Very good questions.

From a broad view I've always thought EK had very good top management, i.e. President and higher, but really poor management at the VP level. I still think that's true, especially in Flight Ops, but I don't know why it's run that way. The Exec VP, Sr VP and below are driven by a Performance Management program that rewards them handsomely if they can beat budget and performance targets. Subsequently we get beat up on as the fiscal year end approaches. (March 31). For sure it's short term thinking that hurts long term planning, but there you go...


The latest changes in and of themselves are not huge, but if you stay here long enough, it's like 'death by a thousand cuts.' Each year they chip away at the pay package. (Many of us actually get as bent out of shape by the dishonest way they present these cuts as the cuts themselves.)


Will they still attract guys? They've always been very lucky in that whenever they've needed a huge influx of pilots some airline somewhere in the world shuts down. For example, when Canada 3000 shutdown, EK had 300 fully qualified pilots at its doorstep. Right now, I think they're counting on a US recession and the reported mergers to send American pilots their way. They also have another ace up the sleeve in that they can easily lower the hiring minima with no real drama and open the door to many more applicants.

Despite my occasional rants here, my family and I continue to like our life(style) and so we're staying for the next while. However, I think it's important for guys considering the move to realize that there's a lot of pretty ugly crap that goes on here and you have to either put up with it or get out. There's no 3rd choice...

Anyway, I could write a book on the subject, but there are a few thoughts and as always, I'm interested in other viewpoints.

BC