cathay pacific questions

[machtuck]

Anyone with info reguarding F/O position at cathay would be great. ie. pay, union status, etc... thanks

 

[Jolly Roger]

Mach,

As I have said in earlier posts, there is much to be said for a job with Cathay. I joined about a year before the current hiring ban by IFALPA. Do a search, and you will have all the info you want on the ban, I will not regurgitate it here.

The bottom line with a "direct entry" F/O position with Cathay: Great starting pay, great aircraft, great crew, good schedules, very strong company. Never had a furlough, but will fire on an individual basis for real or perceived actions against the company's interest. If your aircraft operation is weak, you make running the schedule difficult, or generally anger or embarrass the company you will not have a healthy career at Cathay (please no flames). Pilot/management relations strained (what company isn't?), weak (no) bid system (six weeks a year leave is bid-able, as are bases), less control over your own destiny.

However, come to work on time, accept imperfect scheduling at times, don't get bogged down in company politics and your future with Cathay is as bright as anywhere else, perhaps brighter. This was my first job out of the military. I can not compare it to a US major with firsthand knowledge (although I have spoken at lengths with numerous buds in the trenches of the US Majors), but compared to the military my quality of life has improved by magnitudes.

I will not minimize the grief of those who may have had bad experiences with CX, and I can sympathize with their cause. I will not argue politics here (or in the cockpit for that matter). I think the ban is hurting the union as well as the company. However, I would strongly urge folks to consider the implications of joining under a ban. The up side is that no one knows how long it will last, but certainly not forever, and quite possibly is about over.

So, that's it... I'm happy and have had a great experience. Cathay, like any other job (or life in general), is full of imperfections. I choose not to dwell on them and things seem to go much more smoothly.

By the way, entry pay is $61,308... add 15.5% (or $9,502) for Provident Fund (retirement allowance) which can be taken in cash, allowances on the road of about $100/day (US), hourly duty pay (about 300/mo), profit share, extra pay for an ICAO ATP, etc... This easily tops 80K year one. All new hires are on the mainline seniority scale, and after three years on the 747-400 freighter (the only way to a direct path to the right seat based in the US) you can go to the pax fleet (most times keeping your current aircraft and US base, but getting 40%more pay, in the neighborhood of 140K.

Finally, be aware that Cathay hires Second Officers as well (in flight relief pilot only). Pay is relatively the same as direct entry F/O's when you include the housing allowance the company provides, but you must relocate to Hong Kong. Cathay has a strenuous training program, F/O training is long, but the road to the right seat as an S/O is even longer, with many checkflights/sims/interviews (and general harrassment) along the way. There are many differences between the F/O US based route and the HK based S/O route initially, but after a few years we are all in the same boat. The requirements for an F/O are higher, including jet command time. Some of the S/O's have more experience than some of the direct entry F/O's, but since many have flown nothing more than light pistons Cathay seems to wring them all out just to be sure they are ready for the big iron. S/O's tend to have the best schedules in the company, with plenty of time off to enjoy travel, etc. Any "based" pilot (including US based) will have a respectable schedule as well. The hard workers tend to be the HK based Capt and F/O's doing shorter haul flights in 747's and 777's.