EK Housing Mess..

[sheiken around]

Please .. all new joiners to EK be advised that you WILL NOT be honestly advised of the true situation as it exists today regarding the housing situation. Regardless of if you are a DEC or F/O ... here is the truth...

You WILL be placed in temporary housing which will be a 2 bedroom apartment in one of many of the worst areas of Dubai. No one will tell you about this .. other than before you join, you will be told that you will be placed in temporary accommodation for 2-3 weeks.

You will not be told that the time spent in temporary accommodation could be from 6 months to 1 year - until you are briefed by various staff members after you join.

You will write emails and make phone calls attempting to fix the problem - only to be misled and deceived by many departments.

You will have no TV or internet access for at least 3-4 weeks..unless you are able to have it installed yourself assuming that you are not still attempting to gnaw at the carrot that is being dangled in front of you that you will be moved "soon".

You will spend a significant amount of time calling/emailing every aspect of management and accommodation departments - all to no avail.

The bottom line is this..DELAY moving to Dubai until you are assured - in writing - that your apartment, villa etc. is ready for you to move in to.

[sioux115]

When I was interviewed last week the recruiters were very upfront and apologetic about it. They said they were embarrassed about it and that everyone would be in temp. housing (studio) for a min. of 6 months, most likely in the Marina area. They also said they understand it would most likely be a deal breaker in deciding to join and that everyone interviewing should email their concerns to the HR people. Im assuming so they would have a record of it to show the people making the housing decisions how it is effecting their recruiting efforts.

Sioux

[Flyer34]

I too was told at the interview in February that it would be at least 6 months of temporary accommodations when joining. It seems to me that it would be quite hard to 'delay moving to Dubai' until getting assigned permanent digs.

Flyer

[Saltaire]

There is a rumor that some of the temps are very nice places in the Marina.... again, great for some, and others might end up in Satwa

lottery

[Fart Master]

Have heard that some people have turned up, taken one look at their 'accomodation' turned straight around and caught the return flight home..... I'm serious no BS

[northeast canuck]

I recently decided to not attend the selection process, and sent an email to HR citing the lack of suitable family housing as the main reason for not attending, for what its worth. Living under the flight path of a major expanding airport (with no option to move) is unacceptable! I don't understand the concept of not being able to have any say in where you live. You wouldn't buy a house sight unseen, would you? Of course not! So what makes EK think that this is OK?! Not for me it isn't.

[Black Pearl]

EK Accomodation

Has EK at least tried to sweeten the deal with the poor state of affairs regarding temporary accommodation? One pilot I spoke to told me that his wife and 2 small children will be required to stay with him in the downtown area, which is commonly frequented by Moroccan prostitutes? Alternatively the family must delay their move until permanent accommodation is sourced. This could take up to a year? Wow that’s not reasonable! What about schooling? Where do you place your kids? At least Emirates should be sensitive enough to the new pilots with kids at school going age? One can accept that there are logistical problems with accommodation; at the same time is there not an overabundance of empty accommodation in the bay area, or is it too expensive???

[NautiFlyer]

Perspective

I joined EK in early December 07. As a single FO, I was immediately put in Temp apartment, in a rather cr@ppy part of town (Morrocan Hookers, etc). Although the area sucked...the apartment itself was not too bad. I understand that now new joiners are being put up in temp apartments in the Marina Area...which has to be much better than where I was originally. Bottom line is...I stayed on top of trying to get a permanent apartment... I made numerous phone calls and visited HQ several times. After 4 months, I was moved to a permanent apartment in a very desirable building.
NF

[BigGeordie]

You would think in the long run it would work out cheaper for them to increase the housing allowance to something sensible (at least a 50% increase, probably more like 75%) and let people sort out their own accommodation problems. I can't understand why in so many ways Emirates tries to make life hard for themselves.

[revertedrubber]

"Keep discovering" this will be your motto when looking for your permanent accomodation when you arrive in Dubai. The most unprofessional, unorganised department with their heads deep in the sand!

[5star]

I think Revertedrubber was even quite positive about the accommodation department....Dealing with them is a nightmare and it is a shame for EK. These guys drive you nuts...

The only piece of advice for guys with a family: Just put the gun at their heads when you arrive and treaten them that you will go. Else you AND especially your family will be SCREWED. And it won't be fun !!!!

Increasing the housing allowance will not solve the issue btw...who wants to bail out of company acc. with these ridiculous rents in Dubai....
Home Bases are the only way out of this misery. I know I'm dreaming...

[Fart Master]

True, the one thing the accomodation department is, is not 'accomodating'.

They pissed off many of the pilots who had been here many years when they tried to move up to DSO. In my book M-J from accomodation gets the award for being the rudest person in EK, no mean feat I can tell you

[yankee22]

Just had a friend from home over visiting while he was here doing the interview with us. Same thing as mentioned previously... minimum 6 month wait on permanent housing but be prepared for up to 1 year is what they told him.

And as for a place in the construction crazy zone of the 'marina'... apparently that is drying up and there are very few spots available. They have a cap on the rents they'll pay and the cost is getting above their threshold. They told him to expect anything in terms of accomadations. In lamen terms... get ready to be put up in a crappy part of town.

Needless to say he's dissapointed with the whole housing issue and leaning towards not coming even if he does get the call. It's unacceptable in his opinion and quite franly I don't blame him. Especially seeing he's dragging his wife and child with him. Either that or leave them behind for up to 1 year. Can't see that working well for the family.

EK better get their act together... this kinda stuff won't fly with most who have a brain!!!!!!

[superjet777]

Don't want to divert the thread too much but is it true that 900 cabin crew have resigned so far this year?
Thanks
SJ777

[yankee22]

Yup... If not then close to it. Almost 400 alone were Korean as that region his hiring with postings out of ICN (Seoul). Also adding to the loss what the fact that KLM is hiring and have a cabin crew base there as well.

[Kapitanleutnant]

Gents:

Having heard some temp housing is in the Marina area..... Can anyone confirm if the "permanent" housing for apartments might also be in the Marina area?

K

[Flyer34]

Once The Temp Is Finished...

OK...once EK finds you a permanent place in 6 months to a year...if you don't like it, can you refuse it and ask for something else?? Is it a "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" situation with what sounds like a very slow-moving and unhelpful accommodations department?

Thanks,
Flyer

[BigGeordie]

The temporary accommodation is at the Marina because Emirates have serviced apartments there that are not yet full. Hence, it costs very little to put people in there, although it is a very, very nice tower.

There is not a snowball in the sand's chance of permanent accommodation being at the Marina- it is just too expensive.

If they offer you permanent accommodation and you don't like it you always have a choice- you can take the utilities allowance instead. If you don't want to do that either then I have a strong feeling you will be in temporary accommodation for a long, long time as every time you turn down an offering you will go to the bottom of the list again.

Don't be under any illusions that you have any control over where you will end up living in Dubai if you are in company accommodation. It is a chance you take when you join.

[forum newbie]

I have an interview scheduled for later this month and will definitely not come to dubai if the housing problems dont change. I cant have an entire department dictate my family's personal being.

[Gulf News]

Big Brother

I cant have an entire department dictate my family's personal being

Nwebie Mate if you are considering a career with EK this is something you will have to come to terms with. You will not be just an employee, you will be an "expatriate employee" to whom the company dictates. Everything from where you live, who your neighbors are, what time you will leave your house to go to work, who does your annual medical and countless more will be laid out for you on a take it or leave it basis. No negotiation. The leave it part means leaving DXB and the company.

Emirates is your sponsor and so every little thing that you wish to do must be approved by the company. Want to take a car loan, open a bank account, change banks, get internet, drivers license everything you can imagine requires a letter from the company. Admittedly the process for getting the letters has been streamlined in passed years but it still means that the company has a record of every little thing you do.

Your contract will contain a paragraph to the effect " The Employment Regulations ( currently published, and as amended from time to time after the date of this contract) form part of your contract of employment. This line alone says we can change whatever we want and can tell you to lump it. Ask anyone who has been here a few years how many changes there have been to the "Employment regulations in their time here.

To all potential newbies think very carefully and have a very open mind about what you are willing to accept or not.