All Nippon Airways

[mxer]

I have never had to be a commuter. (Been Lucky) When you commute for AJX or AJV, I would expect you would need to pay for a night stay on either end of the assignment. How about during. If each day is an out and back, do you end up paying for your own quite a bit. If so, is the 550 they currently offer going to cover much or does it just help. Do you have much out of pocket expense. By the way, I live in the States.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I have never had to be a commuter. (Been Lucky) When you commute for AJX or AJV, I would expect you would need to pay for a night stay on either end of the assignment. How about during. If each day is an out and back, do you end up paying for your own quite a bit. If so, is the 550 they currently offer going to cover much or does it just help. Do you have much out of pocket expense. By the way, I live in the States.

You do pay your own hotel during your duty roster in Narita, some guys have rented apartments with room mates, others (like me) stay at the hotels in the area and we get discount prices through ANA. The $550 allowance is for 120 nights a year and the company pay's an additional $55/night beyond that. The hotel that I stay at gives me a discount rate of Y5,700/ night and gives us a locker area for AJV,AJX,NCA for storage, that way the commute becomes a lot easier because you can travel light. I don't really have to travel with any bags but I tried it once and it was a bitch to go through customs in the US.

About the allowances being enough to cover your stay, it depends on what kind of an individual you are. If you are the "slam clank" type ( you know, the guys that you hear the slam of the door being closed and the clank of the lock, and you don't see them until the sign in time) Sure, the per diem and housing allowance will be enough because you can actually eat pretty cheap in Japan. But if you are like me and enjoy the night life of Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, you will spend more than your allowance for sure.

 

[reepicheep]

Is it true each day is an "out and back"...no layovers?

 

[d328pilot]

Is it true each day is an "out and back"...no layovers?

HNL is about a 22 hour layover, SIN is about 30 hour layover, HKG is about 22 hour layover, TPE is going to be a short 8 hour layover. All of the China flights are "out and back"

 

[fogrunner]

AJV/AJX interview

Just got back from Tokyo. Had a good time. Was told I was successful. Just waiting on the medical results.

Day one- Medical 4.5 hours

Day two- Written test, MMPI, Board Interview and SIM.

Seems to be a change in the Board Interview. Have read and been told pretty light on the technical side. Not the case anymore. A good 15 minutes on , turbulence, de-icing procedures, Jepp Charts, ICAO holding procedures, RVSM, Class B, G, D airspace.

 

[5w5flyer]

Hi, just curious. Four different eye tests during the interview? So I assume that pretty much someone who wears contacts cannot qualify for a JCAB medical?

 

[mxer]

Can anybody that is already flying one of these contracts give a comparison in AJX vs AJV. (besides one is passenger and one is cargo) ex; I have heard crew meals are great on AJX. What about on AJV? I understand that AJV gives one extra day off for the commute. Any comparisons that make one better than the other. Btw, I have applied through PARC and live in the States.

 

[d328pilot]

The biggest complaint that I hear from the cargo guys is the deadheading. A lot of their flying is out of Kansai which involved a DH to start or end the trip. They have started offering some guys apartments there if they will be based in KIX.

I think you are treated better on the passenger side during your initial training. Pax guys get apartments while cargo guys are stuck in hotels. I am averaging close to 80 hours a month on the Pax side where as the cargo guys are probably half of that. Pax guys get uniform hats, cargo guys don't. Both do a lot of China flights with no overnights. Pax is mostly daytime, and cargo has more night time flights into China. Cargo guys visit ORD and ANC in the US, Pax guys get HNL. The cabin crew are mostly nice with a high percentage that are easy on the eyes. Containers on the cargo side are short, fat and cold. Pax airplanes have foot massagers and ice cream service. Cargo doesn't. Pax guys don't have to wait on a bus or car to go to and from the airplane after every flight, where as cargo guys do. I am on the Pax side though so my opinion may be biased.

Now that the difference in pay is smaller, there are cargo guys that are coming over to the passenger side. There are not any pax guys that are trying to move to the cargo side that I know of.

 

[d328pilot]

Hi, just curious. Four different eye tests during the interview? So I assume that pretty much someone who wears contacts cannot qualify for a JCAB medical?

It depends on why you wear contacts. I think there is a limit for uncorrected vision but I am not sure what it is. The contract companies might know, so a call to them would probably give you an exact answer. If you are 20/60 corrected to 20/20 you are probably ok. If you are 20/400, that might be a problem.

 

[Lolikoka]

Contract Renewal

I really haven't heard much about foreign contract flying. Are contracts typically renewed so you can make a career of it? Or are you looking for a new job after 5 years.