Cathay Interview... Say what???

[B737Dvr]

upgrade on cathay pacific

hey bbb/bjammin, say you guys get an upgrade after 5 years and decide to stay in the freighter do you guys go to 5th year captain pay or do you start at 1st year captain pay?
another question i have is what are the pay scales in hong kong when after 3 years you get to transfer?
thanks guys....

 

[Bjammin]

1. 1st year captain pay.

2. I don't know the pay scales in Hong Kong. And what to you mean transfer after 3 years? Do you mean if you're hired as an S/O? My first base as an F/O is LAX and I plan on never moving.

 

[Bigbeerbelly]

2. As a DEFO you are eligible to transfer to passenger fleet flying 3 years after your final line check or 42 months from start of training whichever comes first. It may take a lot longer to get awarded the transfer and it is possible that you may get pay protected to stay on your cargo base. It all depends on staffing. Passenger fleet may require a move to Hong Kong. Hong Kong based crews are on a different remuneration package than USA based crews. I don't want to post exact numbers, but it is about 40% more + better benies (Christmas bonus, housing assistance, etc.) As BJammin said, you can stay USA based your entire career if you choose.

Again, I don't work at CX yet. All second hand knowledge.

BBB

 

[Bjammin]

another question i have is what are the pay scales in hong kong when after 3 years you get to transfer?
thanks guys....

This is the quote that through me off. Transfer from where to where? If you go to the PAX fleet from freighters you don't have to go to Hong Kong. If you're an SO you will start in Hong Kong then go somewhere else after a couple of years if you want to. Again, many choises.

 

[B737Dvr]

what i was asking before is if you are a DEFO on the freighter fleet in the US, then when you are eligible to transfer to the pax fleet, do you have to go to hong kong? it is my impression that you do, and in that case bbb answered my question as to what kind of pay premium can you expect? in this case, im not sure if you have to pay US taxes, but somewhere i read that you have to pay hong kong taxes, is this right? another question while im on the topic, what is the likelyhood of getting a jfk base as a newhire? if not, then what are the jumpseating options available to an east coast guy if i am based in lax or anc?

bbb, are you awaiting a class date? how long was your process from 1st interview to class offer?

thanks again guys!

 

[Bigbeerbelly]

As Bjammin said, you can stay your entire career in the US. It may take a lot longer than three years to transfer to a US passenger base though. Regarding taxes, you have to pay both US and HK tax even if US based. However, you can not be double taxed. You get a US tax credit for the HKG paid taxes. I start next month and got JFK. I plan on commuting using ID90s, regular tickets, and Amtrak. Total process from initial application in Feb 05 to First interview in January 06 to Second interview in April 06 to class date in October 06 was 20 months.

 

[Bjammin]

Actually, you don't have to pay HKG taxes if US based. You just fill out this little form you get for the Hong Kong IRS with a code for "paying taxes in another country". So far I've not had to pay a dime.

 

[B737Dvr]

interview next monday the 18th!

Well guys ive got till next monday to keep prepping for my nyc interview. Ive read handling the big jets, reviewed the aerodynamics for naval aviators(what do they ask out of this book?) and have compiled info from the last 2 investor relations presentations put out by the company as well as their history and recent aircraft orders. Where is a good place to get info on asian wx like typhoons, cyclones etc....?

other than the above, what else would you guys think they would ask (besides the normal HR questions like why us etc..?) anything specific that you guys were asked and thought was tough or stuck out in your mind? Im really excited about this and hope to see HKG on round 2 and then get a class!

any advice or thoughts would be appreciated!!! you guys bbb and bjammin have been great contributing to the CX info on here and im sure everyone appreciates it!

 

[Bigbeerbelly]

Since you are running out of study time I would use www.wikipedia.com as much as possible for the typhoon info. Basically, do a search on typhoons then memorize everything...water temperature required for a typhoon to form, wind patterns inside the typhoon, how the ITCZ and Hadley Cell effect the formation of typhoons, etc... Do a bunch of searches with different topics. For the HR portion make sure you have all the company info memorized. Exact fleet breakdown as well as future orders, destinations, etc.

Study Hard!

BBB

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

If you LIVE in as foreign country, as a US citizen, you don't have to pay US taxes. You may have to pay local/federal taxes of that location-it depends on them.

That's how US companies like Haliburton get away with paying no US taxes. They "move" the company overseas for tax purposes, often with US federal money given to them to help them move, and then they act like a US company in bidding for US gov't contracts. Of course, in Haliburton's case, they don't have to bid-they just are given the contracts directly.

Oh, and speaking of Haliburton, in 2005 they illegally sold technology to Iran to help Iran create nuclear weapons. Now if Cheney can just convince Bush to invade Iran, he can make even more money for Haliburton be getting huge contracts to supply the US troops needed to stop Iran from creating the nuclear weapons. What a deal!

If you live in Dubai (Emirates), they have no tax, and U pay no US taxes, so all your income is tax free. I think Emirates is better than Cathay, but they have higher minimums, and you can't live in the states.

cliff
YIP

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

atpcliff - do you work for EK?

FYI we have (and this is not heresay - I've flown with him) an EX-EK 777 Capt that has recently joined us as an S/O and several others from both EK Airbi and B777 fleets at the freighter side. If 1/2 of what they say about EK is true, EK and DXB are not places you would want to work. I have been to DXB many times and never felt the need to stay, trust me. Don't be deceived by shiny new jets (SNJ's) - DXB/EK is full of them.

If you LIVE in as foreign country, as a US citizen, you don't have to pay US taxes

Not true. Your first USD70K is tax-free but you are taxable after that. You are still required to submit a tax return to Uncle Sam annually and you are still required to pay HKG taxes (flat-rated at 16%).

You can beat the CX vs. EK thing to death, but it really is whatever pushes your buttons. If SNJ's do it for you, great. If you're looking for a life, think about CX and HKG. I have been here 16years, and the more I look around, the more I realise how fate smiled on me and lucky I am.

Yes, I am A scale and yes, I am a Captain, and yes, I am Hong Kong based.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

No, I'm at USA Jet. I was interested in Emirates, but my wife wasn't, and I didn't meet the mins anyway.

I meet the mins for Cathay, and wasn't considering them, because I thought u had to live in HK (my wife wasn't up for that). I just recently found out I could get based in the US (ORD or CYYZ would be what I would try for), so I'm now looking into them more seriously.

I know a guy who interviewed recently at Cathay and didn't get hired.

Any advice would be appreciated.

cliff
GRB

 

[wms]

bjammin,
I see Reserves on your bio. Is CX friendly to reservists and do they work with your military schedule.

 

[Bjammin]

Yea, i'm a reservist.

luckly I get my CX schedule on the 15th of the month prior then I tell the reserves by the 20th what my drill plan is for the next month. For the past 2 years it has worked out great.

Mandatory drills are known about months in advance so I can ask for those days off through the CX scheduling department.

My CO says as long as I get 100 hours of flight time a year and do the minimum ammout of drill time required over the year he would be happy.

I always put CX first on the priority list and my military duty second. All involved are happy with that order.

 

[wms]

If there were a conflict or if a guy had extended mil training like a couple month transition, would CX have a problem with it? Thanks for the answers.

 

[Bjammin]

I think Cathay would tire pretty quickly if you dropped trips for military duty. By US law they are required to do it, but they would find a way to make life very painful. I NEVER want to find out. I'm sure you could fight them in court and make it very messy, but Cathay is NOT a company you want to strong arm.

If you are just starting out and needed to move an initial class date due to training with the military, they would accomidate that.

 

[LR25]

I have to say, this is an excellent thread.

I have a question about the application. I was sent one via email after a job fair over a year ago. I was offered a postion somewhere else flying a 747 classic cargo. I still have the app. and want to send it in, but what will be percieved if sending it in so late?

I have concluded that Cathay Pacific is a place I will hang my hat if given the opportunity.

 

[Bjammin]

Cathay would be happy to accept the app, no worries.
We are hiring as many as we can train and are lacking qualified applicants accoring to a certain training manager I spoke to.

 

[coogebeachhotel]

Cathay would be happy to accept the app, no worries.
We are hiring as many as we can train and are lacking qualified applicants accoring to a certain training manager I spoke to.

Just filled out app. Let's see. Going for DEFO.

 

[milehye]

Cathay would be happy to accept the app, no worries.
We are hiring as many as we can train and are lacking qualified applicants accoring to a certain training manager I spoke to.

That maybe true, but aren't you short trainers and are currently back -logged? I was hired last month and am currently slated to begin training the beginning of the second quarter. Do you know if classes are getting bumped up at all?