Albie - could you explain the difference between the LOA1 and LOA2 in plain speak? I'm at Brown but would like to know how/if they improved the LOA1 which I understand most didn't like for the low compensation, correct? Also, I guess the 80K or so tax exemption you got in Subic does not apply any longer, did I get that right?

One of these days we might be going through the same battle so it's good to know how y'all handled it... Thx.

Uh, do as advised, and check the history before you start pointing fingers!

Don't pi$$ off Albie. Unless you want to replace him. We lose him and we're screwed.

Wannabe:

Here's all the "improvements" contained in LOA2. Things in (xxx) are my own comments questions:

*Company coverage of costs for visas and other required credentials for pilots (Are they actually implying the pilot had to pay for that stuff before!?)

*Company coverage of costs and other required credentials required for the pilot’s family to live in the FDA region (See above comment!)

*Doubling of Orientation and Housing Search Service days (2 to 4)

*Additional Housing Search Service days (beyond 4) upon existence of extraordinary circumstances

*Purchase of additional Housing Search Service days (beyond 4) via the pilot’s Company credit card if not due to extraordinary circumstances

*Local hotel usage beyond thirty days (at Company expense) upon existence of extraordinary circumstances

*Four months of ongoing telephonic support provided as part of the housing assistance service (Like one guy said, 4 months of free Skype! Will they buy me a laptop to use it on?)

*Household goods shipment poundage limitation raised (500 to 1000 pounds) (This was already included in a previous FCIF)

*Deposit Assistance program with specific objective protections (Already included in previous FCIF)

*Company coverage of realtor’s fees (Again, are they joking? Does this imply that WE had to pay for the realtors fees before?)

*Greater choice in Return Household Goods Shipment location (all 1000lbs pounds of it...)

*Company coverage of cost associated with packing goods destined for storage and transportation of said goods to and from storage (You're telling me this is new? It's been in Section 6 forever.)

*Line of Credit Facilitation commitment (so they help me open a bank account at HSBC?)

*Early access to certain relocation benefits

*Holding Deposit Assistance

*Timing of Recurrent Training Pay/ Adjustments for FDA Assigned Pilots (Programmed and on line by August 2008 bid period) (SFS pilots have been complaining about this since ratification of the last contract, I guess it took the union a while to listen...)

*Ongoing Implementation Measures clause

*Habitation Tax coverage

Yeah, you are right he's irreplaceable; and we are screwed.

Amazing that Cassel's ominous FCIF is quickly followed by the release of the "new and improved" LOA...either go to HKG with the improved LOA or be ready to retrain in a lower paying seat. Not going to happen! The numbers don't add up. Don't be fooled into biding HKG...SG

+1..........

Funny...the timing of these two bits of comm. Can you say collusion?

Wannabe:

Unsure what the Holding Deposit Assistance is. I am "assuming" it is just another wording of the 10K deposit assistance mentioned above in the list. The company will pay your landlord up to 10K in rental deposits to help you move into an apartment. The down side is, when you move out and your Chinese landlord decides he has to keep 4000 dollars of your deposit for "damanges and wear and tear", you owe that 4 grand back to FedEx!

Unsure also of the Ongoing Implementation Measures clause. It probably means the company can continue to change whatever they want as the HKG Fda opens and other problems/issues arise.

The Habitation Tax Coverage is NOT the 80K tax exemption. Our ex-pat exemption was given away when the LOA was ratified. The whole "tax equalization thing" elminates your ex-pat tax benefit; Your pay checks will adjusted to equal what you would be making if you lived in the USA. The must be some additional tax (there's a LOT of randon made up taxes in China) associated with an expat living there, and I would guess the company has agreed to pay this.