100 EK pilot resignations on 01 Apr, allegedly
 

Or so the whisper goes...prompting a meeting on the 7th floor.

Even though almost every pilot I know is unhappy at EK and looking for a quick exit I think 100 pilots in one month let alone one day is quite high.
Wait until the pay review or the profit share. If they both lack expectations you might see 200 pilots leave this summer though.

What happens on the 7th floor?

It's the place they take you to see when you retire, and on the wall is the Big Picture you never had your whole career
J

All they have to do is have a second option for pilots where for a different payscale, you can have a commuting schedule like KAL and high time guys will be beating down the door to get in.

'Twas 93.

April 1 is the date dictated by avarice: this is the earliest one can resign and ensure full payment of profit share.

The next avalanche will be June 1, when those who have already sent their families home to Europe or the USA will resign in order to get three more paycheques and then go home to help the kids and mom start the new school year.

Jammed great idea but the powers that be here will never even consider it as it will give too much control to the pilots, as the idiots perceive it.

Why all the changing-the-world news happen always on the 1st of April?

Oh i see..

And, sorry to bother...

All these guys know that outside their golden compounds there is nothing but sand? Excuse me the tricky joke, but in Europe there is nothing.. Airlines are racing to lower the conditions and states are raising the cost of living. Pension? Forget it in Europe.

Now, I am running away from a ****ty 100 a/c airline here because I can take it anymore.. Really, and I see people in the Middle East complaining all the time and eventually (because rumors must be confirmed) run out to Asia.

People in Asia, screaming like rabbits that they can't stay there there is no life and commuting cannot be done for long..

Are we all crazy or it is just always the same people complaining all the time and never happy anywhere?!?!?

Sooner or later I will join Qatar, (if they mind to have a look at this f@c$ing holding pool) will I join all the whining? Hope not!

EK is now a rather unique case Southpole in that it is short of pilots due to resignations and this shortage is made more intense as EK tries to continue its expansion. EK is working the pilots that remain harder than is fair, healthy or safe, is doing nothing to engage constructively with the remaining pilot body and is failing to acknowledge that there even is a problem or to publish a road map to recovery.

This leads to feelings of resentment and low morale amongst all crew. Throw in fatigue, lack of appreciation, the inability to get leave, or having forced leave that you have to take in Dubai as your children are at school here and you may get just a little flavour of the thoughts going through the average EK pilot's mind nowadays.

A good profit share and pay rise is essential - more so for the company than the pilots - as EK desperately needs to protect the brand name and has to find a bigger carrot to attract more, and better quality, applicants.

For me and many others though, it is more about quality of life. Salary and profit share is important but not at the expense of our long term health and ongoing family life. EK can either choose to do something radical about it or not. But if they do not they will have even more aircraft parked (undergoing unscheduled maintenance) due lack of crews.

They know it. We know it. They know we know it. Why aren't they talking to us?

Will that be you in a few years Southpole? Probably.

^^^^^^^^^^
Best post in a long time
Keep living the dream....

Just remind me of the definition of April Fools Day, is a universal thing? :\

Mr Purley
 

Irrespective of when and if the number on the date is true, the points that Bananas have made are valid:D

Crunch time is apon us. The pilot group is so downtrodden that even the cool aide kids are having a hard time keeping their S"it together. The local workforce are even having to work as every trick in the book is being applied to hold it together.

I seriously believe that even the kids like "SouthPole" must be smart enough to know that rosters of 95+ hours on mixed schedule flying is not something worth jumping from the frying pan for:=

For all our sakes the 95hours flight time plus duty and minimal days off must change.........We only have one life/family/chance:mad:

J:E

Bananas,

Thank you for the nice explanation on what is going on..

Jidder,

I'd love to be a kid but I am afraid that time passed long ago and it is not coming back. But from you I will take it as a compliment......

Southpole,

Funny that you mention Qatar Airways...

Why don't you come to Emirates? Isn't EK your first choice? Guess not... Why?

Please come.. We need pilots like you.. You have no Idea what you are talking about how life and working in the Pit is....

Come and see because, we are actually living the dream.... NOT.

You are right, we had a great gig but with this special kind of stupid managers, it all got distroyed... For no reason other than their greed and shortsightness...

Pan Am was a glorious and world leading company.... So WAS Emirates...

But after the last Email of STC I feel apreciated and SO LOOKED AFTER... Now we are all buddies again and we need to work together....

I loved his finish:
Until next time, do take care. You owe it to yourself, your loved ones and your team.


Please Go the extra mile because your warning letter and condenscendig briefing is waiting for you by your chief pilot.
Who should have had the same CRM course like we all did and should have learned how to speak to his TEAM.
With respect. But that word is not known to our managment Team.

So keep beating the Minions.... They have no choice anyways... Thats why 100 resigned and the tsunamy slowely makes landfall.. More to come

Flaphandlemover,

You take it like I was saying that you are all stupid guys complaining for nothing.. While I said that everyone is complaining everywhere but actually looks like there is no perfect place. I am as well running away from Europe at light speed..

Maybe the living in Dubai is getting worse, ok, outside is even worse.
Keep fighting for your rights! But once you leave, you will find nothing outside.

And of course, do not take it personal.

I had my reasons to get Qatar as first choice, second would be etihad and emirates third but I am not 330 type rated and so be get in as cpt I do not meet minimum requirements.

Regards

7th Floor
 

Was on 7th floor last week, 'Big Picture' missing!
Perhaps it's been moved to the 9th floor?

What Cat St3v3ns said about jet planes
 

I'm 100% certain it was at least 01;)

DtP
Avarice - very nice!:ok:
93? I heard something very close but just above.
I can only be certain of one though.

Of course there is NO perfect place. You just have to choose what works for you and/or your family the best.

"The grass is greener over there!!" well of course it is because it "rains more".:ugh:

95 hrs, 5 days OFF, one day AD, 4 days OFF, thanks Adel

Are you kidding!!!!! :eek::eek::eek: :yuk:

Over the other side at FZ and this is by no means happening for all pilots but with some decent bidding (and a bit of luck) three of my last four months have been,

71 hours 16 off
75 hours 15 off
82 hours 14 off.

Oh yeah and thats without any leave too.

Come over……. :ok:

So let me get this straight GoreTex. Their only answer to this ever increasing crisis, and a crisis it is, is to make the lazy pilots fly on 95 hours, and then ensure that the lazy pilot can't have a good string of days off by putting an AD in the middle of them? That's it? That's the plan? So in other words, get the few pilots that remain, and beat them with a huge stick until they drop.

The plot has well and truely been lost. I feel for you all.

I was trying to swap a very popular flight to move it by one day. I've gone through hundreds of rosters. Nowadays typical roster is 7 on 1 off 3-5 on 2 off (or very close to that) hence impossible to swap. If you find someone to swap with this time you get the swap reject saying exceeding 100 in 28 or not enough days off in 28.
Well expect that number to double/triple once the schools close.

SOPS,
had to come back here and then the AD was converted in a day OFF, just to piss me off

You are kidding me....the place has fallen apart.

They have completely forgotten the basic function of an airline and which human resource is most vital to that end. It really is astonishing

Hey, but there is people like Southpole that calls us all Idiots...

He is coming to Qatar onto the 330 soon. He found paradiese...

please welcome him with 95h and all nightflights...

Flaphandlemover,

Do you have a problem in understanding what I write? I would never disrespect anyone for his personal choices. Read my post again please.

If you got this message I am sorry, It was not what I meant.

@ Southpole

Quote:
You take it like I was saying that you are all stupid guys complaining for nothing...


Well English is not my first language and I am tempted to understand it the way I said.....

Apology accepted and lets move on...

I do wish you all the best in Qatar and enjoy it as long as it lasts...

My last log on middle 2011 shortly prior to resignation that I wish had done at least 2 years earlier. Now I see many of the same 'posters' going on about very similar things that were happening in and prior to 2011. But they remain.
In fact one of the stressful factors in the years leading up to resignation was the whining and bitching on pprune.
I moved initially to an embarrassment of an airline and quickly moved to where I should have gone well prior to 2011.
The aircraft colour scheme is not everyone's cup of tea but is fine if you like light blue.
As a comparison to the general gist of this thread my average roster is a tad over 60 hours per month. Typical roster is two long flights, a medium length and a shortish flight. Normal roster for a month 4 flights. I am entitled to 14 consecutive days off every month and I nominate the dates and always get them. I can if I wish have more than that, and in that case I would have a salary adjustment at year end but it is my choice. I go where I want on the network for days off and can change every month if I wish. I generally get 3-4 days reserve at base of operations but is no requirement to be contactable so one can do what one wants on day of reserve. For 3-4 pilot operations bunk is where f class toilets are on Ek 777 and captain always has f class seat. Take off and landing is in f class seat not cockpit and you choose f seat or bunk; both available to you.
Accommodation at operations base very comfortable and allowances paid every day away from ones nominated home base, i.e. If you are not on days off you get allowances. Individual per diems less than Ek but monthly total higher (usd1000). Hotel accommodation on layovers generally slightly lower standard than ek and often airport location; what to do? Layovers often multiple days not the 24 hour standard for ek. Network good.
Salary less than 12 year Ek captain but more I think than 1st year captain unless one has three kids at private school I suggest, however factor in 60 hours vs 95 hours and compare money per working hour and the equation looks quite different.
There are no passenger flights departing from home base outside of approx 8am-9pm. No going to work for 3am departures. General fatigue level is a fraction of ek and basically negligible.
There are many ek pilots here. I'm surprised there aren't more.
It is not perfect however but a lot more so in my opinion than ek.
I haven't regretted for a single instant resigning from ek and I just saw an ek 380 landing outside my hotel window and feel nothing.
If ek started home basings in my city/country I can't say I wouldn't consider it however the rostering would have to be sorted and I would never consider working with HaH as a boss again.

Good post, nice to hear other points of view.

My tunnel has started, just counting the days. Preparing to manage my disappointment on May 7th.

vbrules please check your PM

Qatar already has legal right not to count bunk time, only "stick time" towards your daily, monthly and annual flight limits. So you can do a ULR credited at 30hrs and only get 15hrs credited towards your duty times. Be careful you could end up on duty for two ULR a month and only be credited 30hrs, not 60!
(Hope that makes sense..)
I think that is the next beating to be implemented by EK.

you lose a nights sleep on every EK pairing.. 6-8 times a month. not sustainable.

100 Pilots going MIA
 

Meanwhile, back on the thread, does anyone know the truth of this rumour about 100, 96 or 93 pilots resigning on April Fools Day?

Vbrules, are you a skipper at Korean?

Spoke to an HR lady who has the numbers. As much as we wish for the 100+ She could not confirm that.. She said around 30-35.


Wht was admitted is, that the attrition rate went up from 2.7 to 3.7. Which is actually a shocking huge jump...

They know they have a problem. Will anything change?
But there was a meeting between the local boys and HHSA amd HHSMo...

Seems the truth has gone all the way up and further...

Saw the figures on cruise...actual number was in the month of April, 69. Also been told they canx the DEC course planned for June/July as not enough to fill the course!

As for HR people telling the truth....if you believe them, then I have shares in a bridge for sale!

Auditor told me its 126 resignations in the early days of April. That was the number that was told at a bouncy castle meeting. It was also mentioned that things are going to get worse as we will have to pay for the shortfall in Pilots.

The beatings shall continue until morale improves................