kitney still there?

[idg]

Yes MK is now AGMO.

[James T. Kirk]

What's that? AGMO??? Thanks anyway.

BTW Chino, I think CX have a few Non-Direct Entry S/Os. They were Captains right upto the point they showed sympathy for the 49ers.

Kirk out...

[Flap 5]

At a guess AGMO: Assistant General Manager Operations.

Don't think you would get rich quick. Those days have gone. The A scale salary was very good and there was a chance of making money on your house. Not any more on both counts, but the cost of living is still high.

The Airbus is nice but then there are a lot of them about now. You don't have to go to Dragonair to fly the Airbus.

I know you Aussies have had a tough time of late but you must be desperate to leave your beloved Australia to live in China! Why don't you look at the other chinese airlines? After all Dragonair is now just another chinese airline.