From the Pax perspective...
 

Does anyone know when/whether CR Airways is going to become a proper scheduled airline rather than a charter operation? I ask because my girlfriend and I have started to use them recently to fly to Clark (near her hometown) but we are becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact that the schedule is effectively "at some point in the 12 hours following xx:xx pm"; there is no attempt to contact passengers to inform them of delays (despite there being only 10-40 passengers on each flight); and there is no recompense for hanging around for hours at HKG or CRK. We tried using the HKIA website and tracking estimated departure times that way, but almost came unstuck at CRK when they closed the check-in and immigration started to pack up to go home 45 mins before the originally scheduled departure time even though at that point the plane hadn't even arrived in HKG from its previous sector, never mind got on its way to Clark.

The benefits of not having to get to and through the zoo that is NAIA are significant, but at least with CX there is some reliability to the schedule, better lounges (particularly at HKG where CR has none) and some recompense if things go badly wrong.

Cost-wise there's not much in it. Timewise in the rare event that CR is close to its schedule then obviously that is quicker, but on average the hanging around for the plane to turn up more or less matches the time taken from Pampanga to NAIA...

Is it going to get any better?

There is currently an IFALPA recruitment ban on the 747-400, as the Dragonair Pilots Association is sorting out the workings with the company.

Please give the guys some time to sort things out before joining.

I think this is a golden opportunity for those who want to progress their aviation career with a major airline like KA on the -400. If you are a struggling GA pilot wanting to get a break or get their foot in the door, what do you got to lose. Certainly the pay is much much better then what you are on now. Yes, I understand and I do agree one has to protect their earning capacity and not allow it to be degraded. However (from a GA pilot point of view) if you are offered a chance to fly the big jet would you consider not to join and miss this opporturnity for a career progression.

If you join are you going to be black listed by the IFALPA? In my opinion I think it is unfair to those who want to progress their career.

Fabulous example of self-serving rational ROO.....simply fabulous. We need more pilots like you in the profession.....will do us all a world of good. :yuk:

R,

All you want is to protect yourself doesn't give stuff about others who worked their ass off to survive in GA and aspired to continue to progress their career. However I don't blame you at all. It is in all of us primal animal instrint - self preservation. Yes, you might have made it to the top. Take a moment and think back hard to those days when you're in GA before you made it to the top. Simply it is a free floating market (supply and demand) if you don't like it don't apply. I worked damn hard to struggling to survive in GA and I want a return to my investment (time and money). Don't tell me you have not experienced it unless you are one of the lucky one who started at the top through cadetship or etc.

Roo,
If you want a return on your investment then don’t think that you will get it on the KA 400, unfortunately It just doesn’t add up....

JY

Wheres Hickory Stick these days? I found a complete set of CR Airways Pilot uniforms shoved in a bin in Tung Chung the other day....hope it was not yours!

Nope, returned mine through proper channels. Hey can you get M.W to PM me? I seem to have lost a bunch of contacts in the move.

Cheers

Amazing how much the Colombians know in Fenwick's isn't it?!?! ;-) I personally only go there for the band... (is there a band?!?!!??!)

Cheers

PS. Just leave your business cards at home when you go there....