Emirates interviews

[surfnfly]

Any one attend a recent interview with Emirates. Just trying to get your your impression of the company. How was the interview, hiring numbers, etc. Any info appreciated. I got invited for a interview in March.

 

[NEDude]

No interview yet, but just got an email asking me to update my application. More hiring soon?

 

[johnsonrod]

I know that you should take anything you read on Pprune with a huge grain of salt (seems to be a lot of negativity), but it is probably worth a look. Check out the Middle East forum on Pprune (www.pprune.org). There are also a few guys on this forum who can provide their own impressions (i.e., Typhoonpilot). Conduct a search and PM them.

Good luck. I say tell them you want to fly the A380 right off the bat - maybe you'll get it with their recent attrition...

 

[NEDude]

In my experience Pprune is about the worst source of information out there. If you think American pilots whine and complain, check out the Europeans. They win hands down.

A lot of what you read on that site seems to have a lot to do with unrealistic expectations - hey I am going to be hired and within six months be put in the left seat of an A380 and make a million dollars a year and only work five days a month!! What, that didn't happen?! Oh Bollocks!! These guys are the worst *%#*#$#^&8 ever to walk the face of the earth, stay far away!!

I know some folks at Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Cathay, and on many contract jobs. While the work is not perfect, they all say it is nothing like what you read on Pprune.

Can't be any worse than starting all over at poverty level wages (seriously) at a company that can't organize its training and has no idea where the bases will be in four months. Oh wait, did I say that out loud?

 

[iflysky]

I must agree Pprune is extremely over-dramatic, although however there is some good stuff on there. Since no unions, sensorship and very limited labour protection laws apply to this part of the world, Pprune is more of an anonimous political tool more than anything else.
Satisfaction factor depends on the induvidual. I enjoy my time here, career progression, money and stability, however my other fried, also a yank, hates it.

 

[TSA145]

Any one attend a recent interview with Emirates. Just trying to get your your impression of the company. How was the interview, hiring numbers, etc. Any info appreciated. I got invited for a interview in March.

Had a debrief with management today. According to them around 70 new hires, mostly going to the 777. There's plenty of interview info here and on pprune.
I enjoy the company a lot even though we have our problems, just like anybody else.

 

[uba757]

Guys, The one thing I have found about EK in the almost 2 years that I have been here,is that if you set your expectations very high, you will be dissapointed but if you come here with an open mind and are willing to take the good with the bad, it will be OK. Sometimes the stuff they come up with, well it is just like being back home with Delta, American, etc. But for the most part it is a good job. I think (and this is just my opinion) that this year they have to give some insentive for the pilot group to stick around, they have taken a great deal away and I hope they reallize that it is hurting morale and guys are just taking their stuff and going home, no notice given. Overall it is a good job, Dubai is not that bad and you can do pretty much everything here that you can do back home, I have a Softball game tonight. Again guys you have to take the good with the bad and have an open mind and it will all work out at the end. Just my 2 cents.

uba757

 

[Regional4life]

EK has become in many ways just like a carrier back home, Delta, United, etc. For the guys that have been here, yes, they have taken some quality of life away by making the airline more efficient. That also means cost effective. They have raised the productivity rates of the line pilots and also increased the overtime threshold. You have a set allowance each year for electricity/water, and if you go over that, then you pay for it through payroll deduction. It's a longer upgrade now for first officers on the Boeing, Airbus is about the same it's been, so Boeing is just catching up to the Bus, both about 5 years now. Be careful how the education allowance is worded and do a research on education costs here, they can catch you out quickly if you aren't careful. If you are an FO alloted a villa, you are given just the basics for furniture, etc. To make it a livable villa, you will spend some money over the next few years if you don't elect to ship your stuff over.

There were no raises last year or raises in education allowances, etc. Education costs have generally increased at least 10% each year and this year is not different. No bonus paid out last year. The company has been highly profitable this year. However, there are still questions of whether we will see raises or profit share.

In the first few new hire classes of the year, there were several no shows. Lots of "seven yearers" here and several first officers are leaving.

With all that being said, management has said that they are looking for planes this year or will move up the delayed 777 deliveries. Pilots on reserves are running low. So, in my opinion, (and it's just that, an observation/opinion), they will have to do something to motivate people to stay or bring in new hires. I would imagine that would come financially. I can't prove that at all and have no inside information. Many here are hoping the package improves this year but time will tell.

They also changed the upgrade policy. Anyone coming here with less than 55ton hours will need 4000 hours in seat to upgrade. Anyone with 55ton hours will need 3000 in type to upgrade. Now, according to management, there are only about 30 people on the Boeing side right now that meet that requirement, so odds are this will become just like any other policy and will change when needs demand.

As far as the company, they have been straight forward with me, which is more than I can say for the companies I worked for back in the states. Dubai you can take of leave, it all depends on how you make it. I will say that you have to get out of Dubai on holidays just to get away. The airplanes are new and generally I do not leave with an MEL on the plane. Most destinations are great, with ample time to explore. Crews are fantastic. Respect for pilots over here is something you will never see in the states. Fatigue can become an issue, depending on your roster. Hope some of that helps.

 

[DHPFLYN]

EK has become in many ways just like a carrier back home, Delta, United, etc. For the guys that have been here, yes, they have taken some quality of life away by making the airline more efficient. That also means cost effective. They have raised the productivity rates of the line pilots and also increased the overtime threshold. You have a set allowance each year for electricity/water, and if you go over that, then you pay for it through payroll deduction. It's a longer upgrade now for first officers on the Boeing, Airbus is about the same it's been, so Boeing is just catching up to the Bus, both about 5 years now. Be careful how the education allowance is worded and do a research on education costs here, they can catch you out quickly if you aren't careful. If you are an FO alloted a villa, you are given just the basics for furniture, etc. To make it a livable villa, you will spend some money over the next few years if you don't elect to ship your stuff over.

There were no raises last year or raises in education allowances, etc. Education costs have generally increased at least 10% each year and this year is not different. No bonus paid out last year. The company has been highly profitable this year. However, there are still questions of whether we will see raises or profit share.

In the first few new hire classes of the year, there were several no shows. Lots of "seven yearers" here and several first officers are leaving.

With all that being said, management has said that they are looking for planes this year or will move up the delayed 777 deliveries. Pilots on reserves are running low. So, in my opinion, (and it's just that, an observation/opinion), they will have to do something to motivate people to stay or bring in new hires. I would imagine that would come financially. I can't prove that at all and have no inside information. Many here are hoping the package improves this year but time will tell.

They also changed the upgrade policy. Anyone coming here with less than 55ton hours will need 4000 hours in seat to upgrade. Anyone with 55ton hours will need 3000 in type to upgrade. Now, according to management, there are only about 30 people on the Boeing side right now that meet that requirement, so odds are this will become just like any other policy and will change when needs demand.

As far as the company, they have been straight forward with me, which is more than I can say for the companies I worked for back in the states. Dubai you can take of leave, it all depends on how you make it. I will say that you have to get out of Dubai on holidays just to get away. The airplanes are new and generally I do not leave with an MEL on the plane. Most destinations are great, with ample time to explore. Crews are fantastic. Respect for pilots over here is something you will never see in the states. Fatigue can become an issue, depending on your roster. Hope some of that helps.

Great post thanks for the information. Do you think they will drop the Boeing and Airbus time reauirement for a interview?

 

[Kenny]

Great post thanks for the information. Do you think they will drop the Boeing and Airbus time reauirement for a interview?

Only when they absolutely, positively have to, because no one with Boeing/Airbus time is prepared to go there. It's the only reason they were prepared to look at RJ guys 18 months ago.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

They advertised on 27 Jan 2010 on climbto350.com for FOs.

cliff
GRB

 

[CommanderHoek]

???

Hey ATPCLIFF, are you in fact currently a DC-9 Captain and where and for whom?

 

[Lear70]

If he told you that, he'd have to you... well... you know.

 

[JerryLundegaard]

"Dubai is not that bad and you can do pretty much everything here that you can do back home..."

Except miss a few mortgage payments on some pilot crash pads you may own in said Dubai, at which time you "resign" from Emirates and quickly leave the country. Did you hear about that, uba757?

 

[Lear70]

Why would you need a pilot crashpad if the company is paying your housing?

 

[Regional4life]

You don't need a crashpad. No one has a crashpad here. There are a few commuters, but those guys all have company apartments.

There are a few here though that bought as investments, which at one point, was very good as they were all done on spectulation. However, just like everywhere else, the market crashed and they got stuck with huge mortgages. That's why some people have ran. However, I do know personally of two pilots and one purser that got stuck with investments like this and got behind on their mortgage. The company bailed them out. Now, some will say that's the company helping the pilot. Some will say that the company did it to ensure those individuals will stay and are now indebted to EK. You make your on conclusions.

Listen, if you come here thinking it's going to be just like home, don't come. You will be sorely mistaken and probably miserable. This is not the U.S. and no, you can't do everything that you did back home or be in the same environment that you had back home. My Target runs now include a 14.5 hour trip to JFK, not a 10 minute run down the block. You certainly have to have a little bit of adventurism in you to become an expat. You have to have the ability to learn to enjoy some of the culture (not embrace it, enjoy it or go along with it). If you don't, you'll go crazy. I'll give you an example, if you can't travel outside of the U.S. without eating at a McDonalds at least twice a week, then don't bother trying to become an expat. It's a different life. And it's not for everyone. It's not back home, I miss a lot of stuff that I did in the states. That's also why we try to get back home every 3 to 4 months, doesn't always happen, but it helps. However, we have found new and different things to do that we otherwise would never have had the opportunity to do, and we have embraced that not only for ourselves, but for the education of our kids. Take it for what it's worth. Be informed about becoming an expat. For the simple reason that once you become an expat, if you want to return to the U.S. in this career, more than likely, you will start all over again. It's not an easy choice. But don't foul yourself that it will be like moving from DTW to MSP.

 

[Mr.B]

You don't need a crashpad. No one has a crashpad here. There are a few commuters, but those guys all have company apartments.

There are a few here though that bought as investments, which at one point, was very good as they were all done on spectulation. However, just like everywhere else, the market crashed and they got stuck with huge mortgages. That's why some people have ran. However, I do know personally of two pilots and one purser that got stuck with investments like this and got behind on their mortgage. The company bailed them out. Now, some will say that's the company helping the pilot. Some will say that the company did it to ensure those individuals will stay and are now indebted to EK. You make your on conclusions.

Listen, if you come here thinking it's going to be just like home, don't come. You will be sorely mistaken and probably miserable. This is not the U.S. and no, you can't do everything that you did back home or be in the same environment that you had back home. My Target runs now include a 14.5 hour trip to JFK, not a 10 minute run down the block. You certainly have to have a little bit of adventurism in you to become an expat. You have to have the ability to learn to enjoy some of the culture (not embrace it, enjoy it or go along with it). If you don't, you'll go crazy. I'll give you an example, if you can't travel outside of the U.S. without eating at a McDonalds at least twice a week, then don't bother trying to become an expat. It's a different life. And it's not for everyone. It's not back home, I miss a lot of stuff that I did in the states. That's also why we try to get back home every 3 to 4 months, doesn't always happen, but it helps. However, we have found new and different things to do that we otherwise would never have had the opportunity to do, and we have embraced that not only for ourselves, but for the education of our kids. Take it for what it's worth. Be informed about becoming an expat. For the simple reason that once you become an expat, if you want to return to the U.S. in this career, more than likely, you will start all over again. It's not an easy choice. But don't foul yourself that it will be like moving from DTW to MSP.

Good post. Thanks

 

[JerryLundegaard]

Why would you need a pilot crashpad if the company is paying your housing?

I'll defer to Regional's summary of what happened (my source was state's side), however I think the scenario he describes makes my point: An expat must comport himself consistent with middle eastern culture or face the consequences.

Dubai leadership itself is experiencing some disapproval from the other emirates' leadership due to their assumption of massive debts based on hyper speculation, and so are finding the securing of "bailout capital" from Qatar and the others difficult these days. Loss of control of Emirates Airways is one possibility.

 

[Lear70]

I'll defer to Regional's summary of what happened (my source was state's side), however I think the scenario he describes makes my point: An expat must comport himself consistent with middle eastern culture or face the consequences.

You could say that about ANY international flying, whether it's the Emirates, Saudi, China, Korea, or even Russia.

Most of that, however, comes with being a professional. There are always going to be a few individuals who just conduct themselves unprofessionally in ALL aspects of their life, or just make poor financial decisions, as it sounds here, and get themselves in hot water...

YMMV

 

[overseas boy]

Dubai leadership itself is experiencing some disapproval from the other emirates' leadership due to their assumption of massive debts based on hyper speculation, and so are finding the securing of "bailout capital" from Qatar and the others difficult these days.

Jerry you know that Qatar is a country in it's own right and has no association with Dubai or the United Arab Emirates whatsoever besides also being in the Middle East?