The correct question to ask is “Can someone tell me how many hours per year I’ll be locked up in the tube, factorising my hours, while doing ULH and could someone please send me a couple of rosters?”

Good luck.

CP

How long is a piece of string?

Are you out partying and flashing the cash? Do you want a fancy car, the latest and greatest? In which case not much.

Are you quiet and retiring, Not into the clubbing scene and an old banger is good enough? Then a lot.

You know your spending habits. Dubai is not cheap by any means and has lots of shiny things designed to separate you from your EK paycheck.

As a near new joiner, I’m also really intrigued by the question of how much can one save up there. My little family and I aren’t flashy but we do have this idea that we will be able to “hop” off to Europe for 3-4 days between my duties or they come on a duty with me to a European destination before my days off and then after I complete the duty I’ll go back and meet them. To those in the know, is this achievable once or twice a month??

That’s a bit of a dream I am afraid

Have you had a look at a roster for the fleet you are joining? I think what you are proposing is a fantasy. Aside from anything else, trying to recover from the fatigue from your trips. And I stand to be corrected, but I don’t believe you would even get enough days off in a row very often, to do what you are proposing.

Not to mention having to be acclimated for many of the trips we do. You will manage it once in a blue moon.

Haven’t seen that many rosters but one of them looked like it could be doable with 3 days off afterwards. Again, I’m not going to say otherwise to what you guys are saying, you’re obviously in the know but it’s more of an idealist view that we have before getting up there.
I’ve also heard about a no long haul rule for new joiners for the first 6 months after getting checked to line. If this is true and you can’t do long haul, doesn’t that just leave Europe, India and returns?

Its the first I have heard of no long haul for 6 months but things change daily. The good thing about the ULR is it uses the hours, if your only doing the short stuff you are working more days. Dont underestimate the tiredness of multiple night turns

I’ve heard the no long haul from a number of different current EK A380 pilots so I tend to think it could be true. Something about needing experience rather than time in the bunk

As I say it could be true, I dont keep up with that kind of stuff since doesn’t effect me.

Just be realistic with what you will be coming to and what you will leave behind. There is a lot of posts on the pro’s and con’s here. Decide on the general feeling you get from them, remember people dont generally come on website to sing the praise of companies. That said there is much truth in what you read, as I say pro’s and con’s.

The destinations are interesting and challenging, so the flying side is good. T&C have slipped a lot the last few years, but ultimately you are joining on the current terms which you have to access yourself. Be aware that things do change here and rapidly at times. The days of pay rises and bonuses have gone and Dubai is an expensive place to live.

It isnt easy, you will work incredibly hard and you will be very tired, days off are at a premium. With a family it is hard. Lots of travelling on your days off is unrealistic in my view, on occasion but not often.

25k a 30k aed a month. I am surprised. I always imagined EK had too pay much more to attract pilots to the ME.
Ok, you get free housing (I do not care much about schooling as most schools in european countries cost next to nothing anyway.)

Do not come here thinking purely about money.
Yes it helps but you’re away from home, away from family and friends and getting time off to go back has been made more problematic by management than it should be, you’re away from your home airlines ie if you ever want to go back you’ll most likely go to bottom of seniority list!
it’s not nirvana here, the money should make up for being away from home country, so make sure you think of the big picture (that’s when you take the money blinkers off!) before you think of coming.
Young free and single maybe, married with kids think very hard about it!!!
You have been warned!

HOOROO: Try Africa, Asia and the local region as well as Europe and India for non ULR. You will NOT be doing much traveling with the family between flights as you would like to think is possible!

I have seen a very large number of family disasters because of guys not taking the good advice of colleagues in the rejoin . Come but come prepared, meaning make sure your family is fully aware of what they are embarking on . I still know wives afraid to drive , some schools close others an hour drive twice a day . MS 30-40 min drive to the beach if no traffic .

yes you can save !