I’m going to get tarred and feathered here to even bring this up but have you considered a US based ACMI?
Fly around the world long haul kinda thing?
Still counts towards all your 121 time and you will get a “Heavy” type out of it.

Only problem is the TPIC will be a long time coming - as will be the TT. Perhaps no big deal if his aspirations stop at ULCC - which is hardly a bad option. He’s still going to be giving up buckets of seniority though. He’d be far better off to get hired by UAL and volunteer for the GUM option if he wants faraway places with strange-sounding names.

I agree with typhoon but if you must, give Cathay a try. They’re hiring FOs and SOs in Hong Kong. You’ll be woefully underpaid for how expensive the city is but def will be an adventure.

According to the interwebz Cathay is not a happy place right now.
I’d still recommend ACMI (650-800hrs/yr) over going abroad as an FO.
Capt yes, beaucoup money in Asia....FO....meh.
You’ll upgrade quicker at an ACMI then you’ll ever will abroad.
Keep in mind you’d be the hired help, you’re there because they need you not because they want you.

You wanted honest and experienced opinions or everyone to just rubber stamp your plan?

Cathay is probably the worse job in the expat market for a low time pilot, you will be a second officer (If you're lucky, you will get to play with CPDLC once in a while) and you will be paid peanuts while living in a crazy expensive city! You want adventure traveling abroad and even the time to actually live abroad if you like, get a job at one of the ACMI operators that grant you all your days off in a row, and commute to your adventure city, you will do much better economically and professionally! China doesn't have jobs for low time pilots and now all companies in China have stopped hiring.

Another point, your timing is really bad, we just had a company folding and dumping hundreds of experienced captains and first officers into the expat market, another big company Flybe in the EU is in bad shape and if it folds as well, that's a few more hundred pilots out for a job. Etihad has let go of many pilots as well and the folks at EK are also looking for options! Bad timing, the market in the US is the best right now!

I agree with the above posters about working for a US airline... It’s hard to beat the overall compensation and work rules of the US Legacies/Majors.

Although you’re short on qualifications right now, working for FedEx has some cool opportunities for working abroad. There is a Germany (CGN) and Hong Kong base. I came to the HKG base as a new hire, and my wife and I absolutely love it!

He can tell his peers about his overseas experience while he raises the gear for them and asks for a leg.

All these aspirations until single pilot ops or complete automation comes in abruptly without warning.

Keep in mind a couple of important things like Fatigue calls and Sick calls.
In China the company AME determines when you’re “sick” and when you’re not.
There’s no such thing as a ‘sick-call’ to Scheduling and they can’t ask you diddly.
Fatigue calls? Short answer

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