From a US regional to Emirates

[propjet72]

Hi Everybody
I am a newby to this forum and I am trying to gather some opinions from the emirates pilots.
I am 38 year old and have been flying with a major US regional carrier.
I am considering applying with Emirates as they are on road show this month in Atlanta and Miami.
I currently fly left seat on a CRJ700 and can hold 13 to 14 days off per month doing 4 to 5 legs per day. The money considering taxes is slightly lower than an emirates F/O's.

Reading about some of the posts about Emirates it seems that a good portion of Emirates pilots are not happy working there.

Would any one of you as objective as can be could advise me based on my situation if this would be a good move or not.

Thanks in advance

[jumbo1]

I would think long and hard if I were you. The idea might seem great but reality is different. My suggestion to you would be to take a vacation with wifey to dubai and come and have a look for yourself. Dont look at the glitzy buildings etc but go and look at the day to day living stuff. Check out grocery prices, visit schools, drive in the daily gridlock etc etc. The aircraft are nice and shiny but that wears off after a while. You have NO rights here whatsoever - NO union representation etc so effectively you are on your own.
You will generally have minimum days off here every month 8-9 with a real mix of east/west flying. Fatigue is a reality here with all sorts of tricks and shenanigans from our leadership to get more out of you for less. Some months you will have a bit more time off. Expect to be a very tired puppy most of the time.
You will get a mixed bag from the EK guys on prune but mostly negative. Personally I have not been unhappy here - it all depends on your reasons for coming. If they are right then you'll be ok but if you're chasing money or a quick command and giving up your seniority then think long and hard. If you are about to be furloughed etc then it's a no brainer. As I said earlier rather come and have a look for yourself and make a proper informed decision. Forget the roadshow nonsense - you will not get the true story - you will see a glitzy video on dubai. Knowledge is power!
Good luck with your decision
Jumbo

[nolimitholdem]

FANTASTIC post jumbo1...best advice ever: try before you buy!

@propjet72: Dubai's absolute strongest quality is MARKETING! Same goes for Emirates. Do not believe the big $$ slick produced DVD's, shiny brochures and advertising! Anyone with enough money can pay a (Western) production company to glitz up anything! Someone else summed up nicely: a Third World country with a thin veneer of First World.

Or to put it more simply...a gold-plated turd is still a turd.

[typhoonpilot]

Propjet: my advice to guys from the USA has always been to go for Fedex, UPS, SWA, Continental, etc as a first choice. With 22 ( 27 ) years remaining in your career it would be better overall in terms of quality of life and earning potential. As a second choice a foreign airline with a U.S. base is still a better choice than Emirates. That includes Cathay, ANA, JALways, etc. The reason being that you can live in your home country, the pull of which will become irresistable to either you or your wife at some point when living overseas.

Perhaps you are one of the unique few who can live outside of your country for decades at a time and remain happy. Only time will tell. This is one of the biggest problems that Emirates faces. People who came to Emirates without clearly thinking about what they were doing. Guys chasing the big shiny jet, only to realize that there home country wasn't so bad afterall and that hometown airline wasn't so bad either.

I was perfectly content in my house on the shores of Lake Norman flying right seat in a wee 737. Circumstances forced a move, one that I don't regret. I can find the good in my job and the city I live in, others will concentrate on the negative and drive themselves into misery.

Think very clearly about was is important to you and your family before making a decision. Emirates has it's good and it's bad just as any airline does. The same goes for Dubai and the UAE.


Typhoonpilot


P.S.

Jumbo makes some good points, but I have to wonder about the 8-9 day off per month part. That seems like an exaggeration in the wrong direction. Twelve is probably the average overall, with top bid months being in the 14 to 16 range and bottom months in the 9 to 11 range. And of course, that is days off in Dubai. Not that days off down route should be counted, but to a U.S. regional pilot a distinction should be made. Their typical layover is 10 to 12 hours versus our 24 hour average.

[jumbo1]

Fair comment TP
It depends on seniority (what's that at EK?) within the bid group. As my seniority has increased with time in the company my days of have increased slightly. At a stage I was indeed flying min days off for months on end.

Propjet,
Good advice from Typhoon. I still recommend a look for yourself. The industry seems to be recovering nicely in the US. Don't chuck away what you have for an itch - you might end up scratching harder than you thought possible.
Good luck
p.s for once a bunch of posts with no abuse hurled at the inquirer.....:D

[ruserious]

for once a bunch of posts with no abuse hurled at the inquirer.....
Yes but he did ask in a polite, balanced, non-judgemental fashion. Even the most jaded of us understands the position he is in and can sympathize with the decisions he has to make.
Good luck propjet, hope you make the right decision, there is way too much luck involved in picking the right path in an aviation career.

[propjet72]

Fisrt of all
Thanks for responding to my post.

I try to keep all my options open.
Emirates seem attractive, but if called I will follow your advise and spend some time in Dubai with the family before making a decision.
Is there some F/O's with similar background to mine (from US regional)working at Emirates?
If so, did their experience at Emirates (international and heavy) helped them land better job elsewhere or was it a waste of time?
I am sorry that some of you are not happy at Emirates, I think that upgrade based on seniority list and a working agreement would fix a lot of your problems also I can tell you that here in the US there is now a real shortage of qualified and experienced pilots especially among regional as the major are hiring.
United should be hiring soon and I think that American should be next some time next year once they recall all the pilots on furlough.
Jobs at the majors are no longer what they used to be.
But it still does beat an office job.
If I come to Dubai I will be looking forward to seiing you guys.
best of luck