Best and Worst Airline in China

[Slarberg]

Looking to get some good information regarding an A320 captain in Asia

​​​​​​I want to ask if the info is correct.

Good Hotels quality any of the Hna group.. (Hna; Bca; Lucky Air...)
Best paid is BCA and also Lucky Air
Worst roster and quality of life Spring Airlines (crapy schedule)
Most balanced Juneyao Airline. Good roster. Good hotels; people are happy

People told me Spring is now the worst one in Asia.

Any updated info?
​​

[safelife]

HNA airlines do not necessarily have the best hotels. Tianjin Airlines is well known for crappy hotels.
Xiamen Air and Juneyao seem to have the best.

My votes:
Best: Juneyao, BCA (with SYX base), Xiamen Air
Worst: Okay Air, Tianjin Airlines, UniTop

[Slarberg]

Got it

Seem to be the best one BCA
I dont know what about the roster/life balance...

Any updated information?

In that point, the worst for sure as people told me is Spring Airlines

Best balanced, seems to be Juneyao.. good roster, not the best pay, not the lowest one, nice hotels, nice layovers...

[joe falchetto 64]

Originally Posted by Slarberg

Got it

Seem to be the best one BCA
I dont know what about the roster/life balance...

Any updated information?

In that point, the worst for sure as people told me is Spring Airlines

Best balanced, seems to be Juneyao.. good roster, not the best pay, not the lowest one, nice hotels, nice layovers...

I would suggest you check carefully your informations on Juneyao. I have spent there the first three years (one contract) of my still ongoing adventure in the Middle Kingdom. I don't work there anymore, but I have very close friends there. Yes, there are some nice layovers (BKK, HKT, CNX, KIX) but that is due to red eye flights. Also beware of a lot of split duties, show up at 3.50 am and end at 00.30 pm or later, due to never ending delays. Be careful also with the way you will be paid especially if you are resident in some country really tight on taxation issues. Shanghai is a very amazing place, but very expensive. The medical and LOL coverage is just funny, and so on. All in all, I moved to another airline, commuting contract, and so far I haven't regretted my decision.
Best luck for your choice.
Joe

[Slarberg]

Then the worst two are Juneyao and Spring Airlines as people explain.

Bad rosters, always crapy hotels, ****ty places, lots of split duties.
Good flights for only Chinese pilots.
Juneyao, the offer now 6/2 6/3 and also 4/4

Then, BCA looks like the best option in terms of lifestyle and salary

[typhoonpilot]

Be careful with any airline in the Hainan Group. That entire company is very close to insolvency. It's to the point that they are asking employees to "invest" in the company:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/b...employees.html

[Slarberg]

Ok

Then I think China is not for me now

Hna groups better to stay away

Juneyao not so good as expected

Spring Airline worst Airline in China in terms of salary and roster

I will see what about Hong Kong

[TPE Flyer]

China Airlines by far. For all the horror stories you hear about China, at least you are paid well.
What used to be a great job, has fast turned into one of the worst around.
Conditions eroded, min rest turn arounds nearly everywhere, staff travel expensive (full fare cheaper on some routes).
Failure rate amongst Ex Pats over 50% on some fleets.
Oh and non ICAO state, so your licence is not recognised anywhere else in the world.

[etops777]

Originally Posted by TPE Flyer

China Airlines by far. For all the horror stories you hear about China, at least you are paid well.
What used to be a great job, has fast turned into one of the worst around.
Conditions eroded, min rest turn arounds nearly everywhere, staff travel expensive (full fare cheaper on some routes).
Failure rate amongst Ex Pats over 50% on some fleets.
Oh and non ICAO state, so your licence is not recognised anywhere else in the world.

Are you talking about the Airlines in China or China Airlines in Taiwan? To start, China Airlines (CI) never paid well! And to dates, it is still by far below the industry standard! Taiwan of course is a NONE ICAO states.

However, if you were talking about the Airlines in China, they do paid pretty good minus the hidden deductions and fines! But China is a memeber of ICAO.

[joe falchetto 64]

Originally Posted by Slarberg

Ok

Then I think China is not for me now

Hna groups better to stay away

Juneyao not so good as expected

Spring Airline worst Airline in China in terms of salary and roster

I will see what about Hong Kong

Slarberg, maybe would be better to start from what you are looking for and put that on a priority sequence.
Put things in perspective, airlines here aren't absolutely "bad" or "great": they are all slightly different from each other so I think it is possible to find some that suits your needs. For example, I don't run a business but sometime I play the game of the small recruiter (only with people I know of, so fa): I suggested Juneyao to few friends of mine because, all in all, their needs where most suited from Juneyao, and here I talk globally, I mean I talk also about technical background. This is a job that a good agency should provide: advertisements,because there are more than 55 airlines out there.
Actually the recruiting process is becoming more time consuming, for some reasons I cannot discuss here, so my suggestions is that if you are willing to walk on the silk road then would be better that you start sooner than later.
Happy landings.
Joe.

[Slarberg]

Thanks Joe

I know they pay that money because of something; but If I nove to China with my wife; I want to spend some time with her. And also; she will reject to go to China if she has to stay alone during my 4 weeks On. Some colleges told me in Spring they are only 4 days in Shanghai every 4 weeks ON. Others told me they are at Juneyao having 2/3 nights out Shanghai every two weeks.
Another in Hna group is only 1 night outside every week.

Then; everything is a mix. High salary; weeks off but also having time off with family or frienda is a MUST for me.
I dont want to stay alone flying and also my wife alone in any Chinese place waiting me for 1 single day Off

[Arewerunning]

i also have a couple of questions:

1- is true that all chinese airlines publish the schedule on a weekly base?

2-if I decide to apply to CSA and fail one step, will it be difficult to have your paper released in order to apply to another chinese carrier?
thx guyz

[Slarberg]

Friend told me
1- yes. It depends on company; but nornally you have 7 days schedule.
Some like CSA told me only few days...

2-If you apply to one company; you will never be able to go to another company (you have to finish the contract and then... Few months)
If you fail; you will never give the release

[safelife]

1 - mostly true, but nothing to do in China anyway in your free time, so what's the issue...

2 - not possible. Apply with one airline, be stuck with them.

[9.G]

Lucky air

Anybody working in lucky air, can you please give us your feedback reg pros and cons?
How's the contract compliance if one chose month on and off roster? Commuting? Medical? PM me if you like.
Thanks

[pezetaroi]

Originally Posted by Arewerunning

2-if I decide to apply to CSA and fail one step, will it be difficult to have your paper released in order to apply to another chinese carrier?
thx guyz

It all depends on what you failed and of the companies involved. Some companies will let you go, some not, some companies will do the paperwork in order to get your release from the previous one, some not.

So to summarize, it is possible, it just depends on your specific scenario.

[TPE Flyer]

Originally Posted by etops777

Are you talking about the Airlines in China or China Airlines in Taiwan? To start, China Airlines (CI) never paid well! And to dates, it is still by far below the industry standard! Taiwan of course is a NONE ICAO states.

However, if you were talking about the Airlines in China, they do paid pretty good minus the hidden deductions and fines! But China is a memeber of ICAO.

China Airlines (CI). Obviously I was not referring to ALL Chinese Airlines.

The union have taken control of the airline to the detrement of Expat conditions.
The lifestyle used to more than make up for the uncompetitive Salary. Not anymore.
Being a non ICAO state has become more problematic than I had ever imagined.

Surprisingly, the medical is probably one of the easier things to deal with here.

[Derek_DPI]

Originally Posted by Arewerunning

i also have a couple of questions:

1- is true that all chinese airlines publish the schedule on a weekly base?

2-if I decide to apply to CSA and fail one step, will it be difficult to have your paper released in order to apply to another chinese carrier?
thx guyz

1 - Generally schedule is done on a monthly basis but you only find out your new schedule 1/2 weeks beforehand.

2 - Like all airlines in China, once you start the screening process you must stay with that airline until completed. If you fail any part of the process you can repeat (unless medical fail or sim assessment fail) or you can then wait 6 months and apply to a different airline once your licence verification has expired. However, once you join the airline you must stay for the length of your contract before moving. Also if you fail the CAAC check ride, you can not join any airline in China

[Slarberg]

I just checked what they offer....
And the offer is pretty good.
2 weeks ON 2 weeks OFF.
During Chinese New year no flights all.month.

And salary for that contract is the same as other working much more...

They accept NTR for the 757/767?

[Tick Hunter]

@ TPE Flyer

Hi,
could you give me some details i.e. T & C with CI, please?
Can one commute on this contract? What is the salary?
Thank you!