I can't believe EK up its Bond for training.
Bonds should be illegal!
Pilots thinking of joining should think long and hard about everything associated with Emirates but especially take a long hard look at the Bond issue.
Total crap.

It's not a bond. I may have said this before.

What is it then?
Don't get all technical on us. If it is an instrument to restrict freedom of movement then it is a Bond and an illegal one at that.

Whats illegal about a bond? Nothing I would guess. You want them to type rate you on a 777 and let you walk out the door never to return one week later?

You can argue the bond is too long and the cost is too high but most people see nothing wrong with a bond.

Personally $45,000 seems a lot and 5 years is too long. The problem is the where do you draw the line? Perhaps in 10 years airlines will do "lifetime bonds" or $100,000 buy out :}

Most pilots and most employees DO have a problem with Bonds.
After all a Bond is nothing more than an acknowledgement from the company that they are not paying Industry Standard pay rates and will use artificial methods to keep you in place.
Look at the concept, we are going to keep you in Bondage. How is that legal?
BA, LH, AA, DL and QF don't have Bonds. They must pay Industry Standard pay so hence no one leaves the company.
As a pilot Widebody you should be very much against a Bond of any kind.

Widebody, I think ek is $36000 and a 3 yr bond. I did it, and it never restricted my freedom or movement as AC might think. EK gave me a good type rating, if I was to skip in short time I owe them some or all of the training cost. I am still here after 8 yrs and still looking for something better. :ugh:

Johnny,


Joiners as of Apr 14 (with 3 exceptions) have a bond of $45000 and 5 yrs. Hello tomorrow.


The Don

Thanks Don, I did not know that. That may have kept me from joining if that was the policy 8 yrs ago. Ek better wake up.

correct
 

Allaru, No one is forced to come to EK to work. That is a big difference from laborers that are forced to work to repay. We are our own worst enemies as pilots. Look at RJ pilots in the US accepting $22,000 a year to work, is that not another twist on bonded labour. They make so little with such little time off, how do they have the freedom to get out?

"Despite the fact the Bonded Labor is illegal (UN 1956). "
Isn't that clear for everyone?
I can't believe we have a pilot saying he is happy he paid a Bond unless he is typing from the 3rd floor at EGHQ or from that crap LLC airline from Ireland.

I just talked to a 20 year Delta pilot. He does not have enough seniority to make wide-body captain at his base...so still an FO.

In the US I would say 5-12 years is the normal to make captain on their airline's smallest aircraft.

Guess it depends on how widely you define "forced". Perhaps in the "Glory Days" (when were those, again?!) people joined voluntarily, but a great many came due to unemployment or even worse working conditions elsewhere (*cough* Ryanair *cough*).

Choosing between making a living and not, feeding a family, or not - sure sounds like "forced" to me, no matter what word semantics one wishes to play. And if people come with debt, then they sure as hell will be "forced to work to repay".

At least it puts paid to EK's boasts about it being such a great employer. As well as their lies about attrition not being a problem. Both questions are answered resoundingly by increasing the period of slavery by 50%! :ooh:

Must be a NWA pilot in ATL but what does that have to do with EK numbers?
A Widebody Delta pilot in JFK and DTW is down to 14 years.

@atpcliff,

An American major bears no resemblance to EK in any way, shape or form. (For good and bad). If he wants a wide body command quicker, he's free to apply at EK, there should be a few spots opening up.

Didn't think so.

And that 777 "type" is P2...hardly worth anything


for 36K I'd want a P1

The bond is 42.000$ for 5 years.

MD

Time to Command
 

Whats the time to command like for the bunch of Airbus Drivers joining directly on the A380's like ?

About 6+ at the moment and that should stay the same for near future. 777 looks to be slowing down overall, soon it will match the 380. A bit surprised by TC statement of fleet size by 2020, can't find it but I think it said @38 additions planes by 2020, lower than 280 total once stated.

6+ sounds about right. Many of the 330/ 340 guys going through the upgrade right now are 6.5 to 7.5 years. For QOL the 380 is probably the fleet to aim for, depending on what you classify as QOL. Anyone being offered the 330 right now would need to be remember that if they are offered the whale, in two or three years time, will have their hours reset to zero towards the upgrade. As has been mentioned already, any type rating given as an F/O is P2 only. It's all about timing, as with any job, and right now isn't the best of times. Unless of course your faced with being out of work soon, then any job that pays the bills.... We will see what the coming weeks bring to our package.