working for Ek?????

[meaw]

Hi Guys.....I am currently employed by a Major airline in my home country

I have the opportunity to go to EK. Everytime I ask people there for their opinion about wether or not to go I get vague answers because they don't want to influence my decision....
I am not looking for anybody to make the decision for me but I would like some insight from people who work there....
Is it as good as it sounds?Is the money that good?Do you have any regrets?Are you at home enough to have a normal home life?
Can you expect to be treated fairly, in the sim,on line checks or is it one mistake and you are gone?

Are there guys out there who have been there more than just a couple of years who can recommend EK?Or is it just a bubble that will burst?

Thanks for the help

[330 Man]

meaw,
First, congratulations on your opportunity to come to EK. It is an accomplishment to get hired here!

I have been very forthcoming in previous post's regarding coming to EK. I am not influencing your decision, only giving you the information to make it! I suggest you look at my previous posts to find some of the answers to your questions. Send me a PM if you wish and I will get back to you, but for now I will tell you this:
I would not quit a good job with a stable company to come here. If your job is not so good or your company is facing financial trouble, then by all means come.

It is not as good as it sounds here, but then it never is. All in all it is still a good place to work.

The money is not that good for a first officer with a family. If you are single you will live very nicely. The benefits are good. All in all the package is better than average. Some have come here and gotten a raise from their previous job, and others like me have taken a pay cut at an unstable airline to come here.

I do not have any regrets. For my personal situation this was the right choice, but your situation may be very different.

I am home now more than I have been in the last 20 years, but the 777 guys are gone more than I am, so one of them may tell you something different. It is to the point now that my wife wants me to consider the 777 as I am home too much and under foot. This is a realy quandry that you will face. Many days at home and not enough money to play golf on each one of them!

You are treated very fairly. The training is very straight forward, but much of it is self study. You are allowed mistakes like any other company. The difference here is that if your mistake gets into the newspaper you are in big trouble. This is a government owned airline, and they WILL not look bad. If it is in the press, it will be your fault and you will be having tea and crackers with the CP.

I would reccomend EK to anyone who is in need of a good job. Do not leave a good job to come here as you will find that you have just as many problems and regrets, they are just different problems and regrets. Do not come to EK planning on a fast upgrade. If you are hired now it will be 3-5 years before upgrade, if that, because we have hired so many qualified first officers.

Hope it helps. Good luck.

330 man

[FreeSpeed]

Hi 330 Man sent you a PM, I would appreciate a reply if you get the time

[bound_for_dubai]

330 Man,

That was a very fair descripton of the airlines and work conditions. Thanks for you unbias views!

[twieke]

I fully agree with 330 man. It's a fair and honest description of the situation here. I am still glad I took the decission to come here. However I know people who have regrets. But then again, they might have those anywhere they go.

Rgds.

[maddog62]

100% with 330 Man and everytime I've a doubt I spend a minute remembering where I come from :uhoh: :uhoh: :uhoh:

Chow, mad

[Pontious]

I'll agree with Twiekes, 330 MAN, Secure ID and Maddog62 on this one.

If you want as secure a job as you can get in today's world, to go to work with a decent bunch of people, flying a young fleet of well maintained aircraft to wide and varied destinations and have the decision of beach,pool or golf to make on your days off then give it a whirl.

You can only compare it to what your previous (or current) employer was (is) like. 330 Man is spot-on when he says that you wouldn't leave a good job with a stable or a National carrier to come to Emirates, although saying that there are 2 young guys from BA here who are having a ball. I came here from a UK charter carrier as an F/O along with 5 colleages from our old airline along with people from SAA, Sabena, Swissair, SAS, Cathay and a whole host of scheduled, charter, international and domestic carriers.

My only regret is that I didnt apply 3 years earlier. I've been here for almost 18 months and I haven't regretted it. If you are caught up in a tough decision then take a trip out here and see it for yourself as it isn't to everyone's tastes. If you're married make sure you bring your wife.

The only downside is that it isn't the best pay in the industry and it is tied to the dollar, but on balance my quality of life is much better than with my previous mob and you can't really put a price on that.

:ok:

[ironbutt57]

yo Seaman dude! sounds like you need a week's r&r with Roger the cabin boy!!;) :p

[fatbus]

SS, time to chill

[Fugazi]

SS, You really love your job!!!

[Cerberus]

Its interesting how cyclical guys views tend to be. When I first arrived all I could see was the lovely new skyscrapers and beautiful beach bars. After about 2 years, all I could see were the building sites in between them. Thats about where cuckoo land resides.

Initially the driving on the roads was spirited, I now know of 6 people that have had major car accidents when they were run into by, as SS says, a muppet.

So lets look at what SS says:

1. Pay is getting worse, the starting salary has risen by 13% since 1992 and the dollar rate has fallen compared to the GB pound by 23% in the last 3 years. FACT

2. There is no representation, and yes you do get reported, rumour is a mate got reported in SEP the other day. FACT

3. Command goal posts have moved. In 2000 it was even 4500hrs. FACT

4. Housing is a lottery but I lucked in with my company house. I think a lot of guys are looking to take the allowance to try and save a bit more cash for retirment. It won't cover all the costs but will hopefully provide a bit more cash. I cannot see myself retiring from the cash generated by the provident fund. FACT

5. There are not enough schools. FACT

6. I haven't tried to get an appointment for a while but it was ok last time I tried.

7. Cyclical as above! After a while as the kids get older, guys do start to feel trapped because they wonder where they can go from here. The big break points are to do with kids schooling and exams. FACT

8. They are f**ing muppets and kill several expats every year. The stats say that the locals have the second highest death rate behind the Saudis; 3 times all other road users. The bottom line is that everytime you step in your car here, the risk of not getting to your destination is more than 3 fold higher than anywhere else in the world. FACT

9. To SS's reasons you can add weather coz despite the crappy summers, the winters here beat the crap out of a european or canadian winter. Doesn't help you if you are from Aus.

So despite the nay sayers, I would say that our beloved Mr Staynes has a point. In fact at least 7 out of 9 of his statements are empirically true. If you want to go into it with your eyes open then heed his warnings.

For me; I get pissed off for 4 months in the summer because the weather truly does suck. But..the winters make up for that. As to whether Dubai is all glitz or all building sites. It is somewhere in between. Problem is when you are looking to come here you tend to ignore the crap. I was quite happy in my little bubble until an Indian lorry driver tried to take out my family. I look back now and smile at the comments of the guys that have only been here 18 months or so because I was just like them.

When Dubai is good, its great. Upgrade on a shiny new plane, kids happy etc. When things go wrong though you start to feel a hell of a long way from home with very little back-up.

Would I change my decision? Not personally but here's my opinion for what its worth. If you have got a decent job for a stable employer in your home country, I wouldn't come here. (Unless its Aus....only kidding maaaates.....!) I would only move here now if I was certain I was going to be tangibly better off in the future. The cash will not go as far as you think. Once you are here, its a job like any other. Long haul in Dubai is the same as Long Haul in Outer Mongolia. Everyone's situation is different though. If you are single and under say 35, it will probably work ok and you'll save enough cash. If you are married and over 45, you might not!

Seaman Staynes, I cannot believe you are going to take any banter about Roger the Cabin Boy from a mate called Ironbutt!

Crawling back under my stone,

Cerberus:zzz:

[Quod Boy]

Wise words from Cerberus,and SS.

Been here 10 years plus,my provident fund worth 120,000,approx,USD,having been in low risk,managed equities,from the start,Ive never been given any advice,from the fund "managers",and have accepted,the fact thats why we pay these "managers" fees.Fool,that I am.I believed them.I know nothing about stocks,Ive never,changed from the "safe" suggestion.Im no economist,but it aint enough to retire,on in years to come.

Its very cosmetic,terms and conditions change,at will,overnight without consultation.The package remains attractive,for some,but remember,if you fall through the cracks,here,in whatever way,there is no-one,and I mean no-one who will help you.Driving is very dangerous,but we all bury our heads in the sand,until it happens to friends,or family,then we ask questions.

It wouldnt take much,to make this a very,very desirable job,but the job is losing its edge,sadly.As a pilot,you are a commodity,here,pure and simple.That fact is made very acute.There is very little respect for pilots,and the Flt ops management,offer very little support.We have a new boss,and we hope he will deliver more,than his predecessor,who did nothing.

Good luck with your decision,if the pay goes up,to match inflation here,and you need a change,or your current airline cannot offer want you want ,then come.You will be made welcome.Its now a job,as opposed to a really good job.

Good luck.QB



Weather good in the winter,nice kit,generally working with good people.



Im no economist,but it aint going to be enough to retire

[Shake]

Here we go again, round whatever in the great EK question whether to jump or not to jump...

Meaw...you are apparently with a 'major airline' yourself so give it up, tell us which one and we'll help with the math. You must have the figures on which to base such an important decision so; does it work out? Does what Seaman and other doubters add up? You shouldn't need a calc or a BLT to work it out if you look at what it IS that's on offer & not what YOU WANT IT TO BE.

330 man gave a balanced opinion for his circumstances, life style and expectations etc and fair play to him. For some EK represents better pay and command prospects from thier previous employment. For others it has offered less pay, more flying and extended command prospects from previous without any form of redress.

As on other similar threads (which you should read), look before you leap because once you've jumped you could be one of the many whose life doesn't revolve about golf and piss ups but the reality of mortgages, schools and how to eventually get out of here.

As for fairness? Don't expect a vote and get legal insurance.

Not balanced.

[AVIATOR757]

This may help understand the sandpits current situation.

www.luchtzak.be/article6138.html


:O
A757

[mach-hog]

MEAW,

I would suggest stay away, stay where you are. Life is definitely more difficult here than it used to be. There have been huge changes since '91 when I first got here and little in the way of improvement.

The operation is becoming less and less desirable all the time. As the airline moves into being managed by locals, especially the rabidly anti pilot current SVP of Enigineering & Operation (yes, he left the plural "s" off Operations - idiot! He also used question marks for bullets in his latest notification of changes to productivity and appointment pay... what a cretin... but a lovely little irony, if it wasn't so sad).

This company is getting harder to work for all the time. You read the pay stats from the other chappies - as working conditions continue to decline all over, so too at Ek.

Good luck mate. :cool: