My son just got a class date with GF starting in March. I'm not sure if he knows the answer yet but, what will his options be with regard to getting back to the US from time to time? Also, do most US carriers have CASS (jumpseats) for Gulf Air? Thanks

No carriers have jumseat agreements with them. Gulf Air doesn't allow jumpseaters. The jumpseat is normally only a US Carrier benefit. Most overseas companies don't use them like we do.

As for time to come back here. He will need to use his vacation time. Their schedules are not built to support commuting. Gulf air used to give 52 days of vacation a a year but I believe that was reduced recently.

Having lived in Bahrain and met many Expat pilots over there, do not expect to return to the US or "home" very often. A commitment to work for GF means you are commiting to living in Bahrain. That being said, Bahrain is a GREAT place for singles of all kinds... not so much for couples. That is an OPINION, of course.

PM me if you have questions about Bahrain as I still know several of the "good" places for night life and expat life.

3Wire,
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You need a few more posts to be able to pm.

I would COMPLETELY disagree with it being a great place for singles... I was in the military when I was there so im sure that doesnt help, but it is a very dirty and small country.. There really isnt a whole lot to do other than drink and avoid the police as a "out of towner".... It is a big lifestyle change for a westerner, and if you dont adapt to different surroundings you will not make it a month... It is not a TERRIBLE place to live, but it is much more traditional than the UAE (lived there also)... The island is very small and the only other body of land it is connected to is Saudi Arabia, so no driving vacations.. haha Feel free to PM me if you wanna know anything else about either.. I lived between Manama, Bahrain and Dubai, UAE for almost 2 years....

I didn't know that there was a minimum before able to PM. I'll keep this thread in mind although I have a feeling that my son has found out all that he needs to make his decision. He's got a couple of months at least in which to find something better...I'm retired TW and have flown quite a few charters to the mideast in the past and, while not too excited about that part of the world, I can definitely say that the GF F/As that I met while there were all close to tens! ...well, sevens at least! Thanks all for the info.

I found that most of the military people I knew did the typical military things in Bahrain... hang out on base, go to the same bars, assoicate with only other military folks, etc. If you are expecting a country in the Middle East to look like the USA, then yes, you will be quite disappointed. The Middle East is NOT pretty. Bahrain does not have nice mountains, canyons, beaches or forests. What it does have is some good food joints, good nightlife and a good network of expats. It takes a little exploration to find it, but I went with an open mind and found all that I needed to enjoy my experience.

The UAE is much more westernized than Bahrain but also is much more expensive and the traffic is a NIGHTMARE. I would probably prefer to live in the UAE but this thread is about Gulf Air.

PM me for specifics.

GF gives you ID90's. Rostering does not work like the States. You start out with 8 days off per 28-day period. However, you do get two blocks of 25 days off for vacation each year. And the company pays for one round trip ticket. So your son won't be getting too many consecutive days off.

Bahrain takes some adjustment. Things don't work as efficiently as they do back home. But people here are really nice and very welcoming. Patience is a must with all of the hoops you need to jump through to accomplish things.

I was also in Bahrain for a bout a year and a half with the military. It is what you make of it. True, it is a small dirty island, but there are some positive points to it. I would go back and fly there, but anything more than a couple of years would really wear on me. The social life revolves around where you are going out to eat or drink. The rugby club was a great place to meet other expats, but the social life is a little bit like a fish bowl. The FAs are beautiful, but that pool is also like a fish bowl.. If you single, and a pilot with the company, you will have a reputation and the girls will know who you are quickly since they have nothing better to do than sit in the back of the plane and talk on long trips. A long term relationship at GA is about 3 months.. So that gets old quick.. Not to generalize, but most of the FA have issues there..