Right now the upgrade time to Junior FO from SO is 4 years and 1 week (approx...for the guys starting upgrades this summer). That can and will fluctuate. Company just posted a request for more training captains on all fleets due to an increase in training next year. Also, I have heard that SOs are upgrading to JF/O on the 747 now. All of that points to a shorter upgrade time for the guys already on the list. What happens after that is anyone's guess.
As far as how it works, the upgrade candidate does the full type rating course and then more than 50 sectors with training and check captains. After the course is done and you check out as an JF/O, you then have another line check 6 months later that gets you to the full FO rank. I was hired as a FO, so if anyone can add/change the details, please do.
The current contract offer for new joiner Cadet SOs is downright awful. CX is refusing to hire experienced airline pilots and instead is resorting to hiring people that want to be airline pilots. The uptake on the job offers or even the interviews is very low. The general manager aircrew, who theoretically designs the offer, has just been replaced as of August. No one can say for sure what the reason is, but I think that he has f-ed the recruiting stream and now the company is very very short pilots on every fleet and growing massively over the next 9-10 years. My thoughts....the package will return to pre 2009 and everyone will be on expat packages, including all local cadet entry pilots.
Time will tell.
FO