I still wonder where the money goes. If you live in company paid housing and are paid tax-free salary it would seem like there really ought to be a fair amount left. I am single so don't have to worry about the Missus or the kids' education.

From what I have learned here and from others it doesn't sound like a bad place.

All I have to do at this point to get the ball rolling is to click "Submit Application" on the form. It's all filled out. The ONLY reason I am hesitant is that I have a very good internal contact at a US major where I would work harder, fly less nice equipment and have less of a future career outlook.

But I would be closer to home. And that is the only hesitation.

I was told the you and the family get the one annual leave pass, and unlimited standby travel. Is that not true? I understand the flights are pretty full, but hey, why not try. My wife was hoping to go home a few times a year.

I guess you can't show your schedule, just wondering what the average days off are? How many hours you fly in a month? Maybe in your senior bid months compared to the junior ones.

The road show folks said that most of the trips are 3 day trips. One long leg out, 24 hours or so off, one leg back. There were also the ULH trips that were up to 9 days.

Just trying to get a feel for it is like. I have read most of these thread here, and some are pretty old. Thanks for any info. I think there are alot of people thinking about coming to Dubai.

Thanks, Raise or Fold

Forget it pal
 

To fly from Dubai to the US takes 15 hours, not counting connections and travel to your home. A killer. Yes once a year, maybe twice more is killing. Forget your life in the US and settle in Dubai.
There is no senior or junior, the schedules are the same for all, sometimes good, sometimes bad. 3-4 days duty a few days off, no chance to commute.

Been at EK now for 8 years and these arguments still make me smile. I have been the vociferous defender of all that is right about EK, moved to the pragmatist but feel I may be about to become the cynic. I have sat there with crusty old Captains that shout all the time but fear I may slowly be becoming one.

When you first arrive, all you can see are the 5 star hotels, after about 3 years you can just see the sand in between. You get your command and things brighten up and then after another couple of years, you wonder how you can possibly spend the next 20 years in the sandpit and start digging a tunnel.

When I was at home all I wanted was a nice house to call my own, a couple of hols/year, a reasonable car and a bit of disposable income. On the family/friends front I wanted to see my mates reasonably often and the family as and when.

In Dubai, you can have a house but they all cost an arm and a leg. Right now you won't get much change out of $1.2m for a 4 bedroom family home. Guys then quote 'but you get free accommodation' and that is true. For me I struggle to imagine enjoying living in company accomodation except for financial reasons. I wouldn't live in company accom anywhere else in the world for all the tea in China. I still remember arriving and trying to turn the sand pit of the villa into grass.

Holidays are definitely doable but it is a struggle to get leave with your family and it is a struggle to get on flights. I realised that last year when I actually went on a summer holiday with my kids for the first time in 3 years. Most times I travel with the family I go confirmed to save the hassle but the tickets go so rapidly that unless you have a 4 month lead time getting them can be difficult. Standby works as an individual but not so well as a family. EK have a clever little trick where you get all the leave you want when you arrive but then it starts to go south.

Car's are cheaper for sure and I now have the same one I had in europe for $10,000 less. But... I don't get to see my mates or family that much, not a snag for me but eats away at the missus particularly when the rellys start poppoing their clogs.

As to disposable income, you can save a hell of a lot. Or you can choose where you live, travel to see the family, call home, go out occasionally, play golf occasionally etc etc. Not both! It is a choice between fiscal or more esoteric well being. The exchange rate has sucked 30% of my saving power since I arrived.

For guys coming in the future, you will have the same sort of choice. Some will be happy, particularly those that grade everything by the amount of cash they can save without regard to having a life. The guys that bought property in the past got in before the boom so prepare to pay even more for a life if it doesn't solely revolve around money.

I would have sworn I'd have been here for life when I joined. I went downhill as the command got delayed then uphill when promoted. For me that is the top of the ski slope and it is a hell of a long way down from there.

Schnowzer

Chippin' in Schnowzer.

Just to add some recent info:
In todays GulfNews the Governor of the United Arab Emirates Central Bank said "We have come to the conclusion, that the inflation problem does not lie with the peg against the US dollar". - Now i know that the gag writers in Hollywood are on strike, but with stuff like that they are not missed! That's the way we are "lead" around here ... by morons.
Conclusion: Inflation + x-ch rates will remain a huge problem in the mid term.

Additional problem for property owners in spe:
The rent commitee will introduce minimum and maximum rents per location. One of their local talent will show up and evaluate your house .... You might end up buying property you will not be able to rent out to cover the mortgage. And this because unlike in the civilised world, where saving rates and mortgage rates fluctuate more or less conjunctively, here the savings rate went down with the $ lead rent-rate (almost 2% to ~3.5%), HOWEVER the mortgage rate didn't move a sepc (~7%). Logically as there is no competition to the few lenders, and guess who they are....
Conclusion: Topping up the dwindling salary with investment in property will be a exercise at the mercy of mortgage lenders and new the rent commitee. Do you trust them?

Again, it's not bad around here, compared to down the road. But i am trying to make not only the decent living i have right now, undoubtedly, but i am looking ahead and see a not so bright retirement, if things stay as they are. On the other hand i'd like to stay here, at least for the mid term. That is my dilemma and that is why i am following events as close as my schedule allows. For the very close future it still works, but the trend shows, that by mid 2009 some of us (easy to see where we're from) will start seeing some "minus" on the spreadsheet. I totally agree that some won't. Guess they will join, but remember: Markets and exchange rates fluctuate in both directions!!

Reading all this...made me decide to register and contribute with my little bit...
Life in Dubai is like anywhere else in the world...you will have positive and negative of all sorts...
It is usually how you make it for yourself...I've been here for almost 6 years by now and honestly...loving it...sometimes they're downs as well...but where not?
Internet connection is great...quick, you will fly out of the country so if websites are blocked here...take your laptop with you and download anything you like outside....I call my family back home through net...costs peanuts...easy to establish, even for me who know absolutly nothing about computers.
This place offers you so much to do....it's just up to you to choose what you like...
If you single...you'll love it...stay positive and open minded...you will get to meet people from all over the world...you get the unique chance to learn so much about other nationalities...I am not doing emirates propaganda, of course there will be tough times to deal with...it will be just your attitude how you put up with it.
Yes...cost increased massively last few years...but still easy to handle, depends on what kind of living level you like...they're still people earning 5000aed a month and have a life.
It's a great life experience to come over here...I find it a bit more difficult though to come this time as the town is expanding massively and seem a bit of mess...Just ask people around for info and help when you get over here...everybody seems pretty approachable...it will take you around a year to settle down...but it's great fun...
Stay positive!

Elvis,

In an incredibly limited way. Check out the level of school's sport, open beaches, sporting facilities for adults, local travel etc etc etc. You are right things are different here and we shouldn't expect what we had at home. I have started to realise that with a decent salary in Europe I could do the beach thing, the skiing thing, the golf thing, the culture thing, the gourmet thing, support a team, go to concerts to a level far beyond anything available in DXB. And I won't be filling a sheikh's coffers. If you live in Southern Cal or Florida, stay where you are!!

Elvis26

Welcome to the forum.

Having read your post, I assumed you were cabin crew given your tone, content and outlook. I see your occupation in your personal profile is "smiling pretty"....I guess my intuition was correct?

Absolutely no disrespect intended so forgive me if I seem out of place but young, single cabin crew in Emirates/Dubai have a very, very, very different outlook on life from pilots who generally tend to be older, more conservative in nature, aviation career oriented, established, married (or divorced), with children (or without). As such you will find our "terms of reference" when discussing Dubai/Emirates issues will be considerably different from yours.

No criticism intended; it's nice to see such a happy fellow on the board.

Dune

you "democracy" exporters better stay home...here middle east..here habibi islamic...Iran very very near why don't you apply to El Al...

Wow, great to see he is so to the point.

How much for a round of golf?

Guns-A-GoGo

'Rellys pop their clogs'
 

When your mother or father are on their death bed don't expect any assistance from EK. It's around this time you have to pinch yourself and ask am I really working for an airline... Two flights 24 hours later to the family death bed with two children in tow. Could have been one direct flight but EK would not assist in any way. Happy to drag you and the family to the sand pit but NOT so happy to assist when you really need to get out. Money can't buy time when someone is dying. Take that into consideration when considering EK, as well as inflation, pollution, traffic, schooling etc.:(

golf...is that sport?

Interview passed and e-mail from habibi of recruitment tell you can come work...? No yet ha? Oh.. you supertestosteronic yankee pilot...you conquer world...no problem right? Many places you fly..no radar..no habibi controller tell where to go...habibi controller dont speak english may be...because is from Africa no usa.Just dark ocean or ground under ass...no good..no good.stay in your country..better McFish.

It took me a while to catch on. Your Borat Sagdiyev of Kazakhstani Air. I have heard much about you and your family.

Guns

Or maybe Rain Man..........

Guns

You right tovarish Guns

Me Borat...Kazakhstani pilot. Me fly Tu154 for Cubana..very nice!! Russian airoplane..no computatia in cock pit lot circulari instrumentatia cloks
You know sister Svetlana ah?

Dasvidania

Budget, budget, budget!!! That's a fact of life anywhere. I don't see too many EK pilots or their families begging in the streets of Dubai but on the flipside, I do see many EK families (you soon learn to spot them) hanging out at the usual cafes and beach clubs etc. Flown with many new pilots and many of them have sponsored a helper (as its illegal to cross employ one), got a big 4x4 (a necessary move), fitted out the home with new furniture and that big LCD TV plus cannot wait to buy that new boat or motorbike. Its a pretty safe place, EK provides a place to live, medical, schooling, cheap cars and a job for life , if you want it. As much as I see many downsides to the current Dubai, the salary pays the bills and we just have to learn to budget and get on with it. Those who whinge will never be happy anywhere anyway.

I could almost agree with your post, but ... if you are such a great budget manager, you will certainly have detected that at the end of the month leftovers are in decline.
- Now there comes my disagreement. As this is a fact, i do not simply accept it, as you do suggesting to adapt your personal budget.
I "whinge", and i think rightfully so, because the owners and managers improve their balance sheet, as ours declines.
I just think this is not right - as simple as that. If theirs declines, i'm with them, we work together. If it improves i'd like a cut, at least to balance my sheet. This has nothing to do with being a potential whinger wherever i would be. Such a qualification bounces back on the issuer as being very simplistic, to remain polite.

Fatigueflyer,

Sorry but did you just say you want a motorbike....in Dubai...are you sure about that?????????? :\

Mind you the things we have to do to suplement our lifestyle costs these days, like delivering pizza's, LOL :}