seattlepilot

Thinking about attending Emirates road show. Do they do interviews right away or is just like a job fair here in USA where you stand around for hours to get your five minutes of fame ?

Thanks

PCLCREW

If I can recall it's like a meet and greet no interview. The Emirates interview is in Dubai and it's about 3 days. If you go on their website it lays the whole process out.
The road show is just like a job fair, but you don't get scammed out of 150$ to walk in the door.

gcpilot

Heard that Flydubai did similar scheme couple of months ago here in the US where interviewees had to pay $200

likeitis

Why I must ask? If you're American and the hiring wave that's starting I'm not understanding the need? The Americans currently at Emirates are leaving in bunches. It's not a pleasant place to work. Brutal schedules with no control over your schedules and your career progression. I never had any problems in training but it's just archaic. There isn't any training at all and if you actually like to fly the airplane you won't get much time to do that cause everything is done procedural and kicking off the autopilot anywhere above 750' you will make the other pilot nervous. There isn't a lot of anti-Americanism but you will run into it. Just hope it doesn't coincide with your skills test or line training. Upgrade for new joiners will be 10 plus years and if you get stuck on the 330-340 you will want to commit suicide if flying into the war zones or Ebola zones doesn't first. Like most places almost everyone on the line is great and flying for the most part is fun.

atpcliff

From what I have read they give presentations on EK and the hiring process, then answer questions. Think they have everyone in a large room with briefers. Not like a US job fair.

They recently had a Road Show in Singapore, and not a single pilot showed up.

I know 2 US guys there now. It was a lot better job when they got hired. Partly because the rents in DXB went up 40% in 2013.

PCLCREW

Had to think about it more and yes that's what it was like back 2007 when people would jump at the chance to work there.
I went because it was in my base during a 4 hour sit. Now I wouldn't even think of going there. It's not like 8 years a ago when it could have made sense. Now with prices in Dubai no way.

Skyone

Overall, in the last eight years almost all terms and conditions have deteriorated in one way or another. Eight years ago, flying was seventy to seventy five hours mostly and upgrades almost guaranteed in three years. Now, flying around ninety hours and upgrades will take a minimum of five to seven years. Salary in no way has kept up with Dubai inflation. Think long and hard my friends.

Flitestar

Skyone hits the nail in the head in the first part of the thread. What really seems to be taking a big hit on EK crews is the QOL due to deteriorating conditions overall.

While it's true that rent prices have increased tremendously, It's up to you to scale back and live within your means. It can be done, and it's not so hard.

I've had 2 classmates who took only 2 months to get too deep in dept, few weeks back one of them called me to beg me to buy his brand new Audi he bought.

Dubai is the perfect place to lose your head and overspend, but it also allows you to save a bit of money and enjoy a decent life if you don't let yourself go.

Disclaimer: Each and everyone's financial situation back home is different, it's up to you to research the numbers here in DXB and build up a realistic financial plan and mid-long term goals before coming over and doing the expat thing.

NEDude

They need to keep up with the times. More and more Chinese airlines are offering month on/month off at north of $13,000 per month with a housing allowance and your commute paid for (re-imbursed). Korean Air and some of the Chinese airlines offer you the ability to be based in your home country.

Frankly if Emirates offered home basing I would be interested (and many others I know would be as well), but as long as you have to live in Dubai I will pass. I know I am not alone in this mindset either. As mentioned before, it is no longer 2007, we have far more options now.

Flitestar

True, the problem is, if you are based at home, you can no longer take advantage of the tax exemption of being an expat (up to the max income limit as per Publication 54 of the IRS). Emirates (or any other foreign carrier for that matter) will look a lot less appealing if you have to take a bigger chunk of your income for tax purposes.

Granted you may still need to pay some amount of taxes as an expat, clearly not even close as to how much you would ahve to pay away to the IRS if you lived in the US.