Emirates... or not?
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Emirates... or not?
All comments welcome, I'm a captain with about 7000hrs operating for a LFC in europe, with an offer to join Emirates. Is it worth the jump back to the right seat or not.
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Freespeed,
All depends how long you are prepared to wait for the LHS again.
Joining now you will have to do the min 3 years (on todays plan) plus any longer depending on further expansion. Some think that those joining now will have to wait about 5 years but it's anyones guess.
Just my humble opinion.
Good luck.
H-D
All depends how long you are prepared to wait for the LHS again.
Joining now you will have to do the min 3 years (on todays plan) plus any longer depending on further expansion. Some think that those joining now will have to wait about 5 years but it's anyones guess.
Just my humble opinion.
Good luck.
H-D
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Thanks for that H-D, how about the rest of the terms and conditions? how is the morale? I know that no company is perfect but in general are most people happy? Something I'll have to get used to is time away from base, do days off compensate for this?
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This will not be a balanced opinion, just mine:
I had similar hours to you and left a good airline to come to EK.
If I knew then what I know now I would have never had come anywhere near the place. I was guilty of seeing what I wanted to see and not what was actually there, fuelled by the slick PR & recruitment process.
Since I've joined the T & Cs have been changed to the detriment of F/Os in favour of DECs: they can do anything without the threat of recourse. The training system is a mess. Pay has stood virtually still while the $s slide has meant a net drop in pay of nearly 25%...despite what they call 'exchange rate protection' which doesn't come close to protecting the shortfall. We fly more hours (majority at night) and are away from base longer (allowances are poor and are calculated with discounts provided from hotels taken out before you get them).
Professional satisfaction has been replaced with professional frustration as there is little or no respect or trust between the management and flight deck crews which in turn has led to very low morale generally.
With your hours and experience I would personally suggest that if you are intent on coming to the region you consider Etihad. They are the start-up 'national carrier' and have billions behind them backed by the UAEs President. You would have higher relative seniority and hence a command opportunity should come quicker. Their pay is better, 30% if rumours are to be believed, and the management seem a great deal more able than the ones we've had to deal with recently. You could still live in Dubai if you so wish but it is a building site at the moment with a great deal of strain on resources such as schools and accomodation.
It is a hard decision to make but there is a great deal more info available than there was when I jumped...and remember when you jump it is extremely difficult to climb back. Once you ship your life down here it will cost a lot to reverse the process so do your homework well.
At the end of the day it is all relative. To many the job at EK is a great deal better than they had elsewhere. There are other opportunities here also where some are making a living away from the company with other businesses and have never had it so good but they only serve to distort the picture when you only consider EK as a career in isolation.
From a purely personal, European & flying career perspective though I believe that this was a bad move.
Good luck with any decision you make.
I had similar hours to you and left a good airline to come to EK.
If I knew then what I know now I would have never had come anywhere near the place. I was guilty of seeing what I wanted to see and not what was actually there, fuelled by the slick PR & recruitment process.
Since I've joined the T & Cs have been changed to the detriment of F/Os in favour of DECs: they can do anything without the threat of recourse. The training system is a mess. Pay has stood virtually still while the $s slide has meant a net drop in pay of nearly 25%...despite what they call 'exchange rate protection' which doesn't come close to protecting the shortfall. We fly more hours (majority at night) and are away from base longer (allowances are poor and are calculated with discounts provided from hotels taken out before you get them).
Professional satisfaction has been replaced with professional frustration as there is little or no respect or trust between the management and flight deck crews which in turn has led to very low morale generally.
With your hours and experience I would personally suggest that if you are intent on coming to the region you consider Etihad. They are the start-up 'national carrier' and have billions behind them backed by the UAEs President. You would have higher relative seniority and hence a command opportunity should come quicker. Their pay is better, 30% if rumours are to be believed, and the management seem a great deal more able than the ones we've had to deal with recently. You could still live in Dubai if you so wish but it is a building site at the moment with a great deal of strain on resources such as schools and accomodation.
It is a hard decision to make but there is a great deal more info available than there was when I jumped...and remember when you jump it is extremely difficult to climb back. Once you ship your life down here it will cost a lot to reverse the process so do your homework well.
At the end of the day it is all relative. To many the job at EK is a great deal better than they had elsewhere. There are other opportunities here also where some are making a living away from the company with other businesses and have never had it so good but they only serve to distort the picture when you only consider EK as a career in isolation.
From a purely personal, European & flying career perspective though I believe that this was a bad move.
Good luck with any decision you make.
Last edited by Shake; 23rd Jul 2004 at 09:13.
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They pay better, 30% if rumours are to be believed, and the management seem a great deal more able than the ones we've had to deal with recently.
I would agree with you though that Etihad might well be a good place to go to because you will go in at the top of the seniority list and they obviously have ambitious plans with the financial muscle to back it up. Question is then whether or not Abu Dhabi is for you, I live 100 miles from it and don't feel the urge to go there very much.
I am generally happy at EK, its not perfect but beats a lot of other places to go. As to the changes in T&Cs and morale, there is no doubt that AAR has screwed a good company by his misguided management practices. But if you read about AAB at Qatar; who is to say Etihad will be any better.
Just food for thought!
Freespeed, I am sure you have seen what has been written on the web. All I would say is look at all the info provided dispassionately and weigh up whether or not you think you will be better off. I will guarantee that EK did not 'promise' a certain time to command to anyone; but some guys will still have pencilled in their command date before joining. I think some joined with unreasonable expectations, some of it company generated but a lot of it self generated. One plus for me is that I can go and have a cold one in the sunshine and bitch about it rather than sitting in the pouring rain before disappearing into a 200' cloudbase for the rest of the day.
Good luck.
Cerberus
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Well said Shake, I agree with everything you have said, I would not advise a friend to come here, an enemy maybe, but that would be nasty!!!
I never thought I would miss the company I left in the UK, but hey you live and learn.
I never thought I would hate night flying so much, every duty this month has finished in Dubai between 5.30am and 6.30am, so far I have not had more than 3 hours continuous sleep in the last week.
Allowances downroute--EK avail themselves of Airline discount before we see the money, I think they have misunderstood the term Airline discount!!
Almost every layover I have done I have had to use my own money to subsidise EK, and no it's not always the bar-bill, chance would be a fine thing.
If i could return to my old job , I would jump at it ,both feet first,but T's and C's there have changed for new starts. Such is life.
So freespeed if you want to feel trapped , I am stuck here because of the bond, and the bond is in US so even that is more than I budgeted for.
You will also sit in the right hand seat until they run out of DEC's .
The DEC guys I have flown with are a breath of fresh air, experienced, competent and not yet sucked into to the EK way.
If you have had a command for any lenght of time you will probably hate sitting sitting in the RHS for any length of time.
Only little things but it will get to you, it gets to me, and I am usually a tolerant sort of guy, well some of the time , well OK not very often......
If I knew then what I know now, I would have joined Easyjet.
Before you make any life changing decision take of your Rose tinted RayBans, I wish I had...........
Some of the Ek posters on PRune have an agenda, so it can be hard to work out what is what.Some of the things here are OK,Dubai is a nice place to live ,it's just that some of our guys confuse that with EK being a great company , not the same thing. London is a nice place to live, that does'nt make Ryanair a good company just because they base you there.!!!!
Memo to me --- steam vented and relax.
I never thought I would miss the company I left in the UK, but hey you live and learn.
I never thought I would hate night flying so much, every duty this month has finished in Dubai between 5.30am and 6.30am, so far I have not had more than 3 hours continuous sleep in the last week.
Allowances downroute--EK avail themselves of Airline discount before we see the money, I think they have misunderstood the term Airline discount!!
Almost every layover I have done I have had to use my own money to subsidise EK, and no it's not always the bar-bill, chance would be a fine thing.
If i could return to my old job , I would jump at it ,both feet first,but T's and C's there have changed for new starts. Such is life.
So freespeed if you want to feel trapped , I am stuck here because of the bond, and the bond is in US so even that is more than I budgeted for.
You will also sit in the right hand seat until they run out of DEC's .
The DEC guys I have flown with are a breath of fresh air, experienced, competent and not yet sucked into to the EK way.
If you have had a command for any lenght of time you will probably hate sitting sitting in the RHS for any length of time.
Only little things but it will get to you, it gets to me, and I am usually a tolerant sort of guy, well some of the time , well OK not very often......
If I knew then what I know now, I would have joined Easyjet.
Before you make any life changing decision take of your Rose tinted RayBans, I wish I had...........
Some of the Ek posters on PRune have an agenda, so it can be hard to work out what is what.Some of the things here are OK,Dubai is a nice place to live ,it's just that some of our guys confuse that with EK being a great company , not the same thing. London is a nice place to live, that does'nt make Ryanair a good company just because they base you there.!!!!
Memo to me --- steam vented and relax.
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Down,down,down
That's where EK is going. We are trapped in DXB during the steaming hot summer because the Managers ( that are away on leave) have miscalculated the required number of crews, alternatively did not manage to recruit any due to the extremely poor package that is on offer.
Any wannabe must consider that we are not allowed to leave base on days off ( if you have more than 2 consecutive) without asking permission from fleet management... Pretty hard to believe isn't it? I have been in EK between 8 and 10 years, and morale has never been worse, every F/O I fly with tend to complain from start to finish.Especially the ones that have to use up savings to pay the bills are worried and regretful about their move to the airline that calls itself "The Finest in the Sky"... Even the local dudes are unhappy with the company and the clown that was sent from engineering to "manage" the pilots.
Stay away from EK, it is run in a very unprofessional way and the financial package is totally inadequate.
Stay in Europe!
Regards,
Porkandbrew
Any wannabe must consider that we are not allowed to leave base on days off ( if you have more than 2 consecutive) without asking permission from fleet management... Pretty hard to believe isn't it? I have been in EK between 8 and 10 years, and morale has never been worse, every F/O I fly with tend to complain from start to finish.Especially the ones that have to use up savings to pay the bills are worried and regretful about their move to the airline that calls itself "The Finest in the Sky"... Even the local dudes are unhappy with the company and the clown that was sent from engineering to "manage" the pilots.
Stay away from EK, it is run in a very unprofessional way and the financial package is totally inadequate.
Stay in Europe!
Regards,
Porkandbrew
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Freespeed,
I'm an F/O and have been at EK for just under a year. I worked for a couple of major carriers in the west before coming here. I'm not rich, but I'm quite happy. The night flying isn't too bad either. I usually do about three or four of them per month. I have quite a bit of time off at home with the family, and Dubai isn't really that bad a place to live. Apart from the hot summers, it's very nice indeed.
I have no doubt that these guys have given you their honest opinion, as have I. It just boils down to your personal circumstances in the end. As for time to command. The last plan was for 133 aircraft by 2012. Now I hear it's up to 160+ in the same time frame. In other words, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Good luck in your decision whichever way you decide to go.
Yard
I'm an F/O and have been at EK for just under a year. I worked for a couple of major carriers in the west before coming here. I'm not rich, but I'm quite happy. The night flying isn't too bad either. I usually do about three or four of them per month. I have quite a bit of time off at home with the family, and Dubai isn't really that bad a place to live. Apart from the hot summers, it's very nice indeed.
I have no doubt that these guys have given you their honest opinion, as have I. It just boils down to your personal circumstances in the end. As for time to command. The last plan was for 133 aircraft by 2012. Now I hear it's up to 160+ in the same time frame. In other words, I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Good luck in your decision whichever way you decide to go.
Yard
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Freespeed
It is really very simple.
If you expect that in EK, the management is able to have a balanced vieuwpoint on anything, then you are mistaken.
They only look at one side of the coin. Now, I know that the perfect airline does not exist and that we all have to add some water to the wine from time to time but at EK that stage does not even exist.
EK is a can full of worms and you only find out when it is too late.
In the Middle East a pilot is no more or no less than an Indian who cleans the toilets. Therefore, do not get trapped by your own ego in thinking that when EK makes you an offer you are part of some kind of elite because you are not.
I you believe that EK is in any way differant from the other carriers in the Middle East then you are having an illusion.
After 15 years you will not have any more money and you will have aged 25 years from the night flying.
Sure it\'s fun to fly one of their A 330,340, 380, B 777 but after a while it\'s less fun than european short haul, that\'s were the real flying is and it\'s very rewording unless you want to show off with another rating. The price you pay for that is however very high.
Those that are happy at EK do so because they have no other alternative and consequantely have to twist their minds to avoid depression.
On top of that, Dunbai is a very artificial enviroment and if your children grow up in such an area the will eventually pay a price for that.
In short, EK is an aquarium full of sharks and Dubai the biggest brothel in the Middle East.
Shake is right, do not be selfish, do yourself and your children a favour, listen to him.
Life is more than flying alone. I know the way they present themselves it\'s tempting but so is the devil.
The DEC offer may look reasonable, but in the end your fellow pilots blocked in the right seat wil hate you for it .
Trainers and examiners will find a way to humiliate you in favour of their long term friends in the right seat or simply out of personal jealousy and boredom.
They like wild stories in EK and will invent some to kill the day.
It is really very simple.
If you expect that in EK, the management is able to have a balanced vieuwpoint on anything, then you are mistaken.
They only look at one side of the coin. Now, I know that the perfect airline does not exist and that we all have to add some water to the wine from time to time but at EK that stage does not even exist.
EK is a can full of worms and you only find out when it is too late.
In the Middle East a pilot is no more or no less than an Indian who cleans the toilets. Therefore, do not get trapped by your own ego in thinking that when EK makes you an offer you are part of some kind of elite because you are not.
I you believe that EK is in any way differant from the other carriers in the Middle East then you are having an illusion.
After 15 years you will not have any more money and you will have aged 25 years from the night flying.
Sure it\'s fun to fly one of their A 330,340, 380, B 777 but after a while it\'s less fun than european short haul, that\'s were the real flying is and it\'s very rewording unless you want to show off with another rating. The price you pay for that is however very high.
Those that are happy at EK do so because they have no other alternative and consequantely have to twist their minds to avoid depression.
On top of that, Dunbai is a very artificial enviroment and if your children grow up in such an area the will eventually pay a price for that.
In short, EK is an aquarium full of sharks and Dubai the biggest brothel in the Middle East.
Shake is right, do not be selfish, do yourself and your children a favour, listen to him.
Life is more than flying alone. I know the way they present themselves it\'s tempting but so is the devil.
The DEC offer may look reasonable, but in the end your fellow pilots blocked in the right seat wil hate you for it .
Trainers and examiners will find a way to humiliate you in favour of their long term friends in the right seat or simply out of personal jealousy and boredom.
They like wild stories in EK and will invent some to kill the day.
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For those considering EK, I'd suggest you wait for the return of our illustrious leader from his leave at the end of this month.
I think T&C's are about to change 'again'. As to what, I really don't know; but when has it ever been in favour of the pilots?
I think T&C's are about to change 'again'. As to what, I really don't know; but when has it ever been in favour of the pilots?
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God,
depressing isnt it!
If you reckon your lot is bad, then you want to be on the technical side with Mudguard Airlines.
They produce so much B/s and self promotion about themselves that they now firmly believe they are invincible.
I wory that another Gulf Air is firmly in the making.
depressing isnt it!
If you reckon your lot is bad, then you want to be on the technical side with Mudguard Airlines.
They produce so much B/s and self promotion about themselves that they now firmly believe they are invincible.
I wory that another Gulf Air is firmly in the making.
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Emirates - To be or not to be
They say that if you remove the whinning factor from Emirates , its probably one of the best on this globe . Hey if an its all that bad I don't see too many people towards the out gate. Given the scenario that Emirates is in, may require a chapter 11 in the west and in the toilet that the indian cleans(To put it in a profound manner as mentioned earlier). Ofcourse you are bound to have problems when your expansion is exponential. O.K I MAY HAVE TICKED A FEW WHINNERS, and I apologize if anyone feels that way, but I am only trying to put things in persective, and its purely my opinion. Can you imagine an Airline anywhere with 45
A380's anywhere?. And I dont mean Baby Boeings. I am really glad that mess here is better than what is out there. Give it time and instead of 250 awards it may win 500. Go on Shoot at me.
Cheers
A757
A380's anywhere?. And I dont mean Baby Boeings. I am really glad that mess here is better than what is out there. Give it time and instead of 250 awards it may win 500. Go on Shoot at me.
Cheers
A757
DIRECTOR
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Just returned from the 2004 Farnborough Airshow yesterday and there was a large half page advertisement from EK for DEC's on B777/A330/340/310 in the Flight International Show handout.
Clearly EK are now firmly established as an Airline like SQ and others where DEC's are the order of the day and probably forever so any ex Captain joining as an F/O takes a big risk IMHO.
Clearly EK are now firmly established as an Airline like SQ and others where DEC's are the order of the day and probably forever so any ex Captain joining as an F/O takes a big risk IMHO.
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757...
'They say that if you remove the whinning factor from Emirates , its probably one of the best on this globe'...who are THEY?
I have no doubt that we will win more awards as we will be presenting them to ourselves.
It is a mistake to confuse opinion and genuine concern with 'whinning'. DECs and contact pilots may well be the way EK decides to go, but it a short term solution. Tackle the fundamental problems and EK could become the preferred option again to pilots and not just another airline...no awards for that.
'They say that if you remove the whinning factor from Emirates , its probably one of the best on this globe'...who are THEY?
I have no doubt that we will win more awards as we will be presenting them to ourselves.
It is a mistake to confuse opinion and genuine concern with 'whinning'. DECs and contact pilots may well be the way EK decides to go, but it a short term solution. Tackle the fundamental problems and EK could become the preferred option again to pilots and not just another airline...no awards for that.
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Freespeed
I wasn't going to get involved with this but after the biased replies from CAP56 and Dungfunnel,i'd like to put my own views forward.Firstly,how Dungfunnel can offer a balanced and subjective view of 'actual family life' in Dubai when he doesn't even live here ,god only knows.Quote"didn't go,don't regret it".Fine,shut up then! A week visiting Russian hookers isn't what many of us aspire to!Also.without going into too many details,CAP56 has 'HISTORY' with Emirates and no longer draws a tax free salary here!
I was in exactly your position approx 2 years ago.The most difficult decision is the one you're about to make and ,as you will see,advice varies tremendously.
Firstly,Aviation has changed over the last 5-7 years and people here in Emirates tend to only think it's happening here.I'd been flying 4 years left seat,for good UK Charter,with 13 years total flying(all jet).Rosters were unstable,long night flights,no pay rise for 2 years but enjoyed Company/company, good pension and 'secure' future.Nice house,kids in good school.....settled!
Once decision made to join EK,have never looked back.I know it's early days and yes,Dubai is somewhat of an inigma and some things can be frustrating.Driving is poor verging on Dangerous but you do adapt.Summers are hot but wifes/kids escape for 6-8 weeks and seems to work.Other 8 months the weather is sublime!Nationals tend to keep themselves to themselves and most people tend to gravitate toward their own culture/friends.School places have been in short supply but Gov't/Airline is aware of this and there are plans for more to be built.Fact.Please check with schools direct re.places but Emirates will try,where poss,to assist.Yes,there is a lot of night flying,but no more than your average charter airline and to be expected with longhaul.There's no 4/5 hour coach tours around the countryside(not that there is any in Dubai anyway) before or after flights and the best bit is the private pick up to take you to/from work.A delight after your 5.30am arrival!Your Accommodation will vary and may not be what your shown but we are very happy with ours.3 big b/rooms,2 bathrooms huge kitchen,utility,large lounge/dining and study.Upstairs lounge as well as large maids room+bathroom. 3 mins drive from lovely beach(public).Schools are of a high standard both academically and discipline.start early around
7-45 but finish around 1-15.Most a/noons spent relaxing at one of many clubs that as pilots we can access thru pilots club for approx £12/month(family of 4)!use of gym/pool/beach plus up to 40% discount off food/drink.There is plenty else for children/grown ups including horse riding/sailing clubs/golf/tennis/cinemas/hockey...yes,ICE hockey and soon there will be the worlds largest indoor ski slope.There are also some excellent parks that are ideal for Kids.Plenty of modern shopping malls and lots of high quality restuarants,many in 5 star hotels at a fraction of cost compared to rip off uk prices.Emirates medical facilities are superb and from recent experience will testify to the outstanding level of service that we received when one of our children was recently taken ill. No waiting,no fuss,just clean efficient medical care in Private/en-suite rooms. Petrol is only 18p/liter,that's cheaper than water and cars cost less as well.Flying itself is good,in 17months only one 'odd' ball Captain and not one change to my roster.What you see on your roster is what you fly(99%)Initial training can seem pedantic and sop,s need sorting(seem to change every few months) but seems to be improving.Bid system is good with 5 month rotation.Normally get your request in top 2-3 months and most of requests in rest...if not too greedy and bid carefully!Routes are expanding every day and good to fly to places i'd only ever heard about.Can book buisness class for you/family and first class if you're Captain.Time to command is still around 3 year mark and DEC's are to fill a gap while Airline is short.Doesn't concern me as 2-3 yrs experience on new type/route/sop's/Airline is good before L/seat.All DEC's so far are around early/late fifties and are not long term!.Last years profit pay was 8 weeks,this years was 10!People here still moaned as they were expecting 12....no pleasing some eh?
I've put my point across,overall i'm pleased with move.I actually appreciate the UK more now i don't live there but i can always visit it for a week for £500!My wife is very happy and settled and so too are the children.I ensure they never lose touch with reality while at the same time bringing them up in a safe,clean country with a very high standard of living.There is no 'brainwashing' here.It's what YOU and YOUR family choose to make of it and i wish you all the best in your decision
p.s Try and leave some money/investment especially if in Europe as dollar is currently weak(not Emirates fault) but otherwise this shouldn't effect you too much if coming long term.Spreads your investments is one way of looking at it.Also,if you have good furniture,take the allowance and ship it out.The furniture here is crap.
pps Don't forget some factor 20+ sunscreen!
I wasn't going to get involved with this but after the biased replies from CAP56 and Dungfunnel,i'd like to put my own views forward.Firstly,how Dungfunnel can offer a balanced and subjective view of 'actual family life' in Dubai when he doesn't even live here ,god only knows.Quote"didn't go,don't regret it".Fine,shut up then! A week visiting Russian hookers isn't what many of us aspire to!Also.without going into too many details,CAP56 has 'HISTORY' with Emirates and no longer draws a tax free salary here!
I was in exactly your position approx 2 years ago.The most difficult decision is the one you're about to make and ,as you will see,advice varies tremendously.
Firstly,Aviation has changed over the last 5-7 years and people here in Emirates tend to only think it's happening here.I'd been flying 4 years left seat,for good UK Charter,with 13 years total flying(all jet).Rosters were unstable,long night flights,no pay rise for 2 years but enjoyed Company/company, good pension and 'secure' future.Nice house,kids in good school.....settled!
Once decision made to join EK,have never looked back.I know it's early days and yes,Dubai is somewhat of an inigma and some things can be frustrating.Driving is poor verging on Dangerous but you do adapt.Summers are hot but wifes/kids escape for 6-8 weeks and seems to work.Other 8 months the weather is sublime!Nationals tend to keep themselves to themselves and most people tend to gravitate toward their own culture/friends.School places have been in short supply but Gov't/Airline is aware of this and there are plans for more to be built.Fact.Please check with schools direct re.places but Emirates will try,where poss,to assist.Yes,there is a lot of night flying,but no more than your average charter airline and to be expected with longhaul.There's no 4/5 hour coach tours around the countryside(not that there is any in Dubai anyway) before or after flights and the best bit is the private pick up to take you to/from work.A delight after your 5.30am arrival!Your Accommodation will vary and may not be what your shown but we are very happy with ours.3 big b/rooms,2 bathrooms huge kitchen,utility,large lounge/dining and study.Upstairs lounge as well as large maids room+bathroom. 3 mins drive from lovely beach(public).Schools are of a high standard both academically and discipline.start early around
7-45 but finish around 1-15.Most a/noons spent relaxing at one of many clubs that as pilots we can access thru pilots club for approx £12/month(family of 4)!use of gym/pool/beach plus up to 40% discount off food/drink.There is plenty else for children/grown ups including horse riding/sailing clubs/golf/tennis/cinemas/hockey...yes,ICE hockey and soon there will be the worlds largest indoor ski slope.There are also some excellent parks that are ideal for Kids.Plenty of modern shopping malls and lots of high quality restuarants,many in 5 star hotels at a fraction of cost compared to rip off uk prices.Emirates medical facilities are superb and from recent experience will testify to the outstanding level of service that we received when one of our children was recently taken ill. No waiting,no fuss,just clean efficient medical care in Private/en-suite rooms. Petrol is only 18p/liter,that's cheaper than water and cars cost less as well.Flying itself is good,in 17months only one 'odd' ball Captain and not one change to my roster.What you see on your roster is what you fly(99%)Initial training can seem pedantic and sop,s need sorting(seem to change every few months) but seems to be improving.Bid system is good with 5 month rotation.Normally get your request in top 2-3 months and most of requests in rest...if not too greedy and bid carefully!Routes are expanding every day and good to fly to places i'd only ever heard about.Can book buisness class for you/family and first class if you're Captain.Time to command is still around 3 year mark and DEC's are to fill a gap while Airline is short.Doesn't concern me as 2-3 yrs experience on new type/route/sop's/Airline is good before L/seat.All DEC's so far are around early/late fifties and are not long term!.Last years profit pay was 8 weeks,this years was 10!People here still moaned as they were expecting 12....no pleasing some eh?
I've put my point across,overall i'm pleased with move.I actually appreciate the UK more now i don't live there but i can always visit it for a week for £500!My wife is very happy and settled and so too are the children.I ensure they never lose touch with reality while at the same time bringing them up in a safe,clean country with a very high standard of living.There is no 'brainwashing' here.It's what YOU and YOUR family choose to make of it and i wish you all the best in your decision
p.s Try and leave some money/investment especially if in Europe as dollar is currently weak(not Emirates fault) but otherwise this shouldn't effect you too much if coming long term.Spreads your investments is one way of looking at it.Also,if you have good furniture,take the allowance and ship it out.The furniture here is crap.
pps Don't forget some factor 20+ sunscreen!
Last edited by BYMONEK; 24th Jul 2004 at 14:32.
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Centroid
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BYMONEK
Good choice of words and fine job of laying out the facts. Thanks for your time and safe flying. "THEY" is for furloughed buddies out west and good honest people looking for ways to make ends meet.
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