Duty Free Not So Free as of May 1
 

The latest from the "Tower of joy and good tidings" is that from May 1 the duty free allowance for crew will be zero for crew. The good news is that there is no change for passengers :rolleyes:.

From what I see, the duty will be 50% on bottles with a receipt provided, so that AED 100 bottle of wine will now cost you AED 150. I'm not sure what the penalty will be if you "happen to lose the receipt", but I'd venture a guess and say it will be ridiculous.

Yes I am really feeling like a valued professional at EK! And they wonder why no one wants to join any more?

I thought this issue had gone away.....

Mr Outlaw

Can you please tell us where this info has come from as there's nothing on the portal.

Harry

Seriously, they have these forums, they see how the peasants are revolting and yet they penny pinch to squeeze the lemon of its last drops of juice.

They tried to say it was the customs authority last time and that backfired on them. Why do they have to keep pushing and pushing, they do nothing except create bad feeling and add another straw to the donkeys back.

I hope this is just another bad rumour....enough metaphors for today ������

When you have wanna be cabin crew line up from as early as 0300 during the open day at HQ, it’s no wonder the leaders feel they are firmly in the driving seat again!

http://https://lovindubai.com/lifest...ruitment-queue

If this does come back again, we ALL need to take 5 min of our time and drop an email. To whomever someone here thinks is best, and we need to find out why:
Why is this "rule" not applicable to our neighboring crew friends down the road, especially since this a "UAE rule".
Why this only applies to EK crew in Dubai, since no other inbound aircrew was affected.

As usual, it will most likely do nothing, but I would like to hear the truth rather than all the BS lies that were tossed at us last time this happened.

Not a pilot, so maybe someone can explain to a passenger why pilots should get cheap booze?

How about because I am an adult and as such I should be able to bring back a bottle of wine from my layover if I want to? Just like you can in every other country, just like the passengers can. It is one of the few perks of this job we have left that are fast disappearing

Cheap booze!?! What it means is that if we buy a nice bottle of wine in a wine shop in Italy we have to pay a extra cost in Dubai on arrival. As a passenger you are exempt. At the moment we have the same entitlement as passengers and pilots happen to be people who enjoy a glass of alcohol on their days off just like passengers.

You guys work for an airline, you get perks from your employers in the form of free/subsidized travel for yourselves, family and friends. This is perhaps the most valuable perk any expat can have.


As for the booze, perhaps I am mistaken. I assumed that you were referring to an entitlement to buy alcohol at duty-free prices onboard or in the airport shop.


But you seem to be talking about picking up an nice Chianti in Tuscany and bringing it back to the UAE. If that is the case then you should of course have the same entitlement as everyone else (but no more!).

Free/subsidized travel is not free or subsidized. It's inclusive of the T & C's of joining.

halas

And that's *if* you get the leave you asked for to use the "free/subsidised" travel.

Also it ain't free. We pay for it big time, more than any non-flyer could possibly understand. Especially in this company

The thought of a day trip for 'shopping' to Bahrain on Gulf Air has become more appealing. The icing on the cake is the complimentary lounge access at both ends with ones NBD credit card for a libation or two. :E

Why is this issue raising its ugly head again? I thought with all the bad press, complaints, unfairness, and total upheaval & fiasco of the customs guys/gals in EGHQ, that we had put this ridiculous restriction behind us?

I haven’t heard anything on it? Therefore as far as I’m concerned it’s business as usual. I’ll be bringing in my “duty free” because that’s what it is - “free from duty!”

Emirates cannot dictate Customs Policy to us - that policy must come from the UAE government itself. If this change is coming from UAE Customs, it must be implemented for All Crew members of all Air Carriers, - not just Emirates!

Let’s hope this is just a bad rumor!

nice try, the company and/or customs can restrict as they please....at GF we had restrictions in Bahrain on duty free alcohol to one bottle a month for quite a long time, as the local boy cabin crew were running their own liquor store with the duty free they were bringing in, and got caught...hence the restriction...but it was GF only, other airlines had same allowances as the pax

I don't believe that there can be a State tax that is specific to EK crew. Somebody somewhere is trying to be a little too clever. Has anyone ever sought details of the legal basis for this charge (and who, precisely, is levying the charge?)

Probably because you are resident in Dubai. Don't ask me for the logic, but I have seen that given as a reason to impose limitations on crew importing booze to their home base.

Legal basis - Lol

There are two separate issues here it seems to me:


Firstly there is whether or not anyone should be allowed to bring alcohol on a plane to Dubai. The Government of Dubai is entitled to permit this or not as it chooses (Qatar doesn't permit it for example, even though alcohol is available in Qatar). That law should apply to everyone equally, passengers and crew. However the airline is entitled to apply separate rules to its employees - when you are flying you are at work and responsible for the passengers and equipment of your employer. The airline could say that it does not want employees bringing any alcohol (or a limited amount of alcohol) on to its planes and it would be perfectly within its rights to do so - most workplaces the world over do not allow employees to bring alcohol on to the premises.


The second issue is the application of a charge/duty by airlines on alcohol brought into Dubai by airline personnel. Here the airline has no rights whatsoever. Duties are a tax levied by Governments only, and not by corporate entities. The taxes paid by airline staff resident in Dubai should be the same as those paid by any other resident of Dubai.

The third issue is that it actually hasn't been announced that this is happen yet. So a lot of energy is being wasted on a non event so far.

Forth issue is that Dubai customs collected the duty last time, not the airline. So the money paid as duty goes to the government. No surprise there.

And pilots should be given a better duty free allowance than the pax down the back. As pilots are better looking, and just great guys/gals. This also seems very obvious.

The rumour is May 1. Last time it was announced 3 days prior if I am not mistaken?

Thursday April 26th, 3:15pm
 

26th is the last Thursday in April. Expect announcement then.

:} :ok:

This sounds like a thread starter in the good old days of "fun" pprune lol

Because they have perfected the art of bean counting, they have already put a number of resignations into account if this materializes

Just like everyone quits after the profit share announcement?? It never happens, everyone keeps rowing.

Couldn’t agree more. The amount of times I’ve heard that long before ever joining EK!

So the lunch time beer at the BMW factory is truly unique ... not to mention the wine offered in staff restaurants all over Europe .. who knew ?

So passengers and other airlines crew are fine! But not EK crew!?!? Why they hate us so much 😡

Whats the problem? Just get it drunk before you land.......simples.

So, 32 posts in and still no confirmation from The thread starter as to the validity and source of his information.

I can't believe how many people get their knickers in a twist without any concrete evidence to back up this drivel! It may have slipped the notice of many but The Outlaw will be leaving EK within the next month or so. A last attempt to stir the pot and wind up the angry and gullible mob before leaving perhaps?

If this policy is indeed forthcoming, which I very much doubt, let's deal with it as and when. In the meantime, seriously?

Harry

Wait for it Harry....have some faith in the downward trend!

I assume you can read so you might remember that the lifting of the ban was a TEMPORARY MEASURE as written by the company. No where was it ever written that this was rescinded permanently. You may also recall that the "R" in PPRUNE stands for "rumour", would you agree with that Mr. Cod?

If I recall correctly, your country of birth allows for 1 litre of spirts or 2 bottles of wine duty free, much the same as mine, but we don't complain there, why is that? Booze and smoke are a big source of tax in most western countries so why not here? Start small with crew then slowly restrict passengers over time. Seems logical for any country looking for additional revenue. You strike me as a logical thinker Harold, I thought you of all people would support the masters on this one!

Its coming, its not a rumour and no, I won't reveal my sources. The target date is May although I suspect it might come a little later, lets see how it plays out with the religious holidays approaching.

Enjoy your duty free cola!

Just my gut feeling but I can't see them altering the allowance for passengers any time soon. The allowance is generous in global terms and ridiculously so in a regional context, when some GCC states prohibit any alcohol from being taken in.

The main reason I suspect is tourism. If you think the Russians on holiday in Sharjah are dry for their entire stay, then think again! :E

I was talking to my colleague the other day. UAE's alcohol allowance is more generous than most Western countries as they don't impose a limit of hard liquer. You can bring in 4L of any type you like. Most countries don't have that.

Oh Joy.

The Outlaw = SOPS V.2

Spoke to Customs this morning (when he finally got off his phone) and he had no idea.

It’s really good to see that some pilots aren’t shackled to Emirates and can escape.
Good luck Outlaw. Wherever you’re going I’m sure it’s better than here.

When do you have time to drink all this booze?

Yes, because escaping EK is the most painful and selfish thing SOPS or myself (and many hundreds of others) have ever done!

Craggenmore = Stockholm Syndrome and a good minion!!

Is there really anyone who would resign over the loss of Duty Free?

Outlaw comparing yourself to SOPS is a tad rich. SOPS has never attacked his former colleagues like you and a few others do. He gives a perspective that is his experience and happiness with leaving.

There are guys that leave and come back here and have good input, Neptune, Falcon, SOPS etc - but they don’t blur the lines between mgt & pilots - that you and people like AirBubba do.

Craggenmore has always had balanced input.

You are often on here having a bitter pop at EK pilots - we are not the source of your anger. In fact I would go so far as to say that one of the main reasons many of us stay - is because of the guys in the flight deck that you keep having a go at.

Do us a favor - save your vitriol for the ex mgt that you have issues with - as against your old colleagues who you worked side by side with, guys and gals who on occasion probably helped you out of sticky ending.

Never understood the guys who leave and take it out on their fellow pilots.

Grow up