Cathay Roadshow Australia
 

Let me elaborate on this marketing campaign.

Company Culture - Toxic

Career Progression - Slow….like double digits slow.

Training Programs - Comparable to low cost carriers. Min Sim time and sectors. And expected to know everything and recite all operational documents back to front.

Unrivaled (sic) perks - Is this the $50000 HKD Yearly limit Medical benefits with multiple restrictions (that will not get far in HK)?

Or maybe it’s the Amazing condition that if you get injured down route, they will still deduct the cost from your personal medical benefits?

The sub-par education allowance?

…and if you’re recruited with a promise to join the B777 fleet, there’s an above average chance you’ll be switched to the A321 within weeks of joining. It has happened to at least 6 DEFOs in the past 8 months.

I dont know, I will go there to chech what they will tell me...

A few disgruntled QLink or Network pilots might be interested in CX as a stepping stone.

Are they promising bases again? 😂😂😂

This roadshow won’t fix CX’s recruitment dilemma though

A lot of disgruntled Network pilots will be interested. Two days will not be enough. They will be inundated.

They can go from disgruntled to depressed when they join CX.

Not happy with a contract now, how about a handbook….

Out of the frying pan…

I'm an Auzzie who eats shrimp off the barbeeeeee.

Do I use my E3 visa to fly for an American airline where they're arguably paying the most in the aviation industry at the moment.

Or do I go and work for Cathay?

🙄

I think you should go work for Cathay, just think of how much money you’ll lose! Trade in the nice lifestyle in the US for a 600-1000 sq ft apartment, an amendable handbook instead of a contract, no union protection and pollution that’ll make sure you keep your windows and doors closed 90% of the year.

But be warned it’s so competitive that they’re conducting interviews at these roadshows so good luck!

Trying to get an interview with Cathay, or at least, getting an interview with Cathay was like winning the lottery. [ In the old days.]

Now .. they come to you!!! ( think about that, those who are considering.)

Do you know any airline that isn't easier to join today than 20 years ago?

Easier yes, open door interviews - unheard of. Even airlines that run roadshows don’t conduct on the spot interviews.

Would love someone in the roadshow to have the gusto to stand up in the middle of the presentation and ask if they're considering reinstating the salary of at least 2019 which is 40% more than the trash currently on offer. And perhaps a housing allowance that will allow you to afford something semi decent??

Cathay took a great opportunity to deteriorate there conditions and now they facing the music.

Just remember SO's from other parts of the world are coming in with a bare CPL. Our GA pool here in Aus is gold in comparison to what they are generally accepting.

Anyone with the credentials and jet time for a DEFO should be asking for what they're worth and at least matching the contract (plus CPI) from the pre pandemic offers.

And if cathay agreed to it, you accepted, you show up on 1st day, get onboarding started, 2nd day... cathay will inform you that your terms and conditions have now been changed as stated in "the handbook". You're now under adjusted pay and benefits same as everyone else on cos 18. Remember, there's no contract at cathay. There's not even a presence from Cathay to keep their word. It says it in the first paragraph of "the handbook ". Company can change anything at their sole discretion from time to time. This document is not enforceable.

The document is "not enforcable"...but people still foolishly join CX knowing they have no anchor to the terms of their career. It is a fool that ties themselves and their families to such a travesty.

Nice try, gents. But apart from the transparent motives behind it, you are missing the point.

Recruitment is primarily via cadets.
EK program is 180 k USD upfront.

Cadets take 18 months from employment to line check. Qualified pilots don’t need that much time, and CX really needs to plug the holes in the sinking ship quickly

Now I am confused. Sinking or imploding?

The credentials required aren't jet time anymore; it changed at the start of the year.

You now only need to be a current turbo prop pilot working on anything MTOW > 10T and have done 100 sectors in the last 5 years to get a spot as a DEFO.

If you put yourself in the shoes of somebody with less than 1000 hours on a turbo prop who is looking at slow progression in their home country you could see why they might be interested.

The industry isn't what it was pre-covid.

I think the sinking comes first, then the implosion, just like ocean gate

Jayzus, next we'll be asking for 3 circuits in a cessna 150 in the last ten years, and sometimes recognize a turboprop flying overhead........

But we’ve known that ever since 1999 when the A scalers were offered sign or be fired. Reinforced in 2001 when the 49ers were simply fired. Throw in the Adelaide instructors, the disregard of flight attendants contracts or the treatment of the engineers over the years.

But that didn’t stop you joining and rolling the dice gambling that it’d never happen to you. We all knew one day they’d come for us too.
Or did you think you were special?

Didn't think cathay would swallow a suicide pill. Going from one of the most experienced flight crew body if not the most, to truly laughable hiring standards and even with that they still cant find enough pilots to operate at 4 years ago levels. We all knew it would be a disaster for cathay, so didn't think they would cut their own wrist. They did. We were wrong. They sold cos99 so strongly during the interviews. Look at this pay and this benefits... these provisions. This first in last out...
Why would china want to kill the golden goose laying golden eggs (ie hk)? Hk won't change until the 50 year transition is up, long after you retire. Etc etc

They put on quite a show to attract talent. All lies. We all got tricked into thinking it was anything but a weak transitional job. Thats why all the future comers should know what theyre signing up for and act accordingly. If knowing the truth about cathay they still think its worth a try, then by all means. But even back then it took a month for us to realize the core culture of cathay is the culture of the lie. Everything cathay management says mist be considered a lie. Personally I fell in love with hk. So I learned to ignore the toxicity and cathay culture. This led me to decide to pass up opportunities to get back to my home country. I fooled myself and it didn't work out. Hence warning others now. And hk is far less than what it used to be on so many levels, so there goes that.

The point is, cathay is an employer without any credibility or sense of decency or sound business ackumen. If you are desparate enough to work for such a toxic employer, then go for it. At least you won't be stupid enough to walk in thinking it's a long term job.

PW is correct though.You accepted the conditions and history when you joined, the only difference is that you hoped future cuts would only affect new-joiners and they would grandfather your "contract". I know you did because we all did. If you are honest, you also have to admit that recruitment via the cadet scheme has not changed since you joined. STW is 100% correct, cadets will be the primary recruitment channel, and apparently the offer is still good enough. Or maybe not, then they will raise the package, they will adjust it to meet their targets, as you would expect. All the talk about CX imploding or sinking is not believable coming from you, after all you are still here. You just must see this makes you untrustworthy. You evaluated your options and CX is still the best one. Why you can't accept or understand the exact same calculation is behind newjoiners decision to sign up is beyond me. You obviously try to "warn" others because you want to reduce numbers of recruits, you hope CX will be forced to pay more to you as result. However, nobody reading your posts doesn't see you motives, you are wasting your energy in my opinion. The macro situation will decide anyway, which you can't manipulate. It's a fool's game you are playing.

Klinger.

Like most of us, VforVendetta left Cathay a long time ago.
He’s trying warn others to “…not make the mistake I made.”
And he’s 100% right.

BTW a cadet only hiring policy is a fool’s errand…just like most of the misguided policy initiatives made by Cathay management.

He did not leave.

Spoke to a guy at an airshow recently who's son has been accepted for the cadet course. "Is that in Adelaide?", I asked. No probably not. They do 9 months in Hong Kong for ground school as it has been taken in-house. Then most likely to the USA for the training, and back to HK for the jet conversion. During that 9 months they do not get paid, and have no housing allowance, which is why the son is moving back in with his parents in HK. And the housing allowance will be withheld for some years on course completion to "pay back" for the training.

Knowing the professionalism of both Perth (UK) and Adelaide and the product that came out of them I cannot see that this is anything but a penny pinching way to get a second officer at minimal cost. I doubt CX will pay for a proper course at Embry-Riddle or one of the very competent US universities that provide complete CPL courses.

Continually stretching for that poison dollar...

Imagine living in HK on an SO wage without a pilot allowance……. Roach infested cage apartments anyone?

The poor guy. Forced on a cadet course. Heartbreaking.

I know, cry me a river

He/She can always fly a 40 year old C206 in the Territory, ideally overloaded with passengers and their BO

What is truly being offered as an enticement to work for Cx? Shiny jets is it? Being the premium Airline they once were is a good enough draw card so management says. What is guaranteed? No roster requests. Therefore no family and friends time = no lifestyle. From observation, whatever is requested is never ever received. To-the-point, if you ask for days off at the beginning of the month to attend a birthday function, you get those days off at the end of the month, therefore no longer able to attend the function. The rosters are built so tightly roster swaps are impossible. There's a FB group for roster swaps and 10 seconds after roster publication the group lights up with roster swap requests. The only way to build your lifestyle is sick days. If you take too many of these an invitation is sent for a meeting.

If lifestyle is not a concern and you never want to be with those people important in your life on special occasions then join Cathay,

The salary on offer living in HK is possibly sufficient for a single person with other income avenues or with no entertainment expenses. No future planning. Not sufficient for a family. Housing allowance is not even close to giving you a comfortable apartment without putting your hand in your pocket.

Personally, the best result for the Australian leg is no one shows up.

It will become a stepping stone. The rosters look awful. As you said, no request system to speak of. Every captain is a training captain in real terms. Not the same place it was 4 years ago.

Just wondering if anyone without prior flying experience is intending to go for the roadshow?
Or is it something you have to apply and see if you are 'invited' for it instead?

I left cathay 2 years ago.

Which country were you originally from?
Did you join as a cadet?

No contract , only a handbook that can change on a whim. No stability for pay , 50% productivity based pay which means that the months that you work low hours , it will be difficult to make ends meet. Told you’ll be operating long haul at the interview only to be shoved on a narrow body when you get to HK. 3 year bond means you will be missing opportunities in other parts of the world that pay better and have union protections unlike in HK.
Affording a place bigger than 400 sqft will be difficult on that pay but if you are young and single … and don’t hope of starting a family anytime soon , it’s ok.
Finally , HK as a city is struggling to get back to where it was. The local economy is in tatters after Covid and establishments are shutting down every week due to poor demand.
The pay structure in cathay is not fixed and they can change it whenever they want….

come at your own risk.

Anyone got invited to attend the roadshow on 27 April for the morning session?

Cathay Pilot RoadShow
 

Guys,

(About the SO position.)
It seems you’re all missing many points…
This kind of opportunity is not for people who wants to go there with their family, or people with thousands of flight hours and so on.
This kind of job is perfect for low-timers, you go to HK working for them 3 years and you got your 1500 flights hours, type rating, and came come back to work in a major in Europe. In the meantime many people will continue to go on many assessments in Europe without success, a loss of time and money.
That’s why they have a lot of candidates.
By the way, it’s not because you apply to be at the pilot roadshow that they will call you. They select.

But I assume that a lot of people talking about this subject already have nice job's and stuff.
If you’re low-timer and looking for a pilot position the chances are very low. In all the major 3000 candidates for 50 pilots recruited. And it’s not better in the private sector. And not everybody can afford a 35000€ type rating…

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7b84f5fc5.jpeg
Perth was a roaring success

180K equivalent AUD for a DEFO wide body, yea nah.... same gig in Aus is paying close to double that without living in an expensive city like Honkers. These guys are mad if they see themselves as competitive.