For those thinking of CX as a SO, make sure you go to HK first and truely experience the life there. Vicotoria Peak is an amazing place to look down upon, but that does not mean you will enjoy life there day-to-day. I have lived overseas for the past 6 years, 5 in asia, and have seen many co-workers not enjoy their time there. I have been to Tokyo, Seoul, Manilla, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghi, Singapore and Hong Kong. Hong Kong I liked least of all. That being said, I personally could still handle living in HK. I am still applying to CX, but preferably as a FO on cargo.

S.O. route sounds good to me
 

I do not know anything about S.O @CX. The only thing that I know about CX is this: Good Pay, nice eqip, good Qol, and a NASA style physical. I think that the S.O. route would be the ideal route; for a young ladd. Especially if you are single. Lets see here......young, single, worldwide destinations(foreign women:D ) PRICELESS. Oh yeah, did I mention foreign women. Man I need a time machine:D When one you guys or gals invent a time machine, let me know.

CO777Driver

I just went through the whole process (DEFO US Cargo) at CX and I have to say that it seems like a great place to work. Like everyone has said, if you are young and want to see the world as a SO, go for it! It's much different than US carriers in that you can get a seniority number at a career destination with much less time. Then, four years later as a PAX FO your pay will beat any US regional captain pay by around $40000 US/year. You must be prepared and very well disciplined in your studies before the interviews. However, the things that you learn will be a valuable asset to your career regardless of whether or not you get hired. Start studying 'Handling the Big Jets' now and dig out whatever books you have on weather as well.

CX will be hiring quite a few in the next several years. Look at the aircraft orders (33) and consider that they are looking at purchasing even more. Also, just read the news and you will realize that the booming Chinese economy alone should help make CX a stable career destination.

My .02: give it a shot

Living in HK
 

So, for those of you who have been there, done that, and got the T- shirt...

If hired and living in HK, do you live in special areas with other western folks?

What is the Pay after everything is said and done as an SO?

I have not done the Cathay thing -- had to turn down interview because I was TAD and they never called back :( Probably too junior for DEFO but too senior for SO...I did a day-tour of the Cathay City complex(including 2 hrs of 777 sim time through the US Embassy) and it is spectacular. The HQ had a dedicated bar that shames most military O'clubs, and the training facilities are a notch above any other I have seen (American, USN). 2 of us that did the tour got the call to interview, and we both had to turn it down without a call back....

however,

HK is a pretty diverse city, and for the most part there are not racially segregated areas (unlike the middle east, say) and appears to be set up more by income than anything else. However, the western "bar" district is killer.

People are nice, city is way, way clean (hey, it's communist now so they have to find a job for everyone!, but they have their own, British based legal system), it is easy to get around (like everyplace else in Asia - spectacular public transit) and English is commonly spoken. Air quality sucks though.

It's one of the few places (3 actually) of the 30+ places I've been to overseas where I would happily move to (for a while). I think you could do three years there and not see all of HK, let alone your rest days in EVERY major city in the world that Cathay serves.

It would be quite the adventure....and when you get tired of it come back to the US as an FO. www.pprune.org (fragrant harbor forum) is a great resource for Cathay info from those that work there.

HTH
Spongebob

Hong Kong is no longer a British colony, but Margaret Thatcher was able to hammer out an agreement with mainland China about the the city's future back in 1984. Under the agreement Hong Kong will keep its capitalist system and operate independently of China, and be free to make its own decisions, for the next 50 years after the handover. I talked with someone who has spent a good deal of time there, and he said the only thing that has changed since the handover was the flag.

From my observation, streets got cleaner but the air got worse. The legal system is the key to HK's (and Cathay's) wealth. If you want to do business in China but are afraid of getting screwed by the gov't (who can change the rules as they wish), you contract with a middleman in HK - you are protected by HK's legal system and your agent does enough business (and probably has family relations with people there) on the mainland that the gov't won't screw with him. And since they're assuming that risk, they get paid well. Plus, as part of the deal, your products get moved through HK.

Got that from the AmEmb dudes. Sweet system, and explains the stratospheric rise in wealth in HK.

In my guestimation, the Chinese would be nuts to change anything about the arrangement they have in HK (even if they could). HK is one big money pump, straight into "mainland" China. Why screw with that?

The Chinese want Shanghai to replace HK as the central location for business. HK is likely to be screwed in the future.

Except businesses will stay away because they are under Chinese law...risky business. Which is why the Chinese would like the business to go through there. That said, HK is only so big and is pretty much maxed out for forwarding cargo.