Flight crew schedules at EK

[iflyg4]

Was wondering if someone could help me figure out what "actually" happens with your schedules at EK. I was told and given a copy of the EK contract and it states 8 days off min. My question is whether or not that's the case every month? Some mentioned it averages from 8 to 12 sometimes 15 days off, it just depends. Also, how is your schedule generated? Do you have a say in what you're given? I have a lot of decisions to make with EK and need some help. Some fair, unbiased opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...:bored:

[Roster Change]

7 off in 28 is the legal minimum with an average of 24 in 84 days.

Depending on the fleet.

B777 is duty day limited, AB MFF pilots very high on hours with a small number clost to max 900 blk 12 month period. Some have exceeded and have been removed from flying the following month.

Full Preferential rostering system, with company constraints, on a rotating seniority. Pilots who know how to use the system usually get what they bid for irrespective of were they are on the seniority list for that month.

Expectations can be high, but as I say, basically, the clever ones get what they want.

Days off per month can range from 8 to as high as 16 with spreads of 6-8 consecutive days off, and even more when days off are back to back from one month to the next.

[Cyberbird]

Dear Roster-Change ...
- either You're on drugs, or simply not tellin' thje truth ....

the facts about our (poor!!) rosters are:

You might get rarely more than 8-10 days OFF in a month, especially if You're in the lowest bid-groups - unregardless "how hard U try to outsmart the bidding-system" -
just as they're sooooo desperately short on crews now, that they regularily (!) call You out even on Your OFF days - just in time to cover some nasty additional nite-flites to Cochinn, Hyderabad - whatsoever ... unless, of course, U just had had a beer with friends joining for BBQ in Yer garden ;-))

and to the other point: if You're are in the lower bid group, you definitively won't get any decent roster, just 'cause the others (in the better bid groups) are getting the decent day flights instead i.e the most sought after european Turn-arounds- with decent ETD's in the morning, reasonable block-hrs and no significant jet-lag
You definitively end up with all that night (crap), that nobody ever wants to fly: nite-Hyderabad,
Islamabad at 2:00 ETD and alikes;
that has definitivly NOTHING to do whether you know how to bid or not, you just get nothing decent in 2 out of 5 month !! That's facts! the lower bid group just doesn't allow you anything decent - so you might do lots of Nite-SIN-SYD-AKL for example - with min. rest of course;

... Ahhh - and i forgot to mention, that you also have some cover "reserve months" in between, when you can't plan anything, and have to stay - uniform ready - at home, waiting for the call ...
and don't forget to mention, that we hardly get any leave - i have still over 60 days left (can't get any), as they didn't give me more than 10 days last year - of course in november, as i worked o´ver X-mas AND new years my balls off :yuk:

Don't try to paint a rosy picture of our rosters which is definitively NOT true!:*

[145qrh]

Sorry Cyber have to stick up for roster change, well a bit anyway....Last 3 months I have had 15 days off, 90-95 hrs block..MFF, well really 340 only with a 330 trip every 3 months to stay current...

Poor 330 only guys get it up the Jacksey every month tho' and 777 rosters dont look to fabby either...

[Jolly Foreigner]

Next month got 8 days off, average about 10 a month, doing around 880hrs a year as an average and get about 40% of what I bid for. Bidding for trips in any bid group is a lottery due to the roster being manually intervened with to cover A340 flights. There are insufficient MFF qualified crews, so it is better to bid for days off. Prior to leave you will be rostered a trip returning to DXB the day before your leave starts and the subsequent rest days will be counted in your leave.

Expect company policies to be changed at the drop of a hat to suit and if you don't like it, the company stance is tough, you can always leave.

Financially, house back home is rented out and just about covering itself, wife is working, no kids and we don't do too bad. Never in DXB long enough to spend anything these days.:sad:

[upndownagain]

3rd bid group - 12 days off - 91hours - good mix of flying - got what I expected (not everything I wanted) from my bid, keeping in mind the current restrictions and limitations. Although I spent about 2 hours making my bid! Thats how seniority works.:ok:

[semper fi]

Did EK ever have "light" rosters? you know, like 50-65 block hours / month?
We did 995 hour years in the far east for a long time, average 5-7 days off in a month, good for racking up the log book but bad when it came to see the flight surgeon. Glad i got out of that place, hope this place won't go that way, at least not yet anyway. pheeew.......:ugh: