I'll focus it from a different point of view:

Sallytraffic, as someone who was in your same position some time ago: There is nothing I regret more in my life than having turned down (other) opportunities of leaving your very same current employer.

Sally, get your command. Get 1000 hrs PIC, then think about it.

Eh, let me think,......no.

Emphatic NO!!

(Am I being too subtle?)

Many thanks for the responses guys.

Lots of food for thought

SallyTraffic check your pm's

Sally I am mostly just a lurker here to read the occasional rumor and whatnot...

I also came from a LCC from europe with the absolute min requirements and got my command on the fatbus in less than 5 years.
It all depends on where you come from and what you had before the jump to the desert. The senior guys have seen deteriorations so are quite grumpy while most new guys I fly with are happy atleast on the fatbus.

You will fly over 900 hours a year and on average 10 days a month if not more.
I cant speak for the 777 or the littlebus were things are much worse.

If I had to decide now to come again I still would come no questions asked..
Nothings perfect but its much better than 6 days turnarounds 2 days off and 7days turnarounds 1 day off that i had before :)
Once you fly ULR operations there is no going back!

Also one thing you should consider that the happy guys even possibly a minority like most ppl will say here dont bother with pprune and have better things to do with their time.

At least someone here is happy....

Whatever your choice is, choose wisely. Take into consideration why people are grumpy and vent here. I hope it works out for you.

I'm not a negative person in general and when I got my command at the 3 year mark I was generally happy...

By the 5 year mark I began to realise that Dubai was not a good place for the family (have a young boy who was 3 at that time).

By the 7 year mark I was totally disillusioned with the rat-race lifestyle of Dubai and was very lucky to be offered a left seat in a successful loco at home base in the UK. A little less money but such a healthier lifestyle and nicer workplace atmosphere. And my family life has improved so much.

Would I recommend EK to anyone there days? To a young, single FO I would say YES, see the world and enjoy the EK girls. For a more experienced family guy or a current captain? NO, not these days. Don't take the family out when it will be a one-way ticket. So difficult in our rarefied profession to get back to your job/base of choice especially if you're left-seat...

In short, No.
I take absolutely no pleasure in the pronouncement at all but from my seat, lhs 777, that is the case.
I was hoping to make EK my final airline before hanging up my wings. It still may be but only in the sense that EK has destroyed my enthusiasm for a career I loved.
The work patterns and hours flown mean EK are operating in an area of the unknown. No other long haul operator flies its crews so much and minimizes recovery time.
We used to get 4 days off after a ULR trip, we needed it then, we do now, but only get 2 off now.
The OM-A states that the Company will avoid the 18-30 hr rest period whenever possible, yet all our European layovers are 24 hrs+/-, even when there are multiple aircraft to the destination each day.
Salary has not come even close to keeping pace with local inflation which makes life far less fun all round.
To add to this many of us have been forced to relocate into undeveloped desert suburbs, living cheek by jowl with our company colleagues. Many not being able to choose in which "hutch" we must reside.
The option to move out from Company accom is there but not without digging deep into an already stretched salary to get something half decent.
The 9th floor regime has taken what was without doubt the best expat job in the region and possibly the world, and nickel and dimed it, so that now the experience level, in hours. on the flight decks has halved, and is getting lower by the day as those at the top decide QOL and a frugal retirement is preferable to dying early.
For youngsters who want to come, come and see if you don't believe what you read on Pprune, but have an out before you do.

I can't agree more with what Trader said! But for me the killer was seeing a great colleague going through hell recently. His 5 year old kid died in a tragic incident at a "respected" sports camp here in Dubai. Their story pulled me out of that Dubai "bubble" I was living in.
He and his wife have been treated really poorly by the authorities! No respect, no empathy, left in the dark and basically left on their own to handle the situation, which they still bravely and silently do to honour their kid. Silently because we all know what happens here to people opening their mouths and telling the truth.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear from them that they got a lot of support from EK. At least a positive and humane action from the company.

My point is that this place is being portrayed as the safest place on earth, the place to be, but it's far from that. When the **** really hits the fan, believe me and I've seen it, you're on your own! This place is overpriced, overrated, posh on the surface but underneath that so underdeveloped, and not safe at all!

EK isn't great but it could be worse. But just stay the hell out of this country! It's the best thing you can do to yourself and especially your family. If you're working for a Europe LCC, please get your command and stay there! You'll be far better off there then down here!
I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago, packing my bags and leave this godforsaken place.

Something positive about EK? The only positive thing about this circus is the leaving process. The smoothest and most efficient process ever experienced in this place. But I'm sure they have the process down to an art.

Some really interesting views, cheers everyone for responding.

Ezy - that sounds horrendous, terrible where ever you are but to have to deal with a backwards social system / prehistoric authorities makes it even more stressful.

My mind is pretty much made up now, after much careful consideration I think a thousand or so command hours are extremely valuable as a back up plan to get out if it doesn't work out.

Thanks once again to the kind chaps who took the time to PM and post on here.

Cheers

Sally,

I got my thousand hours as a back up and now I'm using them. It was better than where I was, but no where near what they sold us. A polished turd is the best way to describe it. Get those command hours as a back up. Absolutely.

Insane
 

Anybody giving up an opportunity to go left seat in their own airline to come to EK must be insane. All the pilots that have come with command experience know they have still have a lifeline in their pocket

P.S. Except those with fake licenses logbooks and experience , EK is their only lifeline

Sally,

I've only been with EK under a year... "Regret" is the main word I use coming here. I left a good life in Australia, I thought EK was the "Bee's Knees" and I would be living the dream in Dubai... Far Far from it... I wished I had joined PPrune before joining Emirates, because what you read from 90% of these guys is the truth. I'm leaving EK shortly to go to QF. Do yourself a favour and don't move to Dubai. :ok:

Versace

Alwaysinit
The 18-30 rest period was a copy n past extract from CAP371. This was aimed at UK Charter Airlines flying many moons ago UK to initially Orlando day time come back 24 hours later at night. At this time there was only mickey mouse or gospel channels to watch on telly.
Nowadays with the advent of FRMS things have changed a little and the science has moved towards recommending crews to stay as close as possible to their local timezone. This does require a high level of dedication at 0400 US local waiting for breakfast etc. In the case of many flights that EK operate night / day the 18-30 hour rest period is spot on. Short sleep when you arrive, get up , then local nights sleep Dubai time, get up fly home all scientifically validated.
Problem is not all trips are like this and a ULR to Miami and waiting for hours to deplane clear immigration blah blah or ones where its down to one sleep etc are pushing crews to limits never dreamt when Douglas Bader started talking FTL.

Good post Twiglet1 , factual !

Sally, make sure you chose wise. Better ask some of your ex colleagues that fly with EK now. Their experience would be more valuable to you.

We all know that the situation is not the best.. BUT that is not an excuse to humanise the enemy (LCC).

Versace is having a gap year from QF.

Has job waiting in a legacy carrier.

Bit different to those giving up everything to move to the ME with no certainty of a job on return if they don't like it.

halas