CX F/O Pay !! Have I got this right ?
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: europe
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to whom it may concern :
I just checked my last salary, it is exactly 3788 pound GROSS, after U.K. tax 2850 Sterling!!!
That is for a 747 flying 12 day patterns with 4-5 days rest in between, which clearly must be one of the worst contracts on the market...
I just checked my last salary, it is exactly 3788 pound GROSS, after U.K. tax 2850 Sterling!!!
That is for a 747 flying 12 day patterns with 4-5 days rest in between, which clearly must be one of the worst contracts on the market...
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Dubai
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I joined CX freighters in 2000 as F/O on 38K GBP pa, and am now a freighter captain on 85K
Not sure I could get onto the property ladder in the UK with less than GBP5k a month
Join Date: Mar 2008
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to whom it may concern :
I just checked my last salary, it is exactly 3788 pound GROSS, after U.K. tax 2850 Sterling!!! That is for a 747 flying 12 day patterns with 4-5 days rest in between, which clearly must be one of the worst contracts on the market...
I just checked my last salary, it is exactly 3788 pound GROSS, after U.K. tax 2850 Sterling!!!
That is for a 747 flying 12 day patterns with 4-5 days rest in between, which clearly must be one of the worst contracts on the market...
Join Date: Sep 2005
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I fully understand all the reasons given for not wanting to join Cathay, everyone has their own circumstances and the job is right for some and not for others. You have to set your goals and see if you can achieve them there - and if not, then don't join.
All this I understand. What I do not understand is why apply at all, if you think the conditions are so bad? I mean, none of this stuff is new - the interview process is famous for being the way it is, and it's been that way since, well, forever, and the salary and terms and conditions are widely available with a little bit of research. Morale in the company is widely publicised on this forum. In fact, the freighter pay has recently increased, so when you applied it was actually a lot lower. Why are people surprised by this information at the interview invite stage when you presumably knew all this (or could easily have) before applying?
All this I understand. What I do not understand is why apply at all, if you think the conditions are so bad? I mean, none of this stuff is new - the interview process is famous for being the way it is, and it's been that way since, well, forever, and the salary and terms and conditions are widely available with a little bit of research. Morale in the company is widely publicised on this forum. In fact, the freighter pay has recently increased, so when you applied it was actually a lot lower. Why are people surprised by this information at the interview invite stage when you presumably knew all this (or could easily have) before applying?
Join Date: Apr 2005
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A fair point. I guess for most of us, we apply first, wait for the invitation and then start the research. In my case I applied in June 2007 and got the invite in November. Only then did I hear about CoS08.
Also for most of us, Pprune is the best source of first hand info and it is of course notoriously biased to the negative.
I had actually decided to go to HK and see for myself but as I needed a full week off to make the journey, I just couldn't arrange the time off with my employer and after two attempts, decided to withdraw.
I do admit to then sense of never really knowing for myself. But as the saying goes, "The wise man learns from his mistakes, the wiser man learns from those of others". An the overwhelming number of PMs and posts I received said don't do it - you won't be happy here.
KT
Also for most of us, Pprune is the best source of first hand info and it is of course notoriously biased to the negative.
I had actually decided to go to HK and see for myself but as I needed a full week off to make the journey, I just couldn't arrange the time off with my employer and after two attempts, decided to withdraw.
I do admit to then sense of never really knowing for myself. But as the saying goes, "The wise man learns from his mistakes, the wiser man learns from those of others". An the overwhelming number of PMs and posts I received said don't do it - you won't be happy here.
KT
Join Date: Apr 2006
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north canuck/truelight:
what changed since I joined is quite significant in my opinion :
- RA 65 : that implies
a) longer time to upgrade
b) impossibility of pax command on a base for the forseeable future
- on-shore tax
- decrease of Sterling and HK$ compared to the Euro
- no fair pay rise to keep up with inflation
- integration of KA guys, on the bottom of the list, BUT with current rank, which in effect extends upgrade times even further
- roster got worse very year. it used to be reasonable 7-9 days, followed by 6 off. Now it is almost always 12 days , followed by 4 -5 days off
- delays are the norm, not the exception. your roster is not worth the paper, I recieve about 1-2 changes per day when enroute. 24 hrs rest in the hotel is standard as well now, which results in constant fatigue.
- the company used at least to talk to the union. Now, when they don't like the outcome, the management simply ignores the ( very modest !)demands and just reinstate new rules ( e.g. COS8)
- pollution in Hong Kong gets worse by the minute. Living there with children: simply not an option anymore, living there yourself, well not for that money ( due to the weak Hong Kong $ the pay for a Hong Kong guys is now actually even LOWER than on a base)
- even if there would be no pollution, getting yoyur children educated/schooled has turned out to be very difficult, the allowance provided by the company is by far not sufficient.
what changed since I joined is quite significant in my opinion :
- RA 65 : that implies
a) longer time to upgrade
b) impossibility of pax command on a base for the forseeable future
- on-shore tax
- decrease of Sterling and HK$ compared to the Euro
- no fair pay rise to keep up with inflation
- integration of KA guys, on the bottom of the list, BUT with current rank, which in effect extends upgrade times even further
- roster got worse very year. it used to be reasonable 7-9 days, followed by 6 off. Now it is almost always 12 days , followed by 4 -5 days off
- delays are the norm, not the exception. your roster is not worth the paper, I recieve about 1-2 changes per day when enroute. 24 hrs rest in the hotel is standard as well now, which results in constant fatigue.
- the company used at least to talk to the union. Now, when they don't like the outcome, the management simply ignores the ( very modest !)demands and just reinstate new rules ( e.g. COS8)
- pollution in Hong Kong gets worse by the minute. Living there with children: simply not an option anymore, living there yourself, well not for that money ( due to the weak Hong Kong $ the pay for a Hong Kong guys is now actually even LOWER than on a base)
- even if there would be no pollution, getting yoyur children educated/schooled has turned out to be very difficult, the allowance provided by the company is by far not sufficient.
Last edited by sisyphos; 9th Mar 2008 at 01:50.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: North America
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Could be worse. You could be living in Vancouver. Second highest cost of living in North America. Unless you live in Richmond (the city where the international airport is located at) which would get you a 6000' sq ft house for about $800k CND. That in Vancouver would be upwards of $3mil.
(Richmond is dumb to buy! One earthquake and your house is underground.)
(Richmond is dumb to buy! One earthquake and your house is underground.)
