Current Info on CX post-covid

[Smallworld]

Hi All,

I fully understand condition is not what it once was but due to other personal reason a relocation to Asia is required.

Trying to find out information regarding to the current roster, pay(#of hour expected to fly a month), and upgrade timeline for a DEFO.

Heard senority is no longer important for upgrade, lots of spots that need to be back filled due to the exitous, and the process is no longer as punishing as it once was.

And info on CX, HKE, HKA, GreaterBay regarding roster, pay, and upgrade timeline would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[KABOY]

Originally Posted by Smallworld

Hi All,

I fully understand condition is not what it once was but due to other personal reason a relocation to Asia is required.

Trying to find out information regarding to the current roster, pay(#of hour expected to fly a month), and upgrade timeline for a DEFO.

Heard senority is no longer important for upgrade, lots of spots that need to be back filled due to the exitous, and the process is no longer as punishing as it once was.

And info on CX, HKE, HKA, GreaterBay regarding roster, pay, and upgrade timeline would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Go to HK and get the job, it’s that simple.

No need to BS about need to go, the decision is made.

Take whatever crap offer is on offer, the punishing is not over and people like you are the reason why….and you come here for what reason?

I like guys like you, it’s the reason we still have pprune, the generation XYZ. This is the generation that shall see pilots forever live in poverty as they cannot weigh up self worth outside the industry.

[Rie]

Originally Posted by Smallworld

Hi All,

I fully understand condition is not what it once was but due to other personal reason a relocation to Asia is required.

Trying to find out information regarding to the current roster, pay(#of hour expected to fly a month), and upgrade timeline for a DEFO.

Heard senority is no longer important for upgrade, lots of spots that need to be back filled due to the exitous, and the process is no longer as punishing as it once was.

And info on CX, HKE, HKA, GreaterBay regarding roster, pay, and upgrade timeline would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Upgrade timeline simplified. Get in and the more you ask the quicker you’ll get it. Suck up to the right people and service them and I heard it’s before the end of your line training. If they don’t like you it’ll be 11-13 years plus, I guess most of us aren’t liked.

Pay wise: POS18, HKEunlivable23, gba. In that order. You won’t be paid well like pre pandemic times. better off in the desert or get that visa to America.
Current delta 767 command is 4 months.

[PPRuNeUser0163]

Originally Posted by Rie

Upgrade timeline simplified. Get in and the more you ask the quicker you’ll get it. Suck up to the right people and service them and I heard it’s before the end of your line training. If they don’t like you it’ll be 11-13 years plus, I guess most of us aren’t liked.

Pay wise: POS18, HKEunlivable23, gba. In that order. You won’t be paid well like pre pandemic times. better off in the desert or get that visa to America.
Current delta 767 command is 4 months.

Zero seniority, a constantly changing COS with variable monthly flying hours and pay, an ever growing Chinese presence on the way of life in HK, just a few diabolical reasons not to go.
11-13 years is a very optimistic estimate- likely to be much longer considering an FO upgrade even is 6-7.

[Gaisha]

the salary on FO1 pay scale is only good for a single person. FO2 only after 4-5 years. Many options in the States and Middle East. If you’re under 30 with another 35 years to go … by all means give HK a go…. If you have experience and close to command in your home country … don’t bother coming, You’ll be bottom of the pile and you’ll be looking at least 10 years to command in a city that has lost its sparkle.

[FUPM102]

With their new contracts and contract-extentions, US major carriers Delta, Jetblue, United etc. are making nearly $400 an hour flying NARROWBODY. Not to mention 18% 401K contribution and amazing work rules. Why would you come here to HK? Go get that work visa!

[ZootBoot]

FO1 take home pay is around $60K-$70 HKD per month before tax. Do not expect to earn any significant extra flying hours as this is inconsistent and the roster is not stable. If you have a family, or want to have a family, expect your monthly rent to be 40%- 50% of your monthly salary. Schools fee's at most international schools are around $185K -$250 per year, per child (not including extra curricular). Cost of living is quite high, but its on par with other expensive cities. Public transport is cheap and you don't really need a car in most areas. If you do need a car, its expensive. Your spouse or partner will need to work and if you have a family, you will need a domestic helper unless you have family in town to help.

If you are young and don't have (or want) kids; or you do have kids but don't have a brain then its worth a go if there is literally nothing else.

A lot of people have left Cathay because they could no longer afford it, but there are those who have soldiered on and have been able to stay on this poor contract by supplementing their income with Uber driving, doing Deliveroo or starting an OnlyFans.

[Smallworld]

Thanks

Thank you all for the info.

Just curious about if the option of having a ultra compact roster is still offered.
​​​​​
​​​​​​Seems like the consensus is that upgrade is 10+ years. Coming in as a DEFO still would mean needing to wait in senority for all the SO above to upgrade before one is able to bid for the command course.

Does anyone know if the pilot pool has stabilized since the reopening, or are they still bleeding more pilots then they recruit fast enough. Which may affect the timeline further down the road.

And does anyone have HKE info on upgrade timeline? If one is willing to make a parallel move?

​​​​​​​Thanks

[swh]

Rosters are great, only 55 logbook hours over 22 days (and get this, only have to spend 175 hours at work to do that !!!, it is SOOOOOO good), it is very posh, new shiny jets, big airports, fancy uniform.

Dont worry about the pay, after 23 years (not 2 to 3), you will actually make enough to save maybe HKD$1000 a week, that is MASSIVE.

There have been a spate of recent failures, YouTube how to stretch your hamstring muscles a number of new recruits were unable to bend over and touch their toes and say goodbye.

[OneBarWonder]

Don’t do it

I relocated to the US about a year ago and didn’t realise how truly awful CX/HKG was until I left.

The people here are so damn nice and I’ll be making more than a CX captain on second year FO pay.

[Smallworld]

Originally Posted by OneBarWonder

I relocated to the US about a year ago and didn’t realise how truly awful CX/HKG was until I left.

The people here are so damn nice and I’ll be making more than a CX captain on second year FO pay.

We all know the US market is the place to be the next decade. But not everyone has the right to work there!

Places like Asia n the sandbox don't need right to work for one to work there.

[controlledrest]

Originally Posted by Smallworld

Thank you all for the info.

Just curious about if the option of having a ultra compact roster is still offered. No. Also remember don't believe anything the company tells you. They might say you can commute, that we have the latest rostering system letting you control your life, but it is all bull****. They cherry pick what suits them. Our rostering system is broken, everything is done to suit the company.

We don't have an employment contract. Everything is company policy, which they can alter without notice whenever it suits them. The main reason all the bases were closed is that COS18 wouldn't be remotely legal anywhere but HKG.

​
​​​​​​Seems like the consensus is that upgrade is 10+ years. Coming in as a DEFO still would mean needing to wait in senority for all the SO above to upgrade before one is able to bid for the command course. In the past the company has chosen not to evaluate the SOs, so they weren't eligible for upgrade, thus enabling direct entry FOs in front of them. Some very experienced SOs were shafted yet again.

Does anyone know if the pilot pool has stabilized since the reopening, or are they still bleeding more pilots then they recruit fast enough. Which may affect the timeline further down the road. I'm still moving up the list at a good rate, the bleeding hasn't stopped.

And does anyone have HKE info on upgrade timeline? If one is willing to make a parallel move?

​​​​​​​Thanks

It is impossible for an outsider to understand just how toxic CX is as a company.

[Busbuoy]

Originally Posted by controlledrest

It is impossible for an outsider to understand just how toxic CX is as a company.

Some insiders don't seem to understand it either.

[SOPS]

Cathay…..30 years ago it was a pilots dream to get a job with them. What the fxxxk has happened?

[ZootBoot]

Originally Posted by controlledrest

We don't have an employment contract. Everything is company policy, which they can alter without notice whenever it suits them. The main reason all the bases were closed is that COS18 wouldn't be remotely legal anywhere but HKG.

This is the biggest issue for anyone coming here and the main reason many of us are queuing up at other opportunities.

2023 saw a pay cut to the conditions of 2022. It is well documented on this forum that COS18 cost people a reduction in earnings of anywhere from 30-60%, depending on their existing contract pre-COVID. Since COS18 was forced upon me, I personally have had a reduction in salary each subsequent year due to the policies. There is zero financial security. Base salary may go up, but productivity goes up further resulting in a net loss overall.

Not to mention the financial penalty of calling in sick, which actually encourages people to take risk in order to pay their rent or feed their family. There is also a financial penalty for being a good pilot. If you are efficient at work getting shortcuts, better levels etc you are rewarded with less pay.

Requests are luck of the draw. I have no idea how the system actually works as it does not do anything like advertised. Even when you get something you asked for, the roster changes and you lose it.

[controlledrest]

Originally Posted by Fac6

Yet, from the looks you're still there? Another one putting others off whilst you stay. I bet you have a thousand reasons why you can't leave :-)

No ********, only one. At the moment due to my passport and conditions in my home country CX is the best job I can currently get, but I am actively working on my exit.

[MENELAUS]

Originally Posted by controlledrest

No ********, only one. At the moment due to my passport and conditions in my home country CX is the best job I can currently get, but I am actively working on my exit.

Marry a septic. Or a kiwi.

[Babyjet_dododo]

Not one lie has been said about COS18 and rostering on this thread!

Pre-covid, a person was able to to do back to back long hauls and is able to swing 8- 10 days off afterwards, now min days off with multiple EXB down route and NB days. Obviously all legal according to the company.

Leave will be used as recovery days too, so good luck trying to take a holiday and recover at the same time.

In saying all the above I implore you to join! Why? Because we need as many pilots as possible to help this s**thole of a company take some burden off other crew.

[Smallworld]

So if CX is so short of crew, then shouldn't everyone be working to their max? 80h+? ​​​​How come there ar people still making minimum guarantee 50h?

How inefficient is the scheduling at CX?

And is there any choice of fleet? If not when at the hiring /gs process do you find out which fleet?

[NewLow]

Choose your fleet any time.

Everyone is flying 80+ hours or minimum hours if you want to commute or travel.

New hosing allowance is great; live in a great place anywhere in the city.

Education and medical allowance are both great too. Your children will grow up healthy and educated.

Come join us, we are the envy of the aviation industry. Pilots and foreigners are made very welcome in Asia’s world city.