boeingdriverx

Hey!

I dont know if you are being ironic, but 350BD is the normal allowance for a married guy, and 250BD for a single...

When you know that an ugly two bedrooms appartment in Juffair (Works always in Progress) is 550BD, you will understand why so many of us are unhappy of this very important allowance !

cheers
bd

gtaflyer

does anyone know what is the action plan to get decent housing in bahrain for new starts. will company support me in my search for housing and how long do i stay in the hotel.

Does GF have any new housing plans for villa type accomodation in the pipeline?

Are there any websites that show new housing schemes in juffair ?

whats the best plan villa or apartment in bahrain, company accomodation or go private and take the allowance and risk getting something cheap? As i will be on the 767 fleet so expecting to spend some of the time in muscat and not bahrain whats best?

gta

PPRuNeUser0199

Check your PM's.

ironbutt57

Find a flat or villa where you would like to live, take the contact details to the housing office at GF and ask them to lease it as "company housing" plan on adding to the rent from your own budget, the housing staff will ask you to sign an authorization to deduct the excess from your salary..they can often get a lower rent rate as they do have a certain amount of bargaining power, particularly in flat rentals..renting a private villa has major ptfalls, including the possibility of the owner not wanting to repair things, not saying this is the norm, but have seen it happen.. a "compound" villa is the way to go..Muscat is as of now still in the rumour pipeline, although no official details are forthcoming...if you are assigned to Muscat base, it is much less headache if the accomodation is company provided in Bahrain I lived "private in Bah and now find it much more streamlined to live in company housing..take the time to look around, avoid estate agents, as they are not too keen to obtain "deals" as they are paid commission based on the rent rate signed in the lease..

gtaflyer

if i choose company housing then what will i get?

Stratosphere6000

gtaflyer please check ur pm...thanks

ironbutt57

The housing dept apparently do have some ongoing leases and vacancies and they will direct you to those accomodations, if you find them to your liking, then the company will arange for you to move in, if you find something else to your liking, then you can get the details from the landlord, and approach the housing dept, and ask them to arrange the lease through the company, or you can take the cash allowances, and complete the formalities yourself..in BAH the standard lease is two years, and you are commited to stay there one year, 3 months payable in advance, after that it is cancllable with the agreed upon notice, if the company requires you to relocate to another base outside Bahrain, they will provide you a letter to present to your landlord, and you can escape your lease in the first year due to the standard "diplomatic clause" in all leases as per Bahrain law..otherwise you are pretty much committed to remaining in your residence for at least one year..if the company arrange a lease for you they will require you to agree to stay there one year...if you take the cash allowanc and go "private" then it's between you and the landlord as to how when or if you can break your lease the first year...I'm not sure what specific types of properties the housing dept has available at the moment, but any flat or villa you choose can be arranged as "company accomodation" if it falls outside of your allowanc you will hav a payroll deduction to cover the extra..if you are able to find accomodation that falls below your allowance..(rare but it can be done), then take the cash allowances, and pocket the difference...best idea is to just approach the housing dept and have a sit down and explore your options with them..they are very helpful and will answer all your questions remember they are busy, so patience is a virtue...remember, pleasant greetings, a handshake..(to male employees) a smile then they will ask how they can help..the "New York" blasting into the office in a hurry and demanding this and that will just slow the procss...

gtaflyer

lots of great info you have given.

reading between the lines then does this mean that there is no such thing as company owned accomodation and all accomodation is through private leasing?

certainly when i attended the interview we were not shown any accomodation types no villa or apartments. the big question i am asking is can i get an apartment or villa for me the wife and kids that is covered completly by the company and i do not have to input any of my own money into it.

i say this because i will have to contribute substantial amount for schooling anyways. consequently i am concerned that i will have to put extra money in for accomodation as well.

gta

In such way that...

Be prepared to deduct Bd500/-- monthly for housing + education, unless you do not mind to leave in a slum.

Dixons Cider

Be prepared to pay from your own pocket to supplement the meagre housing allowance.

As said already, generally the allowance is way below the market rate, with the odd exception...

scanscanscan

I think it is probably best to arrive in Bahrain without your wife and kids in tow....sort the pilot job out first and get fully checked out... get the feel of the place....and then sort the houseing.
I was as a bachelor in GF funded hotel accommodation for nearly three years when I started in 1974.
Then the houseing department was 100% corrupt and to combat this some millions lost later a generous houseing allowance was made available.
I never trusted this allowance to increase at the same pace as the landlords raised the rents and like ironbutt57 stuck to company accommodation when it became available.
When I married I warned my wife ...the houseing department is designed to make ladies cry and men curse....on entering the houseing office we bumped into a weeping Captains wife just leaving...as a result my wife always believes what I say...I always thank the GF houseing department for that!

LDG NO BLUE

On the contract, it says:

"Housing:
The company will provide the Employee with free apartment style accommodation furnished to the company's hard standards. This means that the Employee wil have to provide for himself/herself crockery, cutlery, linen and kitchen utensils. Alternatively the Employee may opt for Housing Allowance BD250.000 (single) - BD350.000 (married) in lieu of Company accommodation. "

I would like to underline the words free and alternatively.

Apparentely, A.M from selection team went to housing department to investigate why the GF pilots complain about the "company's hard standards" and Mr. T took him to nice places only.

- You see habibi? Nice flat! ADSL, nice couches, big bed! Nice kitchen, can cook and have sea view!

For us, the only available places are the ones where you have to fight your way through the saudis exchanging prostitutes on the corridor and the 10 police cars parked outside.

What about Luxury Plaza and Northern Tower? Excellent flats, really good standard. Why don't they put us there and only the FA's?

If GF management would only attack this issue as something serious and to be resolved, I am sure this would reduce pilot resignations.

LNB

Stratosphere6000

Hi ppl

Just want to know whether or not GF provided accommodation is available as the rumours I have been hearing is that GF no longer have any accommodation to provide, leaving you with no option but to find your own and spend a part of your salary from your pocket. If they do have any, is it suitable for a bachelor?

Thanks

Soft Altitude

gtaflyer and Strato 6000, to my knowledge there is no company owned accomodation as such in Bah. Listen to what Ironbutt said.
As far as the allowance is concerned, you will be much better off with so called "company accomodation" at least for the first couple of years, because it's less headache and you won't be needing to disburse a single dime from your pocket to have a decent housing for you and your famillies.
The figures mentioned by LDG no blue are correct ifyou opt to take the money instead of going company accom., because if you go company accom. then your allowance is around 450 BDs. to allow for municipality tax, electricity , water etc etc. At that rate, you will definitely have to add at least 200 BDs if you want a compound villa or flat 15 to 20km from the airport.
I suggest you go to the housing department and talk to the managers, because they will have a decent new flat or a decent refurbished flat to offer you with all the usual facilities within your allocated budget, in Juffair that is.
Happy landing.

wildboar

There is very little company accomodation available. I have gone to the housing dep several times over the last 2 years and been told there isn't anything available. They haven't contacted me when there was something available as they said they would and, I see new guys getting free housing! Meanwhile I get 150bd taken out of my salary each month. Is that free company housing. Another shafting by your No1 skytrax airline......

gtaflyer

from what you say ,does that mean that new start guys will get company accomodation?

if this is so ,how long can you remain in the company digs ?

gta

LDG NO BLUE

Hello!

"if you go company accom. then your allowance is around 450 BDs"
Soft Altitude, can you please explain, because I'm puzzled on this one.

As for new guys getting company accomodation, not true. Some of them are refusing to complement from their pockets to live in a decent place. Housing department says that they don't have find anything according to the allowances (read 250/350).

This week, apparently, the selection team did not took the group of candidates to show the company acc. That's odd...

LNB

Spirit

Good evening, Gentlemen,
I'm a relatively new joiner to GF. I decided to find a flat myself, after hearing (and reading) about all the problems with the company housing. I heard a lot about the poor standards, and so, by paying BD 280 out of my own pocket to supplement the allowance, I get to keep the initiative about where and how I spend my time off.
The reason? Primarily a confusion about what, the "company's hard standard"'s are.
It would be nice, if the allowances rose along the the inflation in rent's, but so far, it could be a lot worse, in my opinion. Agreed: If mr. NN-expat has to pay for a house in his home-country as well, the budgets could be a little stretched, being a self-sponsored houser...but is it Gulf Air's problem, that some people choose to have 2 flats, instead of only the one here in Bahrain??
Anyway: In reading this thread, I think that my 280 BD are very well spent!!!

gtaflyer

that is the point i am trying to make that if company promise to provide accomodation then at least it should be provided to at least a decent standard so that we do not fork out any money from our wages.

gta

LDG NO BLUE

Spirit,

Every month you are spending extra 280 BD that will never ever come back. I do the same, but because I'm forced to, like many, many of us are.
It's not suppose to be like this and when we came, it was told we would get decent, free accomodation.

You could even put this 280 BD into a private pension fund, but how you spend your money it's entirely your biz.

Housing and schooling allowances were maybe enough 7-8 years ago.

LNB