Air Japan (AJX)

[Dumb Pilot]

You get a hotel allowance as part of your salary calculated at 10 nights in base, if you spend more than that, you will get a hotel reimbursement for every night you spend over the allowance. The nights at base vary from 6 to over 10 nights depending on how your roster looks for the month, there is a hotel in town that gives AJX crews a price of 5,700¥ per night (not sure if the price has changed, I haven't stayed in the hotel for a while now) most crews now have apartments as well.

@dontpost2 Glad we could be of service

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Well, I might as well answer the next inevitable question. Are the housing allowances and per diem enough to cover your costs in Japan? The housing allowance is $550 per month based on 10 nights (if you stay less than 10 nights you still get the full allowance, if you stay over 10 nights, you get $55 per night) although is not on the contract details, they are paying a supplement to the housing allowance based on the current rate of the dollar, this month they paid me an additional $165 based on the supplement pay scheme (it varies month to month depending on the dollar vs. yen rate) so a total of $715, if you are at the hotel, 5,700¥= $75 so it almost covers it, not quite. If you are at an apartment and you are sharing the rent with a roomate, rents vary from ¥70,000 to ¥110,000 depending on how far you are from the train station, to give you an idea, a three minute walk is the 110, an 8 minute walk is 70. If you are at an apartment 3 minutes from the station with a roomate your share is ¥55,000 but remember that you will pay gas, electricity, internet, that is usually about $100 each so that will come to $704 + $100 each between rent and utilities.

Now, per diem: $996 per month but it is also subject to the yen pay scheme increase depending on the rate, this month I got payed $1,120. I typically spend around $2,000 per month but I live well while on the road, I eat at nice restaurants on the overnights and I enjoy a nice glass of wine or a frosty beverage here and there.

So the answer is that you will spend more than your per diem and allowance, how much more depends on the lifestyle you live while on the road and what accommodation you choose.

 

[jrmyl]

Let me clarify some things that DP said. The hotel in NRT charges us 5,775 yen per night. We get the accom allowance based on 10 nights is correct. However, if you stay over you don't get paid then. It is based on a yearly amount of nightly stays. So if you stay over 120 nights for the year you will get the extra amount. If you stay less then only the regular allowance. I am staying on average 6 nights/month in the hotel and I only take the 12 days off/month unlike some who do 14.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Let me clarify some things that DP said. The hotel in NRT charges us 5,775 yen per night. We get the accom allowance based on 10 nights is correct. However, if you stay over you don't get paid then. It is based on a yearly amount of nightly stays. So if you stay over 120 nights for the year you will get the extra amount. If you stay less then only the regular allowance. I am staying on average 6 nights/month in the hotel and I only take the 12 days off/month unlike some who do 14.

Is that the way it works out with CREW jrmyl??? With PARC I get a hotel reimbursement in a monthly basis if I stay more than 10 nights, not on the yearly basis, I think, I see hotel reimbursement pay on my slip from time to time.

 

[jrmyl]

Is that the way it works out with CREW jrmyl??? With PARC I get a hotel reimbursement in a monthly basis if I stay more than 10 nights, not on the yearly basis, I think, I see hotel reimbursement pay on my slip from time to time.

Yes, that is correct. It is averaged out over the year. I'm not sure but I think in the last two years I have only been in the hotel more than 10 days once or twice. So it does happen, just not very often.

j

 

[han_solo]

Is Air Japan growing? new orders? Replacement plans for 767s?

Does ANA hire you permanently after 5 years?

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Is Air Japan growing? new orders? Replacement plans for 767s?

Does ANA hire you permanently after 5 years?

ANA would certainly like for AJX to take on more flying but we are short on crews, we have had some attrition of guys going back to recals in the US and a few that have moved on to other gigs within SE Asia, the business plan for the 2012 fiscal year that begins in April here in Japan hasn't been published yet and there are changes within the ANA company structure, we know that AJX will be an integral part of the ANA business plan going forward, we just don't know what it will look like.

New orders? Well, we don't really have any airplanes, we are assigned A/C's from the mainline fleet to do our flights, but ANA has an expansion plan that includes many new orders of 77's 87' & 76's.

The 767 will continue to be part of the ANA's business plan for the foreseeable future, if your question is that if AJX will operate another type eventually, we just don't know.

This gig is contract only and there is no direct employment with ANA, it is all done through an agency, contract renewals are offered regularly but there have been some cases where the company has said "sayonara" after the pilot has done the contract completion.

 

[spg2bmd]

DP, how long did it take you to upgrade?

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I came as a DEC, but the guys are starting their assessment at the three year mark and joining the line as captains at the 4 year mark

 

[spg2bmd]

I came as a DEC, but the guys are starting their assessment at the three year mark and joining the line as captains at the 4 year mark

Good that you made it into the DEC program. Sounds like that may be done with for the foreseeable future. The FO to CA program still isnt too bad.