Fair enough.
Just not sure about those three years…..
Also they are not entirely stupid and just hiring locals that won’t go anywhere.

The potential new joiner sitting on the left wearing a mask will fit right in 😂

I would love to see that slide of general living costs in Hong Kong. Highly doubt it’ll be accurate.

I can tell you that their bond is 3 years.
And even if you want to leave before you can, you just need to pay, like in almost every airline.

And of course they hire not only locals, that’s why they conduct roadshows all over the world.

A roadshow where they are required to provide it because of the woeful renumeration sums up the Barnum show.

Looks like crap, smells like crap, must be crap........no amount of sugar coating it.

I don't know where u got that figure from, but it's more like 260k AUD and keep in mind ur going straight in to widebody. How many years u gonna spend in Qantas before u r qualified to be sitting in the right hand seat of a 787?

FO1 salary 897,889 hkd, that not inclusive of the 20k housing allowance that won't get something that's super great.. so go plug that into current exchange rate.... It squares to 175,725.41 Aus dollars. Qantas taking direct into the 737 on 200+ AUD. Virgin FO EBA that's about to be voted down is offering 179... Not inclusive of allowances... That's to live in Aus with a house bigger than a shoebox... Cathay is far from Competitive.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....211f235c47.png

Yep, I understand what u trynna say, but how much tax u paying+Medicare in AUS and put everything aside, not everyone wants to spend their whole career in a 737, widebody p2/command hours r in another level, correct me if I'm wrong

hahahahah very accurate.
The fact cathay cabin crew are still wearing those things is depressing. A smile every now and then from your colleagues would be nice

When I look at the aircrew list I see 90% of the new joiners are locals joining as SO.
There are a few desperate DEFO that don’t have better options in their part of the world.
CX has also signed a loa with two major aviation college in China. The trend is obvious.

Living costs (all in HKD)
Accommodation: $360,000
Tax @ 15%: 165,000
Utilities: $30,000
Medical insurance (yes you will need it) family of 4: $25,000
Transport (taxi/PT/Uber): $12,000
Groceries: $100,000
Out of pocket allowances for education (ESF): $90,000
Extra curricular for the kids: $24,000
Aviation medical: $2500

Just a smidge under $810k.

A saving of $290k per year, I haven’t taken into account other expenses like: Restaurants, take-away, domestic helper, holidays, Annual theme park tickets etc…. This is the minimum spend to have a semi-normal life.

And ideas on what they ask in the first 30 minute team meetings for a DEFO?

I like the word 'target annual salary' another handbook masterpiece.

What this is is a number they will inflate as much as possible on the back of the basic salary and the monthly productivity pay. The monthly productivity pay relies on you doing more than the minimum which is not a fixed number thanks to the handbook. Take any type of leave and your salary takes a hit.

If everyone starts doing big numbers, the minimum changes under the handbook. What you see with that number is a 'best case', the handbook is a masterful document that allows CX to balance their salaries across the pilot group, so real world inflation cannot creep in and start to increase their cost base.

CX are ramping up the 321 ops, so don't be looking through those widebody glasses too hard. The joy of flying narrow bodies in China under this handbook makes a back seat job in any airline outside of China 'truly glorious' in the words of a wise Chinaman.

Chinese airlines offer a king's ransom to fly domestically, CX offers a joker's handbook.

Your numbers seem high and slightly arbitrary, but for the sake of the argument:

Can you give a similar example of a different airline with a more favorable result ? (except major US)

Hard to be fair and make a balanced budget, rent could be way higher (living in a nicer area), or way lower (Tung Chung or New Territories apartment for one). Car? My additional insurance for a family of three (outpatient excluded) is over 40k… maybe I’m getting shafted. :}

That said as KAboy points out, the remuneration side of the equation is also debatable as those are “target” salaries, ie including productivity pay over which you have zero control. Cancellation, roster change, AOGs, another downturn (God forbid!) or even just get sick and your pay plummets. In addition, the extra hours you need to fly to achieve that target will change at their discretion.

For sure on the 747 they’re nowhere near those target numbers, nor are they on the 321, and these are the fleets you will likely be assigned to. Having said that they’ve thrown a couple bonuses/profit shares our way recently.

What would really help is a higher ratio of fixed to variable salary, to give both new joiners and existing crew some financial certainty. Right now it’s a lottery.

Great to see an ex-Dragonair pilot and ex-DPA member hard selling Cathay. Obviously thought his mates well treated.

Please advise what in my calculations seem high? What I calculated is the costs of living in DB with 2 kids. I would love to see your numbers…. I’m waiting with bated breath.

Unfortunately, I do not have experience in living and working in the US, so I can’t speak from experience.

I was interested if you can offer a more favorable equation at an alternative airline. Entry level pay, 2 kids, minus rent, education, activities, transport, tax, food etc. I don't think you can save more elsewhere, so just curious.

My insurance is with Axa and cost about 13 k for the family. A 3 bed in DB is about 24k at the moment, I almost never really need a taxi, my medical cost less than 1000 and my kids normally just play with other kids, for free. I think you would be surprised how expensive life actually is elsewhere, child care, private car, housing, energy. But please bring it on.

How many sq.ft?

1000/ 900 net sq feet. With a pool and sea view.

https://www.midland.com.hk/en/transaction/New-Territories-Discovery-Bay-Discovery-Bay-I20240303553

Gnadenburg,

I am not selling CX. I am just saying a lot of people have no better alternatives. And you are right,the handling of Dragon was appaling.