Schedule at Emirates
 

Does somebody happen to have some schedules of the flying done at Emirates that can share with us?

what fleet? Boeing FO, I am home 20 days a month. Airbus..different story.

Lately the 330/340 FO say they are only doing @60 and 330 only Capt is the same. Getting ready to send more to the 380 this summer. Still 6-7 330/340 retiring this year

They ain't hirrriinnnngggg

Is that ultra long haul? What are your schedules like?

There is no such thing as a representative schedule at Emirates. One's schedule looks completely different from one month to the next. It will depend on which fleet one is one; what big group they are in for that month; whether or not they have vacation in that month; whether or not they have recurrent training in that month; their preference of trips; and how well they know how to bid. A little has to do with seniority in one's bid group as well.

A Boeing pilot can expect somewhere between 8 and 15 days off in a month. That is a month without vacation in it. An A330/340 pilot would be averaging more like 8-12 since they do a lot more day trips. A380 pilots probably have the best schedules now, but that's not really a new hire airplane.

There are people who commute, but it's not like commuting in the USA where you can commute before and after every trip. Commuting at Emirates means going home once (maximum twice) per month for a block of days off or days off plus vacation. In a month without vacation the best you could hope for is a block of 7 days off. Some smart trip traders can extend that to 9, but only with a great deal of effort and not every month of the year.



Typhoonpilot

To add onto what TP says....

I've not seen for many moons a roster from scheduling with 15 days off on it... for Boeing captains anyway. I generally get about 9-12 days off and I think that's more the average than 15, but again that's not for FO's but for captains.

Really the only way to get 15 days off a month is to trip trade. Also be aware that you cannot get more than 15 days off a month. You can't just trade your schedule away like in the US legacy carriers and fly 6 days etc. And as TP mentioned, only 7 days off in a row maximum!

330 guys both left and right seat do fly only 60-70 hours a month but they have to fly 20-22 days/month to get that since they do mostly turns of a shorter duration.

Also.... you don't just bid for 3 ULR's here and be done with the month. You can only have 2 ULR's per month so you work more days to get your hours (90 plus as captain here). There may be some ways to get a 3rd ULR with trip trade/swap system.

All in all, it's nothing like back in the US regards to schedules...

I've actually heard the head guy at EK say that to work less than 15 days a month is "stealing from the company".

Kapitan.

Interesting stuff guys. Thanks for sharing. What kinds of day trips do 330/340 guys do? That's so different then the USA. It seems odd to hear of 330/340 crews doing day trips. I'm not at all geographically familiar with that area, so leg lengths/block times would be sufficient. Thanks.

Not only do the 330 guys do 20 plus days per month but they do a LOT of night flights as well... Pakistan and India play a major role in their operations!!

It's known at our airline that it's the worst aircraft to be assigned to scheduling wise.

K

We do trips like Dubai-Doha-Dubai. Pay is 2 hours for the day. Other ones are Dubai-Kuwait-Dubai ( 3.3 ); Dubai-Muscat-Dubai ( 2.0 ); Dubai-Bahrain-Dubai (3.0 ); and the ever popular line check destination of Dubai-Karachi-Dubai (4.0).

European trips typically take 3 scheduled days either because the return is just after midnight on the second day or because it's after 6am on the third day. Those range from around 11 to as much as 15 hours for the 3 day trip.

The poster above who mentioned 20 days at home was probably counting "rest days" in that number. Rest days are day where you either got back at 0015 or where the next day is a 0100 pick-up. In the former the rest day was the day you got back even though you weren't home in bed until around 0200. In the later you better be in bed by 8-9pm to get a few hours sleep before going to work. Not really a day off, but it is a day in Dubai where stuff can be done or time spent with family.


TP

Thanks again for sharing guys. Very different kind of operation compared to US Legacy airlines.

And may I add.... Successfull !

Just like Legacy airlines. Except Delta, Us Air, American, & United have been around 80+ years. ;)

The above is true for now!

When you join now on A330, you will be moved to the A380 as the A330's are phased out.

Now, think about this, all those nasty turnarounds that Kaptain alludes to in his post...where do you think they will end up, A380 or 777? That's right...777 fleet. And if you "hold out" for 777 only, you will be stuck doing these as a new joiner.

My friends who are 777 capts are noticing more and more night turns in their bottom bid months. It's only going to get worse. It's a cycle here at EK, when I joined 9 years ago A330/340 fleet had the best flying. When 777-300ER's started joining the fleet, we gradually lost all the good stuff. Now, the cycle is changing to A380.

A380 has the best rosters and QOL. I do 3 -4 trips a month with avg 16 days off, not including rest days. F/O's have even more days off.

Just providing a differing viewpoint.

Heres a question,
What is the possibility of having your wife come with your on your overnights? Here in the United States, I often have my girlfriend come with on overnights, is that even possible with Emirates? Is it prohibitively expensive? What are the overnights (time spent on the ground at the hotel, and quality of hotels) at Emirates?

Thanks!

If there are seats no problem. Price varies on sector length but anywhere from 100 to 500 usd for business class seat. Hotels are great never had a problem anywhere.

Does the 777 do typical 3-4 day trips like we do here in the states?

Any chance of posting some different schedule examples with layover hours etc..? Are the overnights long?

So the 330 does mostly day trips and shorter turns? So you are sleeping in your own bed most of the time? I love day trips here in the states, but they are typically extremely senior and difficult to get.

Just wondering what is best for spending time with your family over there. Here in the states I don't care for being away 4 days a week and basically abandoning the family and missing out on everything. Wifes hate it. I can only imagine it would be even worse over there because they have no friends, family or work to occupy them while we are away.

Do you have any choice in what aircraft you are assigned? Can you ever switch fleets?

thanks

You might see thing start to change . 777 will start to do more of the longer turns as the 330 retires and more 777 arrive . 380 might do BOM turns but the bulk of the turns will be 777 allowing those pilots to spend less time away if desired. Some 777 pilots are starting to see the change in their rosters. It's such a big fleet that if you want turns you can get them and maybe even some nice ones. Not everyone wants layovers or ULR's. The hours seem to be remaining high on the 777 and low the buses for FO's. Some are wanting and needing more hours for upgrade. Long term the 777 will have most of the turns and will provide those will the be at home roster. Talk is upgrades will start to slow so time in the RHS will be longer so you should take that into considerations for planning a lifestyle roster.

The B777 does a lot of 3 and 4 day trips, yes. A 3 day trip is actually only 2.1 day to 2.5 days. Meaning it leaves early on the morning of day 1 ( 0500-0800 pick-up from home ) and gets back late on day 2, often just after midnight so you get home somewhere around 0200 on day 3. Or it leaves mid afternoon on day 1 ( noonish pick-up from home ) and gets back landing at 0700 on day 3. Those are Europe trips.

The Asia trip tend to leave at 0300 on day 1 and get back at 0500 on day 3.

Most layovers are 24 hours. There are some 48 hours layovers and the rare 72 hour layover.

Again, there is no such thing as a typical schedule. For February I can look and see one friend who has 4 Europe trips ( 3 Pragues and a Nice ); 2 day turns; 1 night turn; and 3 days of recurrent. 9 days off and 5 rest days. That's a pretty nice schedule actually. Another friend who bids ULR flying has 2 ULR trips to the States; a Zurich; 1 day turn; and 1 night turn ( the short Doha one ). He has 14 days off.

If you're junior and in a bottom bid group you can expect the 9 day BKK-SYD trip on occasion. Or some of the longer freighter trips.

We do have trip trading so it's sometimes possible to find an Aussie who'll take the BKK-SYD trip from you. One of the best deals I ever got was an Aussie who wanted my 11 day SIN-MEL trip in exchange for 2 BKK-HKG trips and 3 of his days off. Back then the pay didn't change so it was a fantastic offer. His family was in MEL and that trip had 7 nights in MEL so it worked for him as well.


TP

I would gladly take your 4 day trips over my 17 days in a row away from home. I got short listed for EK this month. Hoping for an interview in the near future.Any schedule I would get at EK would be superior to what I have going now.

thank you for explaining the trips like that, very helpful.. Along with all you other posts after I actually did a search. Wow, 9-11
Day trips occasionally.. Yuck. Didn't know about that. I guess it would be ok if it wasn't a regular thing. Also 0300 departures? I bet it's tough to get any sleep before those! I thought my 0500 departures were bad lol.

Thanks again.

Does anyone else have difficulties applying for pilot on the Emirates career website? I continue receiving the error message of "The page was not displayed because the request entity is too large." And it doesnt matter if I use Internet Explorer on a PC or Safari on a Mac.

Did you upload something? a photo or CV? sounds like if you have the file size may be to large.

As a 330/340 FO, I had 13 off in Jan, 14 in Feb, and 16 in Mar. I was on Reserve in Dec and was pulled 4 times. 3 turns and one layover. Nov is kind of a wash as I had half the month of for leave. Oct was 1 Venice and 3 Hong Kong trips.

I bid against turn around flights, because unless it is a longer flight like Athens or Nairobi, it is a waste of a clean shirt.

Most of our layover flights are 22-26hrs at the destination, but we also have some 48hr layovers and 1 72hr layover trip. (Kuala Lumpur)

330s and 340s are slowly leaving and it is hard to say what is going to be the better fleet down the road. 380 schedule is pretty nice, but the 350 is still on our "planning" board at the HQ.

EK is hiring, but at a very slow pace right now.

Do you guys have any layovers in India? Are the COK & TRV trips just turns? Also, any chance that hiring may increase later this year? Thanks for the info guys.

Only Calcutta is a layover. The other nearby ones are Colombo and Dhaka, the rest of the sub-Continent are turns.

Hiring about 300 this year.


TP

And once the IGW's start arriving, we get SFO and IAH! That will be sweet! :D

It will be better, but you live in the Middle East. So you win some, you lose some. Good Luck.

Amazing how many ACMI guys cry about how bad there skeds are. Does anyone even consider how long 17 days away from home really is or is it just not an a consideration at the time of applying with a shot at flying the whale?

My understanding is these new hires have already been interviewed and are in the pool. Hope not.
Similar to going to EK/EY for a shot a flying the 777. 17 days...please. Cake walk, after every trip I would lament to myself, "another trip over:(."

That will be sweet indeed!!!! I would like to fly back to the US from time to time, but I have no interest in JFK. Was based there for 5 years.

Maybe you can talk them into Seattle...you know, put the "bus" on the home turf of the "light twin." :)

I thought Lahore was a layover, no?

Nope, LHE is a turn... a nasty turn!

K

Maybe you can talk them into Seattle...you know, put the "bus" on the home turf of the "light twin." :)[/QUOTE]


I like the cut of your jib sailor!:):)

It'll be great to have a 48 hour layover in the states!

Hahahaha its even more nastier for passenger and poor cabin crew members.

What do most of you guys who fly for them do to occupy yourself on some of those really long legs (8+ Hours)?

personally, I update the OFP, work on my 210 rings, study the OM-C, and turn the center pumps off. That keep me busy.... Just me though ;)

Eat and stare at the overhead panel to make sure those switches don't move to an uncommanded position.

Okay, so what is the OM-C, OFP, and 210 rings?

operations manual volume C, operational flight plan, etc...

Alluding to the fact that no pilot over here would ever dream of doing anything other than study company manuals, record fuel checks, test HF frequencies... the usual SOPs

On long, late night, two man crew, back side of the clock flights there's plenty there to keep the devil out of the idle hands playground... :rolleyes: