DEFO Interview
 

Hi,

Anyone able to share some recent interview feedback with Cathay ?

q1: do you have a pulse?
q2: can you warm a seat?
q3: welcome to Cathay Pacific.

I don’t want to discourage you from taking the job, but I think you might need a bit of a reality check.

Yes, CX is an excellent gateway to get experience in wide body jets but is it really worth the crap they throw at you? If you have been following this forum, I’ll summarise what you should expect for you and your family:

Pay - Enough to Survive but not enough to enjoy life and take holidays. After paying taxes, school fees, groceries, utilities etc…. You will not be saving any money

Taxes - You’ll have to save to pay the IRD approximately 15% of your total income, this includes approx 15% of the school allowance and pilot allowance.

Schooling - Apart from the initial $5,000 per month, per child. If the schooling is more (which is guaranteed) they’ll happily give you another $3300 per month, provided you furnish a receipt and be paid in arrears. Oh, and that is taxed as well. Expect school fees to run you about $12,000 per month.

Accommodation - Welcome to Lantau Island! For what an FO1 can afford, You can live in a cockroach infested 700 sqft apartment (rooms no bigger that a jail cell) with a !!!!ty landlord that doesn’t fix anything and wants you, at the end of your lease to return the apartment in better condition than when you took possession. The silver lining is, you can choose one of 3 location, Discovery Bay, Tung Chung or South Lantau.

Medical - Apart from the abysmal private coverage (very low limits) and the conditions that come with it (I.e no private hospital coverage between 6am-6pm), you will have no option but to attend a public hospital, which, have a habit of mis-diagnosis.

Did you fall and fracture a finger while at an outport on duty? The company will cover your medical costs. But they will deduct the “hypothetical” cost from your already low private medical coverage in HK. Yes they will use your medical in HK to recoup some of their expenses.

this is accurate. The terms have eroded so far from what they were that you have to be desperate to take this job. Once the novelty wears off of working for what once was an amazing legacy airline … reality sets in and bites hard. COS18 is a single persons contract … if you plan coming with a family ( or a wife that doesn’t work) , you’ll find it very hard to manage. The SO’s are the worst off … been sitting around 6 years with nowhere else to go.. and pushed back further with desperate DEFO’s joining.

I get the frustration and annoyance that the salary got drastically reduced,

but :

- where are you guys coming from complaining about paying taxes ? And 15% is relatively low worldwide

- Where are you going on holidays ? 5 stars palace in Bali ?

- How old are you to have your partner idling at home ? In 2023 it’s kinda normal that both have steady job

- You can’t complain about paying tax and getting a limited medical coverage otherwise France is the exemple to follow with 40% tax rate

Bear in mind that you'll have to pay double that for the first year, because you will be charged tax on the amount you have earned, plus the same again in provisional tax for the following year. And there's no PAYG tax, so you need to put some aside each month to pay for the tax bill when it eventually arrives. If you don't have enough to pay the bill, you'll need to arrange a tax loan from one of the banks.

Public finance bank calls me all the time if I need money? So getting a loan is really easy. Come on over. The more the merrier!

15% is low comparatively to other states, but that is usually offset by the cost of living in HK. For example a 3 bedroom 700sq ft apartment will set you back about $3000USD, the short fall in education as well is about $500 USD per month per child. And this is for an average international school. Also, you’ll need to cover extra curricular activities for the kids.

Partners - Unless they are specialised in a certain skill set (teacher, the medical field, CPA, finance etc) they will struggle to find employment in HK, as most jobs now require you to fluent in Mandarin/Canto.

Company provided medical coverage is very low with multiple caveats and Medical costs in HK are astronomical. The public system, as I said, often mis-diagnose symptoms so chances are a person is not getting proper treatment, you will NEED extra coverage for a family of four, that’ll run you about $250 USD a month to get adequate cover.

The take home pay is $9000 USD gross for a FO1, so let’s do the maths for a family of four.

Tax* - $1350 USD per month
*Company currently paying a crew’s US tax if you operate in US airspace but they can change this policy at anytime, and they will require you to pay your own US taxes

Accommodation - $3000 USD per month

Utilities- $300 USD per month

Groceries- $1500 USD a month (and that is on the low end)

Transport - $100 USD a month

Medical coverage - $250 USD a month

Schooling - $1000 USD a month

School Bus - $160 per child per month

Extra Curricular - $700 per month (2 activities per child).

Total: $8520 USD

Total savings is: $480 USD per month

This is not an exaggeration of the costs. It’s the reality of living in HK

Maybe if you save for a year without any unexpected expenses, you might have enough money to holiday somewhere like Japan for 5 nights.

There is a website that compares the cost of living in France to HK.

Here is a summary from a website that compares living expenses:

”Consumer Prices in Hong Kong are 1.3% lower than in Paris(without rent)
Consumer Prices Including Rent in Hong Kong are 16.5%higher than in Paris
Rent Prices in Hong Kong are 50.7% higher than in Paris
Restaurant Prices in Hong Kong are 24.3% lower than in Paris
Groceries Prices in Hong Kong are 7.2% higher than in Paris”

Assuming you meet both airlines’ criteria; anyone who chooses CX over EK, frankly, needs to have their medical revoked.

HES1998
Do not listen too much what people are saying on here. I mean, yes, do read, but also do your homework and own research.
I loved my time in HK and with CX. I moved on a while ago now, but gosh, had I read what people were saying 12 years ago, I would have never joined, and made a big mistake. Granted, the flying is not the most exciting (I hope you do not mind losing a few nights sleep every month starring at a dark windscreen). Taxes are low. Full stop. Yes, it is high compared to... the sand box. wow, great comparison! :rolleyes: Some people really need a reality check and see what happens elsewhere. Education is expensive, but the company will help you out. You will be making a lot of money with CX, and if you are not the biggest spender in town and you have a tad of wisdom (which I would expect since you are in this field of work), you will be saving quite a bit too. HK is a vibrant city. True, it has changed, but what has not? Live your life, enjoy the ride.

Hmmmmm… If working under cos18 was as good as you like to put it, we would not have lost 000’s of pilots. Go speak to the most frugal of spenders, they couldn’t save as well and moved on.

Yes, but do you move to another mans country to just keep your head above water? We used to join cx to get ahead.

Can someone please post the salary of a Delta wide-body captain?

No point as anyone joining CX right now wouldn’t have the right to employment in the US, otherwise that’s where they’d be.

About $450 k. Upwards of $750 k possible

Not worth it but then depends on the options available. Defo not a career airline anymore. I made a bit of money on cos 08 as an FO, not anymore and it is a fact. Your wife must work and must have a decent job in a western environment or she will be working like a slave 7 days leave per year. For minimum pay. HK is one of the most expensive city in the world so that 9000 US are not the same 9000 US as in Texas.

When was ‘a while ago now’? Is it the 80’s or the 90’s you are waxing lyrical about.

Lowball? Cabin crew earn half of this per month.

Your wife could potentially earn this much per month, but her Onlyfans would need a steady and established following prior to coming to HK. I wouldn't rely on trying to 'build her subscription base' after you get here or you will just go backwards.

I believe we used to have an SO that was well versed in the adult industry. Too bad he isn’t around anymore as he would have been able to give out some pointers.

Backupnav, the company (Cathay Pacific) you worked for no longer exists and your post is irrelevant to the new company (Cathay). The managers have changed more than just the name. COS18 forced a 40 - 60% pay cut on us. We no longer have a contract, everything is company policy. Seniority doesn't exist. We have gone from 4000 to 2400 pilots - for good reason, and its not due to covid.

not a bad monthly wage.

Tax is 17% now

Sabrina; in 1978 I was asked if I played Badminton. Later,(1985) I was asked why the Centre of Pressure moved as angle of attack changed and why ( I failed). Later,(1994),I was asked about EPR engines how to increase the RTOW ( I failed. Later told by CX Vets that reducing EPR resulted in higher RTOW-/- Still don't get it.

Later, I found out why I would never get into CX and stopped trying.

Latest questions you pose look very straightforward.

Relevant to the subject
 

Since this conversation is drifting again in the direction where it is not suppose to, let me ask if anyone of you can recommend LPJ for an online psychometric test? If there is anyone who is willing to sell membership I am willing to buy it. Any other advices relevant to subject are highly appreciated.

"how to pass your Cathay Interview by captain X,Y and Z" had that answer about the EPR. Can't remember now haha

It appears that you have a problem with English comprehension. That wasn't what I asked.

It appears you also lack said English comprehension as you’re asking for Delta pay rates on a thread about a CX DEFO interview.

You know, glass houses and all…

27 replies and nothing about the topic. Can anyone actually post something regarding the interview?

I'm pretty sure the first reply covered it. If you don't feel it's going well, drop at alphabet club card. Suspect that trumps everything. Good luck.

feel like a spoon feeding? If so you'll be one of the ones that can't hack training. Never heard of LPJ? maybe go there.

Oasis; Thanks. I'll try to get hold of the book because the notion disturbs me to date . Even tried reducing power in m y Beemur to get full load up to the picnic area. Didn't work. Two walked and a few kids were furious.

For those missing the point about thread drift. That is the point.CX i,very sadly, no longer the airline of choice for professional pilots and was exceptionally difficult to get into. The thread drift is, amusingly, demonstrating that it is no big deal anymore.

Also, What is the point in prepping for selection interviews/tests ? If you have read the book about how to pass the interview, practiced likely scenarios in a sim hired jointly by others others (loads did that !), got all the answers to the dreaded "Tech Quiz" and practiced over at least ten of them, you are demonstrating excellent desire but Selection teams prefer unrehearsed candidates. It gives a better picture of likely success.

Having served on Selection Boards, we were all unimpressed with those, clearly practiced or had the answers. During my schooling, it was called cheating.

If you really are what they want and they are really what you want, you will probably get in.

Yes, I asked the question and it was intentional. Potential applicants from the US may not be aware of the differences in remuneration. Hence I asked.

If you are an American working for a major in the US, I am happy for you. Let's hope you guys can set the standards for the rest of the world.

Gordomac, if you are Vmcg limited then derating thrust can allow a lower Vmcg, a lower V1, and a higher RTOW. Doesn't work with your Beemur as that doesn't have to still get up the hill with an engine failure.

BEkol; Thanks. Drifting off a bit but thought I would express thanks. Taken 20 years for someone to explain so succinctly. Where were you when we needed real "Trainers" ?

That’s USD per annum. CX wide body captains are lucky to make a fraction of that

Friends sons last months paycheck as a CRJ captain at a US Regional was $143000 hkd. Training Captains can earn $230000 hkd month. CRJ.

Magenta, unsure from your post if you're referring to salaries at CX, or in the US. In case it's the US:

None of the majors require 401(k) deductions - it's straight direct contribution (by the company), typically 16%. Kinda like the old 15.5% Cathay DC.

Federal Income Tax is around 24%. State income tax varies by state. Mine is zero.

About 60% of pilots in my airline commute. ID travel/jumpseats are free. Including on other airlines. Very doable.

However, you’ll have an actual CONTRACT. Not a flimsy handbook that contain the words “ from Time to time”, “at the Company’s discretion”.

Because of this “contract”, people cannot obtain loans for crazy things like a mortgage. The banks are not stupid, they know that pilots that work for CX can have a reduction in remuneration at a moments notice without repercussion.

simply put, working at Cathay Pacific Airways is simply a job, NOT a career

What commuting are you referring to? If within the US, then it’ll be probably easy

Hi guys,

I sent my application to CX about 2 months ago and got an email for flight hours the last month and replied to that. Can anyone give me some idea about the recruitment timeline and assessment?