EK Crew Meal Allowance

[AirTaxiDriver]

I am quite surprised nobody mentioned yet the low amount of our crew meal allowance given.
With time, they dropped it slowly down.
Have you ever checked that it is getting slowly impossible to pay for a lunch or a dinner at the different EK hotels?
Have you checked the different restaurant menu prices?
Can you afford it with your allowance?

I figured out: we can barely pay for a sandwich and a glass of water in few of our EK hotel! barely a normal dish in others, without any drink (not even a bottle of water)...

Check on your side and tell us!

[GoreTex]

55 USD in LAX, doesn't cover anything but you still have to add the tip

[ekwhistleblower]

They haven't changed in the last 16 years bar going down!

[lfrk]

From 1st of April...
The ones I have noticed.

CPT -20% with the new hotel, with less discounts...
NCE from 110euros down to 80euros from what I heard..
LYS from 86euros down to 70...

[Mr Good Cat]

Have the discounts improved in the hotels or are you just getting less money?

If there is a shortfall then an ASR must be filed. Your cabin crew need to eat properly if they are to be fully fit for duty.

[ETOPS240]

Are those figures per day, or do you get a certain amount for breakfast, lunch, dinner etc..?

[BLOGGSON]

The only way it'll ever change for the better is if we submit well drafted reports about this on EFA. i have recently done so for KIX, where, because of restaurant opening times it is impossible to eat a balanced meal within the allowance. The only restaurant where you get the full discount is the buffet, where it's the same **** every day. Other restaurants are expensive as is room service, which I hate anyway.

[enthusiast]

55 USD in LAX, doesn't cover anything but you still have to add the tip

55 bucks? Is it for a meal or a day? How may hrs do EK pilots stay in LA usually?

[flaphandlemover]

It is per diem

We stay 48h....

[Moony123]

Just for comparison - for 48 hours in the good old USA - thou who shall not be named would provide approx $300. They even give more than $55 for a 24hr Indian trip!

Ouch.

[springbok449]

The thing is Moony123 that comparison is not strictly correct.

With the un-mentionable you don't get a per diem in cash when you get to the hotel, the allowance is paid along with your flight pay into your salary.
Depending on the destination you get an hourly allowance from the moment you leave AUH until you get back to AUH.

In EK your per diems are paid in cash at the hotel (in most cases) whilst your flight pay is paid with your salary.

This is the difference is cash that you are quoting.
If you compare the 2 in the way I describe they are pretty similar.
Having said all of that I still think the allowances are way too low!

[Avid Aviator]

I don't see a problem with allows going into your salary.
At EK you have to take your own money out to spend on layovers anyway - if you want to eat!
7 GBP for b'fast in MAN, hotel charges 16!:uhoh:

[lospilotos]

The allowance manual is on the portal. It contains good information as to what we are entitled to. Just came back from a layover where a bottle of sparkling water for my room service burger was about 25 dirhams. That was 25% of the allowance for that meal. Did I have to pay out of my own pocket to have the meals I required, of course...

[falconeasydriver]

7 GBP for b'fast in MAN, hotel charges 16!

Unless of course you are the purser or flight crew, in which case the "full" english is complimentary….mmm black pudding:E:E:E

[Mr Good Cat]

If you've been charged £16 for breakfast in MAN, it was a mistake.

All cabin crew get charged £7 flat rate.

Pilots and purser get it free in the lounge, and can also choose to use the main breakfast area without charge.

And it's actually a good breakfast. As are all Marriott meals in the UK.

:ok:

[Trader]

The real problem is the accountants/managers responsible trying to look good by cutting where ever they can.

They decide on an allowance based on hotel prices less the offered discounts. They once determined these based on the most expensive meal - now - no idea!

They don't include tray fees for room service even when at some hotels this is the only option late at night. They don't include tax. They don't factor in that we need to drink.

Now we have hotels, such as the one in Chicago, where you cannot get ANY food at night! So you wake up for your 3am departure and go to work without a meal.

Other hotels have 'limited' menus at night.

Considering we are flight crew who may be on any number of time zones or have any number of departure times I think it is deplorable.

Now we even have flights with duties of 10 plus hours (not including travel time) with ONE meal.

No idea where this is going to stop!

[glofish]

I agree with all, but .... did you write? File an ASR? File fatigue (iso hunger) report due insufficient catering?

I know from the source that EK does not get sufficient of those to act, they consider the situation adequate, because nobody complains!

Write with all the arguments you gave here, start times, meal count, meal choice, hotel discounts, hotel open times, real prices etc., please!:ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

Only avalanches of different reports to a lot of places get attention of the ones who do not care, but at a certain point need to act to keep their cosy desk, close to a Costa, 1 hour lunch break with choice of 3 restaurants and nice office times of 9:30 to 3:30.:ugh:

[Moony123]

This is the difference is cash that you are quoting.

Actually I don't think it is. Using LA for example - EK I'm assuming you get flight pay for your block hours to and from LA - Paid with your salary, yes? Then you get the $55 per day in cash at the hotel. So you end up with $110+Flight Pay.

The unmentionable pays you flight pay the same way, but then you are also paid 23 AED per hour (for Europe/America) whilst off duty on the ground. So for the same 48 hour example you'll end up with an extra 1100AED/$300USD. $300+Flight Pay.

Granted yes it is paid monthly in arrears - but it's still a whole lot more than $110.

[givemewings]

I find it very hard to believe that there is SUCH a difference in pricing in LAX as opposed to JFK that the allowance for a 31hr JFK is the same as a 48hr LAX... and there being nothing nearby the hotel after hours except a Chipotle and a 7-11 after a walk through a questionable street after dark...

Do a Brisbane-Auckland trip you'll get around 75 bucks on arriving in Brisbane, as opposed to more than a hundred in Sydney.... both upmarket hotels in the CBD with fairly pricey menus.. I always thought they based the allowances of the menus available but the Brisbane hotel isn't exactly cheap either, yet $30 or so difference...

[Mister Warning]

Call the police - you're being robbed.

[Panther 88]

and there being nothing nearby the hotel after hours except a Chipotle and a 7-11 after a walk through a questionable street after dark..

And to add to this thread, it seems a majority of the hotels we stay in are in such areas either by the airport or in areas where there is nothing to take your mind off of the four hotel walls. SFO..an office park? Really? Perhaps those are the only hotels that can accommodate the number of rooms required nightly. Who knows?

[single chime]

On one side the co says eat well to keep your BMI in check and help with your fatigue management; on the other, with the money they give us outstation we can only afford McD or other low quality/low cost outlets. Says it all...

[BYMONEK]

single chime

Really? Let's cut to the chase here. Granted, the discounted allowances are hardly going to pay the mortgage but that's not what they're designed for. In all the time I've been in this Company, not once have I been 'forced' to eat McDonalds or any other crap that wasn't suitable. Not once have I come away from a layover either hungry or out of pocket as I don't eat 3, 3 course meals a day and neither, I suspect, do you. If you are Fat Bastard and can eat a baby on every trip, send in the itemised hotel bill/receipt to fleet.

I agree that there are some layovers with hotel facilities and timing combinations that aren't ideal but put your complaints on the voyage report or better still write a CSR. It's not going to change overnight but it may eventually if enough reports are written.

As much as it pains me to say, the allowances are not for swigging copious quantities of potent ale and paying for wenches or for the weekly supermarket shop so all this rubbish about not having enough money to eat properly is complete and utter tosh.

Please, stop embarrassing yourselves! :sad:

[AirTaxiDriver]

BYMONEK,

Please, at least be honest with yourself!
The meal allowance given is far insufficient to pay for most of the hotel restaurant we are staying at.
Be honest, open your eyes and compare the menu vs what you can afford with the allowance (discount taken into account).
If you are honest enough, you will do, and get back here saying that indeed, it is most of the time impossible to pay for a normal dish + a bottle of still water, and please, do not jump over a meal, it is breakfast, lunch and dinner!

[glofish]

Then why do most other comparable airlines, to start with the one down the road, pay substantially more per diems than EK?
Are they all stupid?

[BYMONEK]

I've already stated that the allowances are low, that's not the argument. The argument is whether the allowances are fit for purpose. In my opinion, with the discounts offered in the hotels, they are. The clue is in the title. 'Meal Allowance'. It's not 'salary supplement allowance'.

Although for the F/O I recently did a Luanda with might thing differently. 3 this month, 3 last month. Maybe the $170 he gets for 24 hours sitting in his room eating pot noodles works for him.

[ekwhistleblower]

But why would you want to eat in the hotel? When you go on a layover you should have allowances that enable you to eat to a certain standard where you choose not just the hotel discount list.

[thegypsy]

EK copied GF in using the cafeteria menus minus the discount that GF negotiated as the basis for the meal allowance. It always caused the same kind of comments as it was considered a tight fisted policy.

[Trader]

ByMonk--I agree with the concept of the allowance. What I do NOT agree with is the seriously declining standard of the hotels themselves! When we have poor hotels we have poor food choices.

I don't think it is too much to ask to make sure the hotels have food available 24 hours per day (and not just a 'midnight menu' during the night) or to have us located in the city so that avail ourselves of proper food if teh hotel cannot supply it.

But the fact is someone, somewhere is finding a way to 'save money' and we are paying for it. Chicago, Venice, Paris--just a few examples of substandard accom.

It is simple--put us in a proper, clean hotel with food available 24 hours.

[BYMONEK]

Trader

Agree 100%. Have stayed in Chicago on a freighter trip and shocked to find out room service not 24hrs. I wasn't prepared to eat self prepared microwavable meals that were provided in the shop next to reception.

AirTaxiDriver

"..most of the time impossible to pay for a normal dish + bottle of still water.."

No, it isn't. Most of the time, if not all of the time, it is possible. Maybe you need to be honest with yourself. Are you seriously telling us that you're out of pocket on most layovers? You need to start bidding for Singapore, Vienna, Manchester and a few others that give you lounge access where you can fill your face for free.

[AirTaxiDriver]

BYMONEK: "that give you lounge access where you can fill your face for free"

Does a lounge give you any normal meal or dish?
NO! it is sandwiches, canapé, pickles and else...

I am talking about a normal lunch or dinner with something to drink (water), not like you mean, getting liquid diner on a sofa...

So, who's honest here?

[Gulf News]

Back when I joined the Education allowance was called the "Education Allowance" When it failed to keep up with inflation it was surreptitiously changed to "Education support allowance"

The justification given at the time was that they are your children so you should show an interest in their education by sharing some of the cost.

Perhaps I will get an HR Najm award for suggesting that the "Meal allowance" be renamed "Meal support allowance" I could also write an accompanying letter explaining the change by stating that whilst the company wants you to be well nourished thus they will supply enough to buy a Big Mac, however it is your body so you should show an interest by coughing up for a salad and bottle of water. I could probably put myself in contention for the Presidents award by adding the line. Compliance with the company nutrition policy will be monitored and audited on a regular basis. Failure to comply will be dealt with under the provisions of the Company HR manual.

[SuckItUp]

Just to add to the balance between the astounding increasing costs of everything in Dubai, and decreasing contractual entitlements, supplements or whatever you can call them to try to make yourself feel better, you should know that now hotels have been told that if you don't arrive with the crew at check in, they can keep your room for you, but it's goodby allowances!

Increases + decreases equals balance! right?

Apparently I missed that snippet among the 100's of non operational emails I have received in the last few months, or perhaps it was in among the countless contractual or employer, sorry typo, employee handbook changes?

:ugh:

[myekppa]

Been that way for years and if you bothered to read the OM-A you'd find it clearly documented.

There's many valid issues on allowances, yours isn't one of them.

[mini cooper]

The bottom line is that if you find something wrong with the hotel or allowance then write about it.

At EK if 'management' aren't told there is a problem then they can continue to think everything is rosy and then can deny any knowledge of a problem!

Point out the lack of 24 hour room service (especially valid on freighter with its stupid departure and arrival times), point out if tax isn't included, in US if they haven't included a little extra for the "compulsory" tip then say so! Safety in the location of the hotel could be also valid point!

This forum is a good point to raise issues with various destinations. It could be a point of reference! However if things are to change then the guys that go to these destinations MUST write about the problems don't leave it for others to do and don't just leave it here as a general whinge!

And yes I have written reports and continue to write about issues down route amongst other things! Things have changed in a couple of destinations, if you do it politely, state facts and put forward clear valid points they can't deny knowledge of the issue! Then its up to them to either deal with it or give a reason why they haven't!

[fliion]

As of next week and in preparation for pax ops...ORD hotel changed to a very nice hotel downtown.

I deleted name for security reasons. Check Outstation briefing sheet this week.

Now if they can work on the KLM deadhead class of travel...

f.

[BLOGGSON]

Has anyone ever sent you a reply to any of your reports about hotels or allowances?

[Panther 88]

With all the CSRs I have sent in, the answer is a big fat NO!

[SuckItUp]

Very impressive, Myekppa, but I, and likely everyone also knows about the OM-A paragraph.


My point was to let every one who has enjoyed the flexibility that hotels and I suppose Management have allowed for those of us who take the opportunity to get "home" to see loved ones in the tight time frame that some of our layovers allow, know that Hotel and Airport Managers have recently been sent a Memorandum for hard enforcement of the Allowance on arrival rule.


Important to me, as it is very likely to others. Definitely not the most pressing allowances issue. Definitely related to allowances though. And wouldn't like others to be caught out as I have recently been.


Regards.

[BYMONEK]

mjb777

I think you'll find it shouldn't matter when you pick up the allowances, just so long as you do so within the layover period. Hotels will keep hold of it whilst your room is available. Once you're checked out, you forfeit the allowance. That's from my experience anyway.

[falconeasydriver]

mjb777

I think you'll find it shouldn't matter when you pick up the allowances, just so long as you do so within the layover period. Hotels will keep hold of it whilst your room is available. Once you're checked out, you forfeit the allowance. That's from my experience anyway

Other issues not withstanding, this is exactly my experience. I've found staff at layovers where I stay away from the hotel to be nothing other than helpful and courteous. Good manners and a little humanity goes a long way in getting what you need, I've never personally had an issue collecting allowances at anytime other than the official crew checkin time, and without going into nauseating and self incriminating detail I've had hotel staff help me out of a few "interesting" situations because I help them with their situations where I can.

[SuckItUp]

I have always had the same help from the Hotel Staff as well, until my last layover at my Home Port a very short while ago.


The Hotel Manager showed me the EK Memorandum that the were sent, which was clearly addressed to all Station Managers, and stating that it was to be distributed to all Hotels. I missed out on my Allowances.


Unfortunately the Hotel Manager said that they had had Fight Deck and Cabin Crew yelling at them over it which is the standard "shoot the messenger" approach which is quite embarrassing.


The bottom line is guys, make sure you check with the Hotel staff prior to your next layover where you intend to do this to avoid a possible surprise.

[MG007]

Just back from Syd.
Now down to less than 100$ per day.
Was about 92$ that's it.
Never seen this before.
Just crazy for such an expensive city.

[mini cooper]

MG007 - you said the allowance in SYD has gone down. Thanks for warning us all, now its up to us to write about it!

As I said before unfortunately nothing is going to get done by mentioning it here unless of course YOU wrote something down and sent it in to "management". If you did then well done, if not then you should have done!

To those that say you never get a reply, then keep writing until you do or send a copy to your Fleet Chief Pilot and ask him why you are not getting a reply. Get some backbone and write politely, stating facts and giving examples!

[HamFan]

Wow, it hasn't changed in 11 years. Obviously Sydney has a 0% inflation rate.

Sydney allowances from 2003:

Breakfast: AUD 14.00
Lunch: AUD 24.00
Dinner: AUD 37.00
Night Stop: AUD 15.32

Jakarta in 2006:

Breakfast IDR 57,000
Lunch IDR 89,000
Dinner IDR130,000

Today?

[falconeasydriver]

Simple bit of advice…get your allowance in your hand..after that, its all semantics, FWIW have gone into print on a couple of US destinations with receipts and detailing no food after xx time etc etc….not a word in response, hence my complete lack of faith.

[Emma Royds]

Note that Malta has recently changed and Singapore is about to change any day now.

[gfy]

Why do people quote the OM-A?

Anyone with half a brain would know they change the manuals depending on how much time they spent in the john that morning. How many FCI's this year?

Grow up before quoting the manuals as some kind of benchmark. Constant changes, badly written dross

[Buckshot16]

Falcon, agree with you about the response, as I have experienced, but keep them going in mate, Mini Cooper is spot on, we just need more of us to put forward your "reasoning" for the change.:ok: