Daily life in DXB
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All this bitterness in reply to some wannabe who asked what daily life in Dubai is like. My answer to him is "not too bad but you sure will meet and work with some strange folks" But I guess you have figured that already having followed the thread.
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Yeah, I noticed the cat fight and oddities of personality. But the industry wouldn't be complete without these folk. Believe me, I am one of them at my own company!
Found out some good info along the way. I hope to complete my application this weekend. Been busy flying/on duty for between 10-15 hours per day for the past 5 days with 3-5 legs per day. Looking forward to the same amount of time one with just a few legs per trip. So I'll get it done now that I have 3 days off.
Anyway, 'paying my dues' as some would say. US East Coast flying is as tough as it gets I think.
Found out some good info along the way. I hope to complete my application this weekend. Been busy flying/on duty for between 10-15 hours per day for the past 5 days with 3-5 legs per day. Looking forward to the same amount of time one with just a few legs per trip. So I'll get it done now that I have 3 days off.
Anyway, 'paying my dues' as some would say. US East Coast flying is as tough as it gets I think.
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Yeah you'd find the flying easier...during my tour of duty with Simmons Airlines, I think I did more hand-flown ILS to minimums in a week, than I've done 16yrs in the Gulf....this includes monsoon season in India as well...
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I'll be curious too. I have no doubts that each environment and company has it's own unique challenges. I flew in Europe for 3 years at LX and used to think that was a job. It was my first flying job. Then I got a job in the US and learned what work really is. The flying in Europe was a cakewalk in comparison and when my buddies there would whine about how hard their days were I could only grin to myself knowing how easy they have it.
I am sure that EK has its own challenges though. No doubt about that. I am sure that they expect everyone to earn their salary. And no, I am not being cynical.
I am sure that EK has its own challenges though. No doubt about that. I am sure that they expect everyone to earn their salary. And no, I am not being cynical.
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OZ you are a #$%$#@& DEC? You have no right to point how great it is here when you jumped the senority list. Try hanging out in the right seat for over 4 years and have yahoos like you come and sit in the left seat after never been in a widbody. Know your place!
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LHR
I'm with Harry on this apart from one major difference. The curry at the 'Karachi Restaurant' in Satwa might not be up to Ashers speck but is considerably cheaper at around £3 for a blow out. No beers and no discount but beats weight watchers in the 3 day sprint to a 3kg loss!
Seriously, you can't think that £20 is expensive for a top curry and couple of beers can you?
I'm with Harry on this apart from one major difference. The curry at the 'Karachi Restaurant' in Satwa might not be up to Ashers speck but is considerably cheaper at around £3 for a blow out. No beers and no discount but beats weight watchers in the 3 day sprint to a 3kg loss!
Seriously, you can't think that £20 is expensive for a top curry and couple of beers can you?
gld,
Just FYI I did 6 years as a "Widbody" FO and then another 11 as a jet Captain before coming here. I COMPLETELY understand why FOs don't like the DEC program, but that doesn't mean I know nothing about the aviation industry, or that I can't compare what else is available (Of which I have more experience than you) with what is available here.
Just FYI I did 6 years as a "Widbody" FO and then another 11 as a jet Captain before coming here. I COMPLETELY understand why FOs don't like the DEC program, but that doesn't mean I know nothing about the aviation industry, or that I can't compare what else is available (Of which I have more experience than you) with what is available here.
Hello everyone,
I'd like to join in this conversation. I don't have any reservations about the work, country, living, money,............I do have many questions about my wife though. I know they are discuss, at length, on other threads but they get sidetracked easily.
What is the situation with the living conditions. Specifically, is there a whole flock of the airlines families living in the same area. Will my wife be around other wifes? Will she have the same type of friendships that would be found in a military compound in Germany or Japan?
This is probably the biggest one of them all. I am looking to work there for 5 to 10 years, put away enough to push my current retirement plan over the edge. It sounds like this is possible with a 3-5 year upgrade.
Is there a non rev capability if she wanted to return to the states 3 times a year? Is it SA or do we have to buy a ticket?
What about dependants? I have children, OK not age wise, that range from 25 to 18 and would be curious about them visiting. Is there a deal to allow them to fly SA or at a reduced rate?
I am just like many others, I am curious and very serious about coming to work there. I appreciate all offers of info.
thanks
Guns-A-GoGo
I'd like to join in this conversation. I don't have any reservations about the work, country, living, money,............I do have many questions about my wife though. I know they are discuss, at length, on other threads but they get sidetracked easily.
What is the situation with the living conditions. Specifically, is there a whole flock of the airlines families living in the same area. Will my wife be around other wifes? Will she have the same type of friendships that would be found in a military compound in Germany or Japan?
This is probably the biggest one of them all. I am looking to work there for 5 to 10 years, put away enough to push my current retirement plan over the edge. It sounds like this is possible with a 3-5 year upgrade.
Is there a non rev capability if she wanted to return to the states 3 times a year? Is it SA or do we have to buy a ticket?
What about dependants? I have children, OK not age wise, that range from 25 to 18 and would be curious about them visiting. Is there a deal to allow them to fly SA or at a reduced rate?
I am just like many others, I am curious and very serious about coming to work there. I appreciate all offers of info.
thanks
Guns-A-GoGo
Does EK pay you in local currency and than you convert to the currency of your home country? How does it work? Do most expats keep their savings in Dubai Banks or send it back home? How user friendly are the local banks? Are wire transfers to the States$$$ ?
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Paid in dirhams. Advisable not to keep all your money in local banks, just because you never know what might happen in the future. Banks are terrible here, even if they are branches of international banks such as HSBC. You will probably meet with intense frustration when dealing with banks although in the end, things do get done. Money transfers are easy but expensive.
The problem with banks is the system and the people one has to deal with in order to get the simplest thing done. My advice is to get an account manager who appears competent, and make use of his personal mobile and landline number whenever you end up dealing with the average clerk whose standard response is....... ''oh not possible sir''. I hear of some horror story on a weekly basis of how a bank has screwed around someone...... which usually takes about 2 months to clear up.
I can't help but be left with the impression that you have no idea what it is like in Dubai. It is very modern on the surface but still in the dark ages when it comes to many things.
The problem with banks is the system and the people one has to deal with in order to get the simplest thing done. My advice is to get an account manager who appears competent, and make use of his personal mobile and landline number whenever you end up dealing with the average clerk whose standard response is....... ''oh not possible sir''. I hear of some horror story on a weekly basis of how a bank has screwed around someone...... which usually takes about 2 months to clear up.
I can't help but be left with the impression that you have no idea what it is like in Dubai. It is very modern on the surface but still in the dark ages when it comes to many things.
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Well, the fact that we don't know how things are is exactly why we are asking questions. Unfortunately, I can take neither the time nor the money for a week in Dubai to research on my own. The first trip I take there is likely to be for the interview.
Since working with the local banks is difficult, is there any way around this? How about having deposits to a Swiss bank? Maybe a dumb question, but what else can be done?
Since working with the local banks is difficult, is there any way around this? How about having deposits to a Swiss bank? Maybe a dumb question, but what else can be done?
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Wire transfers to the US relatively seamless. Each TT will cost your around USD 30.00 (100 Dits). The banks will set up a standing transfer with no problem at all. Trap for young players if you ever do a TT - there's frequently another charge at the other end - and the bank there, (and sometimes the UAE bank as well, unless you take great care in noting that charges should be taken from your account and not the remittance) take their cut from the amount you send, so the person you're sending the money to gets only the amount you sent less the bank charges, which can be embarrassing if it's a mortgage or alimony payment you're making.
The major question you should be considering is: will you have enough readies each month to make a standing transfer to the US? Possible if you're coming as a DEC, or, if as an FO, you don't have a family to support here, but most FOs would say they don't have a lot left over after covering day to day life.
The average married with two kids EK FO's lament is something along these lines:
The major question you should be considering is: will you have enough readies each month to make a standing transfer to the US? Possible if you're coming as a DEC, or, if as an FO, you don't have a family to support here, but most FOs would say they don't have a lot left over after covering day to day life.
The average married with two kids EK FO's lament is something along these lines:
"Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?"
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In other threads I have researched on, there seems to be alot of talk about how little money is left over at the end of the month.
Is food really that much more expensive there?
Phone and internet?
Auto insurance?
What are some of the other expenses that come up in Dubai?
Can anyone tell me about sending money back to the US and how your taxes work?
It seems to me that you should be able send some pretty good money back every now and then.
Could any of the current pilots post a monthly schedule? just want to see a typical good, and bad month.
Thanks for the replys
Is food really that much more expensive there?
Phone and internet?
Auto insurance?
What are some of the other expenses that come up in Dubai?
Can anyone tell me about sending money back to the US and how your taxes work?
It seems to me that you should be able send some pretty good money back every now and then.
Could any of the current pilots post a monthly schedule? just want to see a typical good, and bad month.
Thanks for the replys
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No need to give you a detailed paycheck. Just consider two scenarios:
GMDS
- You have some property at home, as investment towards retirement, it’s rented out to a small profit, however you still have a annual mortgage to pay it off. As with what’s left end of the month (with the actual EK conditions) you will have very little to send back home, so this starts being a problem. I have stated it before, in 2009 you will start losing money, because with inflation and currency discrepancies, your little profit at home will no longer suffice to pay the mortgage.
- You have no ties to home. Therefore you have to build up a pension plan around here. With the EK plan outcome you might consider retirement in a third world country only. You will have to add in a lot to cover life back home, if home is anything liveable on this planet. With what is left end of the month, there is very little to build up a decent pension. Again my prediction: With the actual EK conditions (including the average increments throughout the last years) this will erode in 2009, meaning there will be not enough left to be put aside to build up anything close to the above.
GMDS
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Do you have a cost of living increase every year? I understand that inflation is very high in Dubai, but it just seems that people are living a very glamerous life, or are just bad with money.
I was thinking of coming to Dubai for around 7 years or so, come back to the states and do something else, other than flying. Hoping to have a nice little nest egg to live on for a while.
Still hoping to see if anyone can post a schedule for the month on here.
This is what mine kind of looks like.
* * * * XNA DEN * * * MSN YWG ELP DEN * * * * PSC LNK YWG DEN * * MKE GRB RFD DEN * *
the * are days off credit for the month is 75 hours, 37 legs for the month.
This is what the regionals are doing here in the US.
I was thinking of coming to Dubai for around 7 years or so, come back to the states and do something else, other than flying. Hoping to have a nice little nest egg to live on for a while.
Still hoping to see if anyone can post a schedule for the month on here.
This is what mine kind of looks like.
* * * * XNA DEN * * * MSN YWG ELP DEN * * * * PSC LNK YWG DEN * * MKE GRB RFD DEN * *
the * are days off credit for the month is 75 hours, 37 legs for the month.
This is what the regionals are doing here in the US.
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Glamorous life ... what do you mean by that??
With the missus and kids you're looking at a average of 3-4 bedroom villa, something like 3400sqft bua. You can afford a 4x4SUV, as a skipper a second car for her. If you go for a Golf memberships, you're looking at around 7000US pa if you are lucky enough to find one. With a second flight for the whole family (after your free annual leave) and some desert trips or to Oman, some gear for the kids and the usual outings and barbies, you're slowly hitting the limit of a FO salary if you want to put something aside. As a skipper it looks a little better, but the kids are growing aswell ...... is that glamorous??
Cost of living increase ... just read the papers (Gulfnews online). Inflation at 9.3% (excluding rents!!!!), rent increase around 20% (2006-2007), house prices around 25%. Schooling around 10-40%. etc.
No one will publish a roster, it'too easy for the bosses to trace the messengers. And they don't like the truth.
EK is still the best deal in the ME, don't get me wrong. But i am not comparing with the crap in the region, i am assessing my situation in respect of now and after. I would really like to stay a little longer, but i will not subsidise this stay because the greedy owners post record profits one after the other and leave us with less every year. And this simply because they can.
With the missus and kids you're looking at a average of 3-4 bedroom villa, something like 3400sqft bua. You can afford a 4x4SUV, as a skipper a second car for her. If you go for a Golf memberships, you're looking at around 7000US pa if you are lucky enough to find one. With a second flight for the whole family (after your free annual leave) and some desert trips or to Oman, some gear for the kids and the usual outings and barbies, you're slowly hitting the limit of a FO salary if you want to put something aside. As a skipper it looks a little better, but the kids are growing aswell ...... is that glamorous??
Cost of living increase ... just read the papers (Gulfnews online). Inflation at 9.3% (excluding rents!!!!), rent increase around 20% (2006-2007), house prices around 25%. Schooling around 10-40%. etc.
No one will publish a roster, it'too easy for the bosses to trace the messengers. And they don't like the truth.
EK is still the best deal in the ME, don't get me wrong. But i am not comparing with the crap in the region, i am assessing my situation in respect of now and after. I would really like to stay a little longer, but i will not subsidise this stay because the greedy owners post record profits one after the other and leave us with less every year. And this simply because they can.