CATHAY PACIFIC vs. FEDEX/UPS opinions

[TriJet]

Cathay - Asian chicks....millions of them!

"you have U.S. passport? we love you long time"

 

[Bjammin]

RP 4, sorry, I meant US.

I used to say all aviator conversations used to degrade to a$$, sex, or turds. Guess I was right.

 

[CSY Mon]

I used to say all aviator conversations used to degrade to a$$, sex, or turds. Guess I was right.

Sticker on my Harley some years ago:

ASS, GAS or GRASS, nobody rides for FREE.....

As for CX being Nirvana:

After having tried a few ex-pat gigs, I tend to agree with Typhoon Pilot:
It sure gets old out there, even with fancy jets and hot destinations, etc.

You will always be a stranger in the Hong Kong, Jeddah or Singapore.
After a few months the glamour wears off and ya feel like a prisoner.

Some guys thrive on the ex-pat stuff, others don't.

Try it and it may be good.

I would however go for FDX or UPS, learn the system and bid accordingly.
After a few years ya may be working 10 days a month pushing 200K.

Nuff said.

 

[#9]

Got an interview in June for CX S/O although my application had F/O clearly annotated.

My issue is that I'm not sure I can afford to give up my Military Reserve opportunities to move to Hong Kong for 3-4 years, although I continue to be impressed with CX. I meet the mins for F/O and S/O positions and was really hoping for Cargo F/O Interview.

Heard there is no way to get an F/O position without humbly interviewing for the S/O job.

Thoughts ??

 

[pilot141]

I command this thread to rise from the DEAD!!....

 

[PurpleTail]

I did ALOT of reaserch, interviewed with 5 different carriers, got hired by a few, and fell in love with one.

.

So why didn't FedEx offer you a job???

 

[Bjammin]

Well, it's been some time for this thread.

Purple Tail,

Don't know.

It may not have been long enough between when I sent my app to FedEx and got on with Cathay. After I got this job I just kinda quit the update process and I'm sure that was noticed.

To be honest, I also didn't try as hard for FedEx as the others that I got interviewed by. I have always wanted to fly PAX, stupid as that sounds. Nothing against frieght at all, to each his own.

Now that I have finished ground school and have spent a couple of months around the company, I couldn't be more satisfied. I have met some life long friends and thought the training was first rate. All the instructors were extreamly proficient and always friendly.

I am very happy here and plan on staying for the VERY long term. Hong Kong is a great city and I would love to move my family here at some point. It can't be all bad if Mickey Mouse is making a home here.

All the pilots here have nothing but good to say about FedEx. Anyone there is lucky to have such a stable job. We believe Cathay has a bright future as well. The ecomomy is booming, Disney is moving in just south of HKIA, and mainland China is slowly opening it's borders.

It's hard to find bad news here. The rate of expansion is amazing (watch the papers for a large order). Is it perfect, of course not, but as an option for a job seeker it holds alot of promise.

 

[Diesel]

Is CDG a base for cathay? Freighter or pax?

 

[IHaveAPension]

To be honest, I also didn't try as hard for FedEx as the others that I got interviewed by. I have always wanted to fly PAX, stupid as that sounds. Nothing against frieght at all, to each his own.

Boy, I bet the other "real" airline pilots are sorry they wanted to fly passengers too! Bottom line, unless you work for FedEx or UPS you are screwed for a profitable, stable career with a safe pension.

 

[HoursHore]

Bottom line, unless you work for FedEx or UPS you are screwed for a profitable, stable career with a safe pension.

Dude, Don't jinx it. Nobody likes a showoff. And the world can change at the drop of a hat.

 

[SWPA Pilot]

My bro hates FDX and will tell you to stay where you are.

Life is 5% what happens to you, 95% how you react to it. Without knowing your brother, it sounds like he has an attitude problem.

If he has problems and wants to see things improve, meet everyone else on June 1. But I have found some of the most unhappy, miserable people in the company and non-union members. Is he a member?

I can see not being too fond of night flying, but how can he hate flying purple.

Good luck at Cathay, BJammin. At least you have a job.

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

More for the thread that won't die...

From the South China Morning Post, Monday 30th May.

"Earlier trend indicators for regional airlines were confirmed with results for the first quarter this year compared with the same period last year.

According to data collected from the airlines, Cathay Paciic Airlines' growth in seats filled, at 17 percent, is not only fast, but it makes the airline bigger than Japan Airlines.

The airline has become the region's second largest by this measure, after Singapore Airlines.

In fact, first quarter growth for Cathay's three main competitors - Japan Airlines, Qantas Airways and Singapore Airlines - was not only slower than at Cathay, but was weak, with growth rates of just zero to 2 percent."

A chart is included:

http://xs31.xs.to/pics/05222/SCMPGraph.jpg

 

[typhoonpilot]

Not to dispute the Stat, but what exactly does it mean? How about something that makes more sense, like capacity growth and load factor?, or is that what this is trying to say?

Cathay is certainly in a great position to take advantage of the growth of mainland China's travel market, no disputing that. If I were younger I would look to go there, but I would still choose Fedex over them if that was an option.

TP

 

[iluvetops]

I would never trust chinese managements..... Cathay may or may not have any chinese in senior managements at the moment but give it 10 to 15 years, I can guaranteed the erosion to T&C will be a BIG SURPRISE to those that have faith with CX.

 

[typhoonpilot]

My friend ILT brings up a good point. Erosion to T&Cs isn't only limited to Chinese management, but they are good at it. Bottom line, what do mainland pilots make ? That is what Cathay will head towards. With Citic in the picture I'm sure they are well aware of the disparity in mainland versus Hong Kong wages. Cathay already has "A" scale, "B" scale, and "C" ( freighter ) scales. What is next ?

This isn't an attack on Cathay (their "B" scale F.O.s make as much as I do ), but it is something to think about before jumping in with both feet.

TP

 

[RP 04]

This isn't an attack on Cathay (their "B" scale F.O.s make as much as I do ), but it is something to think about before jumping in with both feet.

TP

You are wrong buddy, I'm makin more than you, at least before tax

 

[Bjammin]

First of all guys, please stop dissn' my brother. He has worked for FedEx into the double digit of years now and has always been very loyal to the company. Just because he might hate it doesn't mean he is a bad employee. I don't know if he complains in the cockpit. If he does, prove him wrong or slap him.

As far as saying FedEx and UPS are the only stable places to fly, I truly hope no one makes it cheaper and easier to send a package. Or something catostophic doesn't shut down Memphis airport for a long period of time. FedEx is so centralized one disaster could be very destablizing. It's the same for most places. What would you do if someone invents a way to "Fax" a package? ha ha.

As far as the Chinese go, the entire Hong Kong region and Cathay Pacific are cash cows for the government. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to realize change could be BAD, and Swire is giving no signs of giving it away either.

Hong Kong is not going to change from it's status as a S.A.R. any time in the next 40 years (government contract), tourism is on the rise, Disneyland is moving in, the mainland borders are slowly opening, and the economy is booming. Cathay has never furloughed, had profit every year but one over the past 59, has a large expansion going on, and is hiring like mad. I have also never seen any signs of American bashing, just some Canadian, no kidding.

A bad outbreak of Bird Flu or SARS could be very negitive for the region, but the same goes for anywhere in the world.

I have been here a couple of months now and LOVE IT. Great people, training, aircraft, and city.

If you have a problem with Cathay, fine, work for SWA, JB, FedEx, etc. It may work out great, but to continue to bash an airline you know little about is just dumb.