Hi Galdian,

You're spot on with the Japanese versus bilateral tax etc, however, I do believe Crew take out some tax from the pilots' wages, whereas Parc do not (as you no doubt are very aware). I know what you mean about the contractors taking out Superannuation/pension/savings plan/401K (roll up and take your choice of descriptor) money but I was specifically talking about tax being an entirely different debit. I suppose we'll have to wait for one of the US pilots with Crew to let us know the whole story but at least we answered Hobbit's question, i.e. the wages quoted are before tax.

JetMidway,

Oh yes! Full blood works on the medical including HDL/LDL and then they do it all again after you pass your JCAB ATPL sim check. The screening medical is pretty well identical to the next medical but the first is a Company medical, as opposed to the second which is a JCAB medical. The one after the sim check is your first JCAB medical and is the one used to issue your medical certificate. This medical, as I said previously, is very similar to the screening and it, too, includes full blood works.

If you are a US citizen working for a US company (as CREW is) they will withdraw federal income tax from your salary and provide you with a W-2 form for tax filings, PARC doesn't have this requirement because they are not US based. I am with PARC and what I do is file my taxes quarterly as an independent contractor (just like a plumber, electrician, construction worker would do)

Hi Domimican

Well things have changed slightly - at least from the pilots point of view.
AJV/X was most attractive to those who had no tax commitments anywhere in the world - whether because all the assets were in the wife's name or registered in a tax haven etc etc; to those the total package was both gross and net.
For interest what sort of % are Crew/HACS withdrawing on behalf of Uncle Sam??
I suppose with the recent influx of yanks things changed a bit.

However the one thing that hasen't changed - AJV/X (or ANA however you want to look at it) do not understand, nor have want or need, to hear the word "tax" in relation to these contracts.

Cheers :ok:

If you're with CREW (a US based company) and a US citizen, they are mandated by law to deduct Social Security & Medicare taxes - no way around that. It only comes out to around 3%(?) or so. And the US govt. may have reduced the rate this quarter.

As for your income tax (Federal income tax), it's your discretion. You can specifically tell CREW not to deduct any federal income tax from your paycheck. However, as a US citizen, you are required to "file" and "report" your income every year, regardless of who or where you worked at. But the rate or amount of taxes owed will vary significantly between various individuals. Unlike other countries (ie Australia and many SE Asian countries), Uncle Sam can be slightly more greedy when it comes to collecting tax from its citizens...

Somebody correct me if I'm way off.

E165
That sounds WAY to easy to be correct - so it probably is! ;)

So is it better for a yank to take the contract through Parc or IAC (assuming there are no overt nasties/substantial differences between the contracts offered) - lose nothing from the pay whilst any tax issues become resolved by the pilot and his tax accountant/attorney to the satisfaction (or otherwise) of Uncle Sam??

Cheers :ok:

To Galdian: The answer is yes. If you're from the States, you're probably better off with PARC or IAC, as they pay you the whole sum without any deduction from paycheck. However, one thing I think CREW has going for at least the US guys is the health insurance. CREW uses Aetna Global PPO that covers your whole family virtually worldwide with very, very little or no deductible and copay. And CREW will pay 100% of your insurance premium for all your family members. With PARC or IAC, I think they deduct an amount from your paycheck for additional family members or if you want coverage in the States. Maybe someone from the States who's with PARC or IAC can fill me in on this.

Hi E165
From what I have heard you are correct, Parc and IAC cover the direct crew member only, although additional cover for family members is available but make sure you read the fine print of any "additional" policy as seems interpretation can sometimes be flexible or variable.

If the Crew insurance covers all family members within the policy certainly a positive for some.

Of course for those with no such considerations.....:(

Cheers :ok:

Hear it from me and my unforunate personal experience;
CReW medical insurance is outstanding!

hey all, just got back from Tokyo today, received an offer pending the medical results. all the gouge is right on, thanks for posting it! would like to get in touch with some others in the same position, planning class in march - pm me. also, i would like to talk to some guys who recently started class, just like to get an idea what happens next and when - also trying to gather all the info to decide between AJV vs. AJX.

good luck to all who head out for the interview, quite an experience!

btw, would be a good idea to study V1 VR & V2 and their relationship to eachother, balanced field length, and the relationship between Vref and stall speed - just a suggestion!

Well done jtg76, stand by for the telephone call from Dr Craig, it is a little more involved than you may have heard with quite a few questions you may have been anticipating on the interview day. I'm waiting to hear the good news on the medical/psych interview and will hope to go out in June time. Hope to see you there.

Question for any AJX/AJV pilots out there. I am in the Jan. class in Tokyo and I was wondering if the dress code is pretty formal during training? My previous company was pretty casual so it might be time to stock up on some nice threads.

reject2121,

When was your interview and how long did it take for you to get the class date?

I interviewed in early October and have completed everything. Just waiting for the final word and hopefully a class date.

reject2121, I'm glad your screen name wasn't the outcome of your interview, good job! expect to be on a suit and tie until your instructors tell you that an alternate wardrobe is ok, the Japanese are very formal at work and they seem to have been born in a suit so even if your instructor tell you guys that you don't need a suit, they take it the wrong way if you show up in jeans so expect to go through the entire training at a minimum business casual


Good luck during training and I hope to see you on the line soon

atldrvr,
Interviewed in mid Sept. Heard about class in the beginning of Nov. Hope to see you over there.

Dominican,
Thanks for the info. It seems most who work over there have positive things to say about the operation. I look forward to it.

Training attire is basically your pilot uniform minus the epaulets amd a dark tie.

Espeir

This information is correct for all training events once you are certified on the line, during initial training you won't be receiving your uniforms until you are ready for line training

Hi Dominican,

I think he's referring to a 'pseudo uniform', not the official AJV one. Many of the guys now pitch up with previous airlines' shirts and wear those with dark trousers and a dark tie. We all had suits for day one i.e. the orientation but then for air law, radio, systems etc we just had either smart short-sleeved shirts or the airline shirts mentioned above, without ties but with smart trousers. When it was sim time then we smartened up a little by wearing the gear above but now with a tie.

As you say, definitely no jeans in sight but smart casual I think is now the order of the day.

It's up to you guys, but keep in mind, this training is all about the stage production!

"Proper" dress for new-hires who have not had a check-ride is a shirt and tie in the winter, and perhaps a bit more casual in the summer.. All subject to your instructors advice.

If you want to wear old pilot uniforms, fine. Just know, you will be noticed by the Japanese, but nothing will be said. I think it looks disrespectful personally, since you have not earned that right, plus you look like a tool!

For what they are paying you, go to Jos. A Bank and buy a couple $300 suits and look the part!!! This is not Mesa Air!!

My 3 yen worth...

BC

Hello Guys

My 1 yen's worth, that's all I an afford, the yen's too strong;)

We wore a suit for day 1 and for the JCAB sim checks.

The rest of the time it was smart trousers, shirt and tie, no jacket.

Best overdress, than underdress, the Japanese are formal and dress very conservatively. You'll see the standard dress code is dark grey or black, so I'd guess any bright, stand out colours won't go down too well.

As for the uniform, I reckon you have earned the right to wear your old uniform, seeing your previous experience got you this job, HOWEVER, my gut feel would be that it would be better to wear non uniform clothing. Keep it neutral and don't try to stand out.

I agree with 777BC, go spend some money and look good. It will improve your image here, as well as , make you feel good and fit in. If you're a big guy, your chances of finding clothing in Japan to fit you are pretty slim.

Prepare for a cold winter, it gets down to (celsius) below 10 regularly, and if you're starting now, expect to be around in summer, where it can get hot and muggy. Spring last about a day but it is really good!!

The Japanese are generally smart dressers, so smart casual clothes will fit in very nicely for going out during your off time.

Best of luck with it all.

Since when did it become a right to wear black trousers and the white pilot shirt minus the epaulets? Thats retarded. Its all about blending in and not drawing attention to yourself. This is what everyone wears in the training center, regardless of experience or phase in training. However during phase checks and the JCAB rides the attire is more formal, ie jacket.

Esprit