Yes the SO transition job can be compared to that very easily.
The majority of the folks taking the SO job are South African and Australian as the south africans have a horrid economy with almost zero jet jobs for caucasian people and the aussies just dont fly jets, they mostly have low paying turbo prop and pistion gigs.

 

FlowpayFO check your PM

 

Supplemental carriers are paying $66-77/hr starting. How much more is CX offering? Is it a cruise boy only job? If CX's pay is more how much more will be eaten up by the HKG costs? Commuting costs?

And then there's the whole issue of commuting across half the world vs. jumpseating to or having a home based option in the U.S.

 

1. I commuted to Japan from the US and from the Middle East. Commuting a long distance like that is expensive and will wear you down over time in ways you might not ever expect. Unless you have been regularly flying to the other side of the world you have no idea what you are in for.

2. $80K in HK gets you very little. You need to do some serious research as to what kind of QOL you will have on that kind of salary. Rent is equal to or worse than Tokyo and NYC.

3. Cruise pilot time is worthless, and your *upgrade* to FO will be something like 3-5 years.

4. Airlines in the US are hiring and if you are patient and go to a few job fairs something will eventually happen. A huge mob of FOs from my former job are at Spirit and JetBlue; 3 guys who went to Spirit upgraded within 3 years. Atlas or Kalitta would be a lot of fun if you are young and single. Stay in the US and its easier to be on the radar for another US carrier.

5. If you really want to try out this expat flying gig, all 3 majors in the ME are hiring; if you have an ATP and some EFIS jet time you'll get your chance over here.

I was at a bar in the mid levels a bit ago and overheard the most miserable groveling about airline piloting I have ever heard in my life, it was 2 CX Boeing jockeys, its not the dream job it once was.

The positives I can tell you about the idea are: Airport express trains have wifi, no snow or freezing rain in HK, tons of amazing beaches in SE Asia are not far from HK, if you have any money or time left over from the whole ordeal of HK life and ULR flying.

Good luck!

 

Go find out how much it will cost you now to travel/commute on the Green Monster. They all just got a shock at the sticker price on the new Lambo, without the girl!

 

I live right next door in Shenzhen. HK is expensive as hell. I suggest going for the interview and taking some time to look around the city. In my off days when I have atleast 10 in a row (7 being my absolute minimum to consider doing this) I commute HKG-EWR. It absolutely sucks.

 

It is about to be another dark, very dark, period in CX history again. Trust me when I tell you when want to steer clear of this ship as it just hit the iceberg!

 

Get your type. Get 500 hrs. And go stateside.