EK EPC/APC change to T's & C''s
 

Is it just me or are the recent emails from APC/EPC, or whatever they call themselves in order to generate more cash, just a bit cheeky.

... "If you don't cough up the cash by 23rd Feb, we'll slap your wrist and rip another 250 dhs out your pocket for being a naughty pilot"...

Plus the bank charges every month.

It seems they've taken a leaf out of the EK management manual and have decided to piss off their customers...?

EPC had been slowly downhill since I joined. Yeah once in a while its nice to go to the beach clubs, but if you don't go early theres a chance you won't get in.

I used an EPC bike at an outstation twice, and it was really nice. Its also nice to see the waiters at restaurants i frequent scoff at me when I pull the card out.

If I had more days off I'd definitely use the EPC/APC card more often. However, since I legally can't fly anymore than I am, I don't have the energy on my days off to enjoy all the wonderful deals the folks have set up for us.

This seems to be just another scheme to get more money out of us indirectly. I for one, will pass.

CC

I am confused, is EPC and APC the same thing?

Yes Goretex, rebranded from EPC to APC, as the company does not like them using the E word

Chipotle, I agree! I am also passing!

It's only AED100/(200family) and it opens up some the greatest beach clubs in DXB to us? Why complain??

APC
 

Beach access is good but they lost focus when they tried to pad their personal pockets with kickbacks from IPEP, Atena, Swissquote and Beehive. Focus on your core product and look after the members. FACE card still has salary deduction, perhaps they remained true to their cause not personal gain. Im out

Best value for money in town for access to beach clubs in town, plus considerable discounts all over. Tired of hearing complaints when there are people volunteering their time and effort for little reward to give us these benefits. Only a handful of pilots bothered to turn up to the AGM to vote for and understand why changes had to be made but it was all quite reasonable. Also recall that the LIPS payments were stopped due to company as presumably are the APC deductions. Finding it hard to believe anyone could find it possible to complain about paying 5dhs extra given the circumstance. I will continue to pay happily given the hard work the club does to secure benefits for us all. :ok:

Leaning heavily towards binning it. When your children are over 16 you have to pay additional membership fees as well. Not that I want extra special treatment but, while they are in the UAE and in education until 19, I think that a family membership should be exactly that.

2 places I visited recently said that the (E)APC deal was not renegotiated, again I have little on hand knowledge of the best places to go to anymore for the worthwhile discount. The cost of the beach club visits is bloody expensive if you dont go at least twice a month to make it worth the cost!

J

Jack I'm with you starting to be fewer and fewer uses for it.

I don't see how it's extra revenue raising for the APC? They have not changed the fees, the only extra charge is bank fees, due to our friendly management at EK refusing to salary deduct anymore (seems like a growing trend, as mentioned above).

Having said that, the e-mails have been quite blunt, threatening fines if we don't get in there within a couple of weeks. I'd like to stay with APC, but resent the threats if I don't fill out forms, come into the office this week etc.... Did Fleet sweep the latest AGM elections??

Also while I'm having a whinge, have to agree with above comments on over 16 membership. They pay full adult fees but don't get many of the perks over 21s get (like admission to any of the functions).

Thanks for your good efforts APC, but don't diss the members too much!

Buying the Dubai Explorer and then the Emirates Platinum Card for a year makes it around the same cost or less than 3 months APC.

The APC attraction for non golfers is the beach club or the view from the queue waiting to get in when someone leaves. I am not trying to be anything other than honest and objective here.

J

I have access to the best gyms in town .. Best beach clubs .. Substantial discount at many of my favorite places

I am sorry many of you don't appreciate the distinction apc allows

Apc is a great club . Period

I'm not saying that there aren't good deals with APC, it's just the EK management style with how they're communicating these changes, plus the 250 dhs if you're a bit late with your paperwork.

I've always liked the gyms and the bicycles and I think what they charge is a fair price for them. I've been a paying member for almost 8 years.


I received a message early this week and have eighteen days to run down and pay up or get whacked with a 250 dirham fine? What kind of bollocks is that? Not even credit card companies are that shi**y! But with the roster, I actually have 4 days available. In and amongst other things on my four days off now I have to take care of their poor planning and brilliant customer service or pay 250 dirham.


Maybe its time to just pay for the gym I use for about the same price, enjoy practically the same benefits Platinum gives and rent a bicycle on the layovers. On the plus side, less emails and SMS's inviting me to their sale-a-thons with TopCover and AIG and Swissquote and everyone else.


EPC, if there was a way to give you the finger with an emoticon you'd see it here.

I'm out.

It's not so much the offerings, although I do find more and more establishments I visit no longer allowing the card, but rather the fleet-like treatment. I for one seldom used the beach clubs although went a few times... Once being turned away at 9 am!!

So, I will go on with the EK platinum card for almost the same benefits at less price per month. But I will say thank you to those who have worked hard at APC/EPC to get the bicycles, the discounts etc for its membership. I'll let mine expire...

K

I'm out. I hardly use it and I only kept it cause the deduction from salary was trouble free.

I too have given it away. While the people behind the scenes have done a great job and I appreciate their efforts, it was becoming very tedious that every time I pulled it out the deal had either expired or was not valid for what ever reason. Mamy places i would go were purely because they supported the EPC scheme as opposed to a first choice venue. I also expect that with the change of name there will be issues for a few months at least with confused looks from hospitality staff when you produce it.

We've just saved almost 2000aed using the epc card for my son's nursery fees over one term. Coupled with the fact we're regular users of some of the quieter beach clubs and gyms means we'll be hanging onto our cards for now.

After witnessing what EPC do with my email address I too am not willing to give them my bank details and pay for the privilege. I'm out!

This is very disappointing from the APC indeed.

Brash, aggressive and quite frankly an extremely arrogant email.

I know that there are many volunteers who work hard for the club, but their efforts are hard to appreciate when I read emails like this. It is nothing short of the usual Dubai drivel of "don't like it, there's the door"!:{


...and I :yuk::yuk: every time I read the "access to a privelaged life" moto.

The APC seriously need to go back to basics, what's with all the financial stuff? Provide more beach club access. Places have not increased that much in line with membership.

Funnily, I had forgotten how much I was paying into this club, now that they have highlighted it, I'm leaning towards offloading this 'privelaged' expense...

Sorry APC... you've gone too far this time :=

Everyone should write to them and tell them what they think about the 250Dhs threat. They have really crossed the line.


When they see on Sunday that 9000 members have written in over the weekend, that should send a message to them that they are there to serve us, and there are other alternatives out there.

I hope you good ol boys in the APC management are listening.... not a happy camp out here, but then again you probably wont.

My response sent today. Suggest those who are as disappointed as I am with their arrogance do the same.

I have always been a big supporter of EPC and like many on here have been a member for a long time....coming up 13 years in my case. The benefits are still good but I am disgusted by the email and the threat of a fine...it really does sound like an EK manager.
EPC is getting too big the membership is too wide and the benefits have not grown with the increase in numbers. Take a long hard look what you are doing guys read that email you sent out and just think about how you would react.

Anybody out there with a good alternative to AETNA? My sole reason I am still with that (business)"club".

Just heard from a friend of a friend of the nephew's neighbour of a committee member that the whole committee have been offered positions in HR when they manage to dismantle APC without blaming EK so all pilots finally take a platinum card.

When the club is gone EKHR can increase the fees and the company has completed the George Orwell experiment with total control over your life and makes money over it...

I've signed up with Baymac to get their medical coverage. I've got my membership but have yet to get the medical coverage. Plan on signing up to the medical cover in the next few weeks.

I second Baymac.

Wonder if we can convince Pork to start a new club.

Hmm.
The EPC/APC has changed out of all recognition in the 8 years+ I've been a member.
I agree that it has strayed from its original ethos of working for the EK pilot community and become a financial entity for its own betterment.

The recent change EPC-APC, happened certainly without, me as a member, being asked, as far as I'm aware.

The increase in subs is questionable as is the dated policy of kids falling off the age ladder at 16, when many are now doing A levels or their equivalent in DXB.

On reflection the whole furore of threatening fines is another example of the depersonalisation of DXB and will back fire big time IMHO.

For the number of times we use the various facilities and deals it is now a VERY expensive club.

Ruby...

Same thing happened to me but using my new platinum card. Had just left he picking up my platinum card to go buy a new mattress I needed. Didn't even think about having it until the salesman asked if I was Emirates (was I that obvious? :-) Pulled out my shiny new platinum card and got a 2,300 Dirham discount. Figure I'm good for 5 years or so of monthly fees with it!

Kap

Deadline 23rd Feb for a 28 days month!
 

So how can APC threatens to force a 250/ Aed charge when the membership expires end of the month.
I am with you all, the committee has lost the plot.

I was planning to renew, but now for the first time am putting some thought if it is worth it.

I know we are used to threatening emails within EK but from EPC .......

Not happy

Why is there a late fee 5 days before the end of the month? I thought the monthly membership fee was due at the end of the month and even then I don't remember anything about a late fee in any agreement (oh wait, what agreement!?). Shocking what they have been doing and are doing to something that used to be so great.

And I second everyone who says that for all that money you don't get in anywhere anyway as all the slots are used up. Useless!

As for the name change I'm sure EK had something to do with it but I also believe its because many had highlighted the fact that perhaps the EMIRATES PILOTS club should look after their own first and not let everyone with a pilots license, ATC license, dispatch license, management contract, etc in to the club. Nothing wrong with any of the aforementioned but with such a limited number of memberships everywhere it sort of kills the whole idea doesn't it!? Especially then when - as mentioned above - we're unable to get in to any beach clubs or pool areas as the club memberships aren't kept in proportion to the membership base. But hey, with a change in name that comment goes out the window doesn't it!!! Now all of us are unable to access anything :D

In all my years here I have never actually heard of anyone wanting to discontinue membership...till now. Now I hear it from all over! Sad!

Kapitan
 

Kapitan

message me the mattress vendors name thanks

Kapitan
 

Kapitan

Me too please, message me the mattress vendors name thanks

Sorry for the slight drift, but I too am interested in Baymac - it certainly looks good on spec. Could anyone with some experience - either now or in the future - please post their experiences, perhaps in a separate thread? Or if sensitive info, a pm would be appreciated.

Thanks!

This will be just one more credit type card I don't have to carry along with driver's license, UAE ID, Liquor License, car registration, Plantinum card, Medical Benefits card. Just like Emirates...I'm out.

nolimitholdem, I have had Baymac for a year and Half and It is great. I have a 2 year old girl. I have used for her in Spain and in the USA without any issues. If I could stop EK health insurance right now I would.

EPC/APC
 

Wouldn't it be cool to see someone start a club for EK pilots just like the original EPC?. When producing the card with pride instead of embarrassment.
Times change, same motto "If you don't like it, leave."