Gulf Air salary package- Is it enough to live on?

[screw fix diret]

Is the Gulf Air First Officer package for a married man with 2 young children and a dog enough to cover the expenses. I am particularly interested to know how much a house in a decent area is likely to cost and whether I will need 2 cars or just 1.
Other boring run of the mill stuff is things like contents, house, car insurance, cost of a car, car tax, MOT's etc, public transport (if any), taxi's and so on.
Are there any other expenses I need to consider such as a maid, baby sitting, utilities and such?
The Wife wants to know what areas are good to live in.

Any info greatly received. I'll continue to search the site for previously answered questions.

Regards

SFD

[ironbutt57]

Is it enough to live on?....yes....with maids..etc...etc...yes.....2 nissans to drive...yes....2 bmw's or jags to drive....no....will the wife want a car....YES....forget public transport in BAH exception the odd taxi home from the pub.....car insurance cheap...you will fork out cash for house furnishings...but furnished flats are available...or look for "expat leaving" sales until you are ready to buy new....then sell it at your own "expat leaving" sale when you leave...look for villa's in budaiya, saar, al jasra....talk to other senior GF expat pilots most can offer good advice along these lines.....coming to GT?....let's start over....

[tic]

IRONBUTTS is correct re Bahrain, but I don't understand his thing about GT. Housing allowance is better, much better, and maybe not in AUH, but definately in Dubai you can find good comfortable and suitable accommodation well within your allowance. You work hard and therefore your flying allowances are reasonable, and can be very good. Fact is, your take home pay, if you go over minima as often happens will give you more money than EK. Fact.
tic

[hotelhotel]

Hi SFD,

Did the same research myself and I found an old post by NTM on this forum which was very helpful.
Just look under NTM and bring up all his old posts.
Good luck!

:ok:

[millerscourt]

SFD

Not long ago you were enquiring about SQ Cargo.

As I see you are now considering joining GF as a F/O you clearly did not heed my advice not to join any expat airline as a F/O apart from Cathay and Dragonair or perhaps Emirates as they are the only ones that have clearly defined routes to Command and maybe that is a bit dodgy now as regards Emirates?

I left GF ten years ago and lived in Adliya which suited me fine as my children were educated in UK. Take care of any promises or hints at interviews as to when you might get upgraded as I saw many F/O's leave because of commands not coming their way in the timescale they were told.

PS Poor Dog going to Bahrain.

PPS Whats all this about a Maid?? Remember you are on a F/O's Salary! Next you will asking about prices of speedboats :ok:

PPPS You will need two cars unless your wife is prepared to take and pick you up.

[vfenext]

A lot has changed in ten years obviously, in fact a lot has changed in 6 months! Salary is easily as good as the other Gulf carriers now and as an F/O you can afford 2 cars and a speedboat I know I have all 3! Don't believe the rubbish about ex-pat airlines, some people just don't like the lifestyle others love it, you just have to be sure which one you are. Personally I recommend it, but you dont HAVE to take my advice.

[Speedbrake Lever]

Gentlemen !!

Just a couple of Facts missing

1-- GT in AUH will have 777 within a year

2 -- Problem and a big one in due course

Jet Airways is starting Bom- LON direct

3 -- The GF/GT salary with its add ons is as good as anywhere in the region

4-- Your choice Bah, AUH, DXB ( with whoever)

Life is what you want to make of it


I have( acquaintances) in all the outfits out here

Take your choice !!

Friendship & enjoyment !!!

Its GF


p.s. I don't support Chelsea, ARSENAL or Cricket Umpires

OR race horses

S.L.

[ironbutt57]

777 in one year huh? Wow! that's news:rolleyes: :cool:

Seeing is believing:ok:

[vfenext]

More like GT moving to MCT in a year on 767's.

[BYMONEK]

Speedbrake leaver

Then that must make you a...........Manchester United supporter!
I HATE ARSENAL AS WELL! :yuk:

[Panama Jack]

"Enough" is a relative term. Would anybody like to discuss numbers please?

1) What is the take-home pay for a new-hire FO (in Bahraini Dinars or US Dollars)? What can he reasonably expect to be earning after, say, 2 years?

2) What is GF housing allowance?

3) Does GF have a pension or retirement scheme?

4) What are the other benefits associated with GF employment (medical/dental/non-rev travel/etc)

[leekmas]

What is the general rule on command upgrade with new type rating on type (grand tt, comd tt, type hrs, etc). When is the B777 expected online.

Can someone shed some light as to the pros/cons of an A320/B767 (BAH/AUH) basing with regards to benefits (accom, pay, school, etc).

What are the school fee costs like for a 12 and 5 year old? Weighing up the options before committing to GF.

Thanks

[navmode]

leekmas
the school fees are going to kill you G/A only pay about 1/3 and you have to come up with the rest.

[toothpaste67]

ON the same topic- can you tell me what the costs for school realy are? I just would like to know before I decide to leave the "Rock"-the UK.

[NTM]

Regarding the pay as an Fo (767 in AUH), being single(not for long), I average about 21000 AED , so about 6000$. That is by not flying overtime (only twice in the last year did it happen to me) and not selling a single day of leave, No way..I need my 52 days.:cool:
Some guys average a lot more, because they sell leave and days off. I don't because I need my days off to go out of the country.(And I have to say to the credit of the rostering crew at Gf, that they are very accomodating, I do get my requested days off. So I get a block of at least 8 days off every other month.)(You can expect 10-12 nights away a month with 8 days off a month.)
So I would assume that 21000 AED is on the low end i.e FO, single, no overtime, not selling anything, no children allowance etc..
Also just a little note concerning Millerscourt's post regarding Command.
Most of us the expat fos hired in 2003-04 were basically told not to get our hopes up about command. Myself I was told to expect 7-8 years.
But about one month ago, some of my collegues were undergoing a command assessment. That is the first step before command here at GF. Then comes a period on line flying with a Captain checker to assess your line flying capabiliites. If alll these are satisfactory, you go for the course.
For example the guys hired in July 2003 are now awaiting to start their line assessment.
So the command "carrot" has been pulled out of the hat. Most of us (Expat Fos) are bitting too....
I heard of at least 10 F0s in line for Command assessment. And most of them were hired in 2003...:ok:
Considering that the rumors are going crazy regarding B767 being replaced,GF could be a good spot.
I am figuring that EK, QR, EY are about to receive a crazy amount of airplanes, they will need loads of people. If anything goes wrong here at Gf, we could always leave then.But for now there are to many Pros to stick it with GF. That is, I believe, what most of the Fos here are thinking.

And to resond to leekmas, regarding Command requirements.

First you need a minimun of 13 months of line experience at GF, then,

B767 ,6000 TT, 2500 hours as pilot on Turbojet of at least 29T.

A320, 4000 TT and 1500 on Mutliengine airplanes over 50T.

If you are B767, you must stay with the B767. If you are 320, you stick with the 320. That is the way it is..

So if are wondering what airplane to choose, look at your hours and then choose. That could be a determining factor..

Later,:ok:

[navmode]

thanks for the info ntm on the Command assessment. And most of them were hired in 2003...
been here 6 years waiting for command and i have 10000 hours.i am angry as hell where is the snr list.

[MFPLT]

Why the heck are you still there when Emirates Ethihad and Qatar are hiring and upgrading and looking for Airbus drivers. If you don't like it move on and you should have done this a long time ago.

Just because they are offering an assement does not mean they will upgrade. Gulf Air is short of pilots including FO and there training process is slow. If they do not dangle a carrot these pilots will return to there jobs or look else where. Until those pilots under training are on the line any loss of pilots will cause flight cancellation.

Gulf Air has no aircraft orders unlike the others in the region and rumours has it that GT might not be going to Europe, Emirates has just increased flights to there.

Again why are you still there?

[Left Coaster]

Good question: are you?:{

[millerscourt]

Left Coaster

The reason navmode is probably still there is because he is still a F/O and even if he had years of command once a F/O again then your options to go as a DEC are strictly limited. I would guess it is far easier for Etihad and Qatar to get current Captains and joining either of these outfits as a F/O would perhaps be a risk for navmode. Getting at an interview any firm commitment on commands would probably be impossible or they might just say what they think you want to hear knowing that once you have joined you are at their mercy!!

Navmode Why have you not had a command assessment with GF?? Have you even had the command interview yet to see whether they will even consider you for further assessment or perhaps they no longer adopt that procedure? No point being angry if you have never bothered to find out how you stand. Being ex GF I realise this is not as easy as it sounds!

[scanscanscan]

NTM..............If your girl is not independently wealthy or proffessionally qualified to work in the Gulf at a salery better than yours......Stay single.

[ironbutt57]

That's what we've all been telling him!;) ;) :cool: