I didn't mean to interrupt professionals bitching, sorry......! I'll tell you something about being experienced..., you come to realize that there are no greener pastures, there are just different shades of brown....! And my point is that things must not be as bad as some of you portray here if you are looking for nirvana to leave!

A little hint...., you're not going to find it! That's why they are called jobs and not pastimes.

The Stockholm syndrome is very strong here. A lot of people with family already displaced their families a long way from home once, for a company that doesn't give a crap about them. All hail the profit. So they're very very afraid from displacing them again just for similar results.

Dominican, I'm guessing your comments relate to what you think you know, I'm also sure you have spoken to enough ex EK drivers to also get an appreciation that it's not all in our collective imagination.
The devil you know when you have kids in school and a wife who enjoys the trappings can be problematic to wrest yourself away from, but you knew that because you've been here and lived it?
Regardless of your opinion, or anyone else's for that matter, all of us who have been for a while are continually looking for the exit, staying is now life and relationship threatening, quite simply the brutal nature of the rosters means 10 years is about as long as most can cope with.
The Chinese option is viable for some and repugnant for others, just the same as the Japanese or Korean offers.
For me, no amount of money could compensate me for the ordeal of working in China, Japan, or Korea, I would and will take a huge pay cut to return home in due course because this place, specifically EK, cares not one iota for the individual, it is however the devil I know.

I remember someone on here making a comment that was very poignant as well as wryly amusing (I wish I could remember who it was to credit them with it): the grass being greener on the other side of the fence just means it rains more there.

What jobs and locations are best for people is going to be extremely subjective, and there is no broad right or wrong in most cases (though a few companies are clear wins or losses). But it is critical that folk do extensive research before jumping. I have known colleagues here and in previous companies that have gone elsewhere without the slightest idea about the widely discussed problems in those companies, jumping wilfully blindly from pans into fires. That's fine if you're single, but not fair if you have a family. It pains me to state the blindingly obvious, but when you vote with your feet, make sure they are ruled by your head, not your heart. It is staggering how many people let emotion get out of control and make their lives, and oft their families', worse just for the sake of the moment of pleasure of resigning their current position without being careful about lining up a decent escape.

Please don't come to China
 

Gents , lots of good points made from several out there.

China is great for the right pilot - RSP etc works pretty well. Not all beer n skittles and the leave is a definite issue.

But , as a fourth year captain about to settle into my Business class seat on a dead head CZ , MEL to CAN , it's not all terrible ...

But then I don't really want any more guys to come / apply either ... As if they can't get the pilots needed , they will (CSA that is ) ..are likely to have to match the higher salaries.

Which flows into me ...

So stay put unless you want a new adventure ! 👍

And what de you think about the smog and pollution?

Do you change your life for the new one with smog?

And the air in Dubai is?

So which company does give a crap about their pilots?:bored::uhoh::hmm:

I know it's not good today here but China really is the polluted sh1thole of the world... And the local lads seem to like to make the flightdeck IFR too with their smoking. NO THANKS...

Based on your experience working in Asia right? Because of course you wouldn't be making that statement based on the devil you think you know right?

I know a lot of people that are happy in EK so not everyone is looking for an out..., I also know a lot of people that are happy working in Asia..., and that's my point, job satisfaction is a personal preference...., I also know a couple of guys that took that paycut you are talking about to go back home and things are not what they expected...., guys that took that dream job at FedEx, UCAL, UPS just to find themselves applying to other jobs a couple of years down the line....! Go figure!

"...guys that took that dream job at FedEx, UCAL, UPS just to find themselves applying to other jobs a couple of years down the line....! "

The Dominican,

A life in freight flying looks to me like a tough way to earn a living so maybe I can see people leaving that world. But, what have you heard of/from people who left UCAL ?

@bafanguy....., the two individuals that I know that left UAL recently, well it was a long conversation but it boiled down to company culture...., they just didn't like working there for several reasons.

The Dominican,

I hope they landed someplace good. Leaving a legacy carrier is a bold move at this moment in history...unless you go to another legacy. ;-)

Two places and 4 1/2 years of working in Asia to be precise, so I have a good idea the pitfalls and otherwise, for me, never again.

May you tell us where did you work in Asia??

The Dominican,

If I may, I'll send you a PM. I have a couple of questions and don't want to create any more thread drift than necessary.