Cathay Interviews Joburg

[Kernel]

I think the first day of Cathay 1st interviews started yesterday, has anyone who has attended so far got any feedback as to what exactly we can expect?

[MrBernoulli]

Kernel, you may just be a little naive in thinking those who are competing with you are likely to pass on any 'secrets'. Once they have solid job offers maybe they will then share the info with you.

[Avi8tor]

......has anyone who has attended so far got any feedback as to what exactly we can expect?
Yeah, crap salaries. Can't believe they can even get ppl to go for the interview. DEFO on a B747 for that money???

[Frogman1484]

Avi8tor...finally you are saying something that make sense . CX thinks that market forces means they can pay peanuts now and pilots will keep on coming to Honkers.

[whodunnit2]

Bernoulli,

Just for the record. You aren't competing with the other candidates, as you would be at say SAA, at a CX interview. If everyone is up to the "Cx standard" they will offer everyone jobs.

Now whether they are offering enough money........well that's another story.:ok:

[Beta Light]

It is the old vicious circle. Looking for crew, the experience guys have options and after looking at all the options they compare money. The less experience ,or people who might have missed out on their preferred company is prepared to take the job. But for the first time a heard management saying that they are not hearting yet, but do realise they are starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel ( no offence to anyone, I don’t know any one on interview) At this stage they just need bums in seats, the experience / personality problems might hit them later, but they don’t care. Only have to survive to financial year end for their BONUS.

Less people take it now, better conditions later.

[ExSAAF]

can u guys define a "crappy" salary?

[s2h]

Put it this way, I have turned down CX 3 times in the last year, after gagging to get in there,(yep, they called me back after saying "if you don't come now we wont call again",...... they called again!!) and realizing that its better on a little island in the Indian ocean, doing 35hrs a month, spending oodles of time with my family on the beach, than putting up with pollution, high rise accommodation, etc, etc etc. Keep it in focus.

[Irene]

A crap salary is one which only serves to let you survive to your inbred standard of living. A good salary is one that lets survive to your standard of living, and grow in the slow accumulation of wealth (i.e a little disposable income). You can't put a numerical figure on this, its personal.

[Avi8tor]

can u guys define a "crappy" salary?
http://willflyforfood.cc/airlinepilotpay/Cathay_Pacific_Cargo_Pilot_Pay.php

And these numbers are correct.

[SAASFO]

CX will have to start pushing up salaries significantly, especially on the freighter fleet.

There are way too many other airlines who are becoming desperate for pilots and salaries are already on the rise at many of these airlines. Also, the USA airline sector is booming again (Delta alone is hiring 50 pilots per month) and this has been a primary source of pilots for a lot of the contract airlines, as has been the British Airways supply of pilots where the retirement age was 55 but has now gone up to 65.

[missingblade]

If you want to know whats up at CX - then go read the Fragrant Harbour forum. The fact is that as long asthey hire SO's of turbo props they are always going to have plenty of applicants that will be willing to work for a package that now is only a shadow of what it used to be. That being said - CX still pays a hell of a lot better than SA local airlines. However you will have to deal with huge pollution issues and very small apartments.....

[Cpt. Underpants]

Those pay rates on willflyforfood are for Cathay CARGO in the USA. The HKG "B" scale rates are 20% higher and provide a housing allowance of up to HKD55000, as are education allowances. The USA CARGO scales are shockingly low (to me anyway) but there is no shortage of applicants either, so it seems that regional RJ pukes are coming here to get heavy jet time and then leaving to go back to the US to fly rubberd0g**** in FDX, UPS or DHL airplanes (for less initially but more eventually).

Americans are notorious whingers here and don't adapt well to the expat lifestyle. Most can't stand being away from the malls, Burger King and the right to Arm Bears. I would take anything I read on willflyforfood or PPRuNe with a pinch of salt.

[Avi8tor]

The fact is that as long asthey hire SO's of turbo props they are always going to have plenty of applicants
Thats the way in should be, move from a 'regional' to a 'major'. Thats not how this thread started. It was about DEFO's for the frieghter.

That being said - CX still pays a hell of a lot better than SA local airlines

Dream on, the guys that are getting the interviews are captains in SA. Now $5k to live in Germany, France or the UK buys a whole lot less life that SA. Not sure what I would do with GBP2500 GROSS.

[Woof etc]

The housing allowance at Cathay for HK basing is a major part of the remuneration package. After 2 years the allowance is currently around the equivalent of R 50 000 pm and it can be used to pay off a property in HK. Taxation in HK is also very low by comparison with SA. If you're not based in HK the package is not that competitive.