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Great Wall Airlines - Shanghai

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Old 28th Feb 2008, 03:36
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Great Wall Airlines - Shanghai

Hello guys,

Does anyone know about Great Wall airlines current recruitment, packages and work lifestyle?

Appreciate hearing your views and suggestions.

Thanks....MJim
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Old 28th Feb 2008, 08:06
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Steer well clear. Don't touch it with a barge pole
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Old 28th Feb 2008, 15:29
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Genghis Khan,

Care to elighten us on GW?
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Old 3rd Mar 2008, 03:54
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Gengis, thanks for the reply. Would you mind elaborating on the comments posted. Will be much appreciated.

Cheers and thanks.
Mj.
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Old 3rd Mar 2008, 04:57
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1) Oft changing schedules with little notice;

2) Serious politics going on with a whole host of different "groups", the effects trickling down un-imaginably into your flight deck depending on who you are flying with on that day;

3) SIA management. If you don't like what you heard about SIA, you'll not want to be here;

4) Poor maintenance. All kinds of MELS, only 2 a/c opertaing while cannibalising from a 3rd aircraft;

5) No travel benefits. Your "Travel Allowance" would just about get you the lowest economy ticket that you found on priceline.com with the help of Capt Kirk;

Just a few, to whet your appetites
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Old 4th Mar 2008, 02:50
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Hi Genghi,

Heard from some SQ folks that GWA is in total mass chaos. The boss, in charge of the pilots, is spending company funds, laying on his girlfriend.

A recent hiccup when a pilot tries to leave, the same boss is trying to claim 5 million RMB from him for damages.

Any truth in these.
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Old 5th Mar 2008, 18:24
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NEWS

Hey Gents,
Apparently this air line is a "dump", anyway I have an interview schedulled for April in Singapore, any news on that process?
Does any one that actually flyes for them can help me out with valid info and not rumors?
Any help would be appreciated!!!
Thanks
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Old 6th Mar 2008, 08:04
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Gengis, thanks again. I will be detouring the other side.

Cheers and happy flying.
mj
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Old 7th Mar 2008, 02:22
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Which one?

Tristar...which airline are you interviewing with? SQ...SQ Cargo or The Wall?
Cheers
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Old 7th Mar 2008, 16:34
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Interview in SIN for GWA

The interview is in SIN but for a job with GWA, that is why I am looking for some info about it!!!
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Old 9th Mar 2008, 00:19
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Once you step foot in a Chinese airline you will find it VERY difficult to leave. There is an acute shortage of pilots in China. Getting a pilot to join is difficult enough. So they will try by all means to keep you. Going to another Chinese airline is near impossible. There is a HUGE penalty if one hops from one Chinese airline to another within China - more than a million rmb. And if you want to leave China for another foreign airline you will face extreme difficulties. So be forewarned ...
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Old 9th Mar 2008, 10:03
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TriStar: those are not rumors.
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Old 10th Mar 2008, 11:58
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Thanks

Guys,

Thank very much!
Could you be more specific on how it works?
Do they treat you fairly?
How is the life style in shanghai?
Can you comute?

Thanks for the help
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Old 10th Mar 2008, 13:07
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Extreme difficulties

B74567 wrote:


And if you want to leave China for another foreign airline you will face extreme difficulties.

Could you explain this? Will you be ... "Shanghaied"?
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Old 10th Mar 2008, 14:53
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Understood that they not not able to recruit anyone for 2.5 years, due to extreme contract conditions. Half the force has resigned since started, including a recent 35% resignation.

According to my pals working in SQ, you will breeze tho' the interview. You will be given a letter of offer, with all the promises in the world that you would like to hear. You will be so happy that you have finally landed on a job of a life-time. You happily resign from your present company.

After joining GWA, you will be offered a Chinese contract of 5 slavery years, where all the great things and promises, are not inside and reduced. Education is not enough. Local farmers' medical coverage. No dental. No LOL coverage. Housing is not sufficient. No uniforms. No travel benefits. Commuting is difficult with the many flight delays, and roster changes. Salary is different between each other. Max flying for Captain; Min or no flying for FOs. All off days are SQ-styled -- put on standby. No promotion legally for FOs - they tell you sweet stories. What do you do next, the mafia just smirks at you. You file a lawsuit -- no way -- the Singaporean Python and GWA has strong connections in Mainland China and Singapore. Meantime, he spends the money he saved from you laying on his GF. You try to contact him, he does not answer your phone calls and emails. He never goes to his office. When you finally get to see him after months, he smirks at you. You ask him about all the stuffs and problems, he will repeat all his great promises and stories during recruitment. You have your doubts and goes off....the whole cycle repeats again and again.

You want to leave --- no way....Mafia makes you pay the 5 million RMB for poaching fees in China. Heard that GWA is the only one, doing this to expatriates. Go to another country, yes - he will spead bad rumours about you in the aviation arena, and to your next employer.

Singapore python has virtually bankrupted and destroyed the livelihood of some of his pilots.

I steer well clear of GWA after all these insiders' stories from my pals working in SQ. Why should I put myself and family in the situation that my good pals has warned me on.

AK
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Old 10th Mar 2008, 17:18
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Tristar,

You are not understanding or comprehending what has been said at all. You asked the questions and the answers to all of them - apart from life in Shanghai - have already been given. They are, emphatically, NO.

Now please go there if you wish, then come back here in 9 months to tell your stories of what has happened.
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Old 11th Mar 2008, 00:29
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My SQ pals tells me that landing a job there is not a problem. The interview is a formality. You will feel welcomed. You will feel wanted ... until you sign on the dotted line. You may like it there. But if you don't then the nightmare begins. "Freddy Kruger" (of Nightmare on Elm Street) will even look harmless then.
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Old 19th Mar 2008, 12:25
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Heard of a recent thread from some folks in SIA. Can any kind souls from GWA confirm this. Seems like it is getting out of control...

An expatriate pilot resigns recently, after being accepted by a HK company. After the three months' notice, GWA magt, in short Singapore Python, demands 1.9 million RMB for compensation from that pilot.

That pilot is an experienced pilot with thousands of hours. Singapore Python bonds this chap for three years at about USD90,000 reducing bond, with a bank guarantee of SGD35,000 for the B747-400 type-rating.

After two years with the company, he cannot accept all the ****s in GWA and found a better job. He resigns. He paid USD30, 000, inclusive of his SGD 35,000 bank guarantee, to GWA. Another USD30,000 is paid by that HK company to GWA as a kind gesture to that chap, on the basis that he joins that HK company. That clears his bond.

However, at the end of the three months' notice, GWA's Singapore Python refuses to give this chap a release letter, to indicate that he no longer has any contractual issues with GWA. Singapore Python demands a ransom of 1.9 million RMB for this letter.

The HK company is operating Chinese registered aircrafts. Thus, the HK company requires that poor chap to get a release letter from GWA. This requirement is only a recommendation by the authorities to reduce proaching of local Chinese pilots. It is the intention of the local civil aviation authorities that this recommendation only applies to local, and not expatriates. Nevertheless, without the release letter, the HK company cannot receive that chap's 'employment records' in China. Which means, he cannot start work with the HK company.

Filing a law suit, would take this poor chap one to two years to settle. Meantime, he will have no income. Thus, he opts to withdraw his resignation from GWA. Singapore Python agrees to accept this chap, only at the bottom of the salary scale. Furthermore, he is not returning the USD60000 back to that poor chap. They intend to keep the money. Thus, even if that poor chap stays in GWA to continue his service for another one or two years, GWA is not returning any single cents of the USD 60,000 to him. He now owns another USD 30,000 to the HK company.

Wonder what happens next....

Also heard that even for guys who has no bond or contractual issues, GWA is still not issuing this letter. As such, these guys will never be able to find another job in China forever in their lifetime.

The good news is Air China, China Eastern, Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, China Cargo, Jade Cargo, OKair is not applying this ruling to expatriate pilots. In fact, only GWA is doing this..........

AJ
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Old 20th Mar 2008, 05:08
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AJ,

It is most unfortunate that what you heard is true....

Genghis
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Old 22nd Mar 2008, 09:52
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Does this mean I can't go to another China's airline once I join Great Wall? This don't sound so good.
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