Emirates Posts $1.6 Billion Profit

[uba757]

Europe has had enough of their "Shiite.". They, along with Canada, are limiting the amount of flights allowed into certain countries. Germany says 4 cities only. France has something similar. Canada says 3 flights per week. Other countries will say the same, since Emirates can flood markets with seats, and hurt each countries incumbent airlines. It's called protectionism, and Emirates may have a hard time trying to figure out where to put all of those new planes. Companies like Lufthansa, Air France, Air Canada etc have money to pay for lobbyists in their own countries too. I know ALPA is looking into it too, and if they try more expansion here, that protectionism may get more looks here.


I will answer you first because your information is always the worst!
1. The EK load factor is somewhere above 85% so we "FLOOD" the market with full seats, we'll take that over here!
2. We just announced a few more "EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS", I guess they have not gotten your MEMO yet!
3. Canada, really! Air Canada is not able to turn a profit without any competition at all, you imagine what would happened if EK flew into more than just 1 city 3 times a week! I guess the money to pay for the lobbyist just adds a little more to the "Financial Losses" No big deal, right!
4. We will add up to 6 new US destinations by the end of 2012, better tell ALPA to get working on that lobbying!
Done with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been here for just over 3 years, 2 of them on the B777 and I make about $8000.00 per month, to that you can add the cash I get as soon as make it to my hotel on my L/O, around $500.00 per month and the bonus of $18000.00 that I just got. I also have put away $50000 in my retirement account and that is with minimum contribution from myself. Most of my kids school is payed, some comes out of my pocket but not much, less than $1000.00 per year and this would be true even if my family was living back in the US. The school is covered until my kids turn 19, so 1 year of college. My medical for my entire family costs $100.00 per month, no copays and it includes Dental. My wife just had surgery and I paid NOTHING. The Villa I live in is nice.
Many of my friends are upgrading to Captain at around 4 to 4.5 years, so you can say upgrade is pretty quick. Again this place is what you make it. It is far from perfect and some of the $H!T they do just drives you crazy but at the end of the day, it is better than most jobs out there.
uba757

 

[fareview]

Its funny watching you guys talk about DXB/EK yet you have never lived/worked there.

I've lived and worked in ASIA, EU, US & M/east.

EK is by far the best gig I've had. (And no Im not saying EK is Nirvana ...does it exist?)

FO bonus announced yesterday $16,500, CAPT $25,000ish. So that makes a total of 29 weeks bonus pay since may 2008, this during the greatest economic crisis of our generation. A pay raise will be announced in the next three weeks and I will fwd it on. But thus far since may 2008 we have had a total of 18% pay raise on fixed salary though we took a big hit on O/T pay during the crisis.

But the numbers dont tell the story, lots of other stuff in the package. Most guys content, some guys just plain angry...so no different than anywhere.

Look for more orders this Nov.

fareview

 

[HA25]

tell us about your work schedule.. days off, rest times at hotel, etc..

 

[Varmint]

tell us about your work schedule.. days off, rest times at hotel, etc..

You keep living in the naive american bubble while I enjoy my lifestyle abroad. As an American, I can tell you that you have no idea what life is like here outside of an Army tent.

1. I made more than a 12 year CA at a US regional, my FIRST year here not including any bonuses, housing allowance, or other incentives.

2. My bonus this year will be roughly $16,000 and if I am reading the memo properly we will be getting an 8% raise this year.

3. Days off.... I am flying 3 four days and one night turn around. You can do the math.

4. Rest times. I have 49 hours at the hotel on each of my 4 day trips.

5. Nice hotels, nice discounts, cash on checking in for per diem.

Ideally it would be nice to have a compensation package such as this at home but it is not going to happen right now. I am happy where I am and I guess you are happy where you are. This is not for everyone but I am definitely not deprived of anything or miserable over here.

 

[jonjuan]

A pilot costs a lot of money to train for these companies that have ridiculously long training periods before you are released into the line, also the availability of qualified pilots in the international markets is drying up and companies are having a hard time recruiting pilots, you don't really see individuals fired as easily as it is believed. It is like that famous Tokyo $10 cup of coffee, we have all heard about it but you rarely come across one.

So, your job security is completely predicated on expensive training costs and lack of qualified pilots?
What's to stop them from lowering hiring qualifications or reducing the amount of training?

 

[Varmint]

So, your job security is completely predicated on expensive training costs and lack of qualified pilots?
What's to stop them from lowering hiring qualifications or reducing the amount of training?

LOL....whats your job security in the US....unions? Those worked well to prevent the mass furloughs that occurred.

 

[HA25]

You keep living in the naive american bubble while I enjoy my lifestyle abroad. As an American, I can tell you that you have no idea what life is like here outside of an Army tent.

1. I made more than a 12 year CA at a US regional, my FIRST year here not including any bonuses, housing allowance, or other incentives.

2. My bonus this year will be roughly $16,000 and if I am reading the memo properly we will be getting an 8% raise this year.

3. Days off.... I am flying 3 four days and one night turn around. You can do the math.

4. Rest times. I have 49 hours at the hotel on each of my 4 day trips.

5. Nice hotels, nice discounts, cash on checking in for per diem.

Ideally it would be nice to have a compensation package such as this at home but it is not going to happen right now. I am happy where I am and I guess you are happy where you are. This is not for everyone but I am definitely not deprived of anything or miserable over here.

aim your comments at some of the others on here... I've lived abroad a lot, and currently am on my 2nd contract.. having worked in China, Asia and now starting an MD11 contract in Finland..

I don't disagree that EK is a good deal... just saying it's not as good a deal as it should be for a company so profitable.. 12K for a widebody CA isn't enough, other benefits not withstanding.

 

[Varmint]

aim your comments at some of the others on here... I've lived abroad a lot, and currently am on my 2nd contract.. having worked in China, Asia and now starting an MD11 contract in Finland..

I don't disagree that EK is a good deal... just saying it's not as good a deal as it should be for a company so profitable.. 12K for a widebody CA isn't enough, other benefits not withstanding.

Sorry, the beginning part was not aimed at you. I thought your post was another guys initial post then I went on to answer your ?'s. My apologies now that I looked back on it.

 

[HA25]

Sorry, the beginning part was not aimed at you. I thought your post was another guys initial post then I went on to answer your ?'s. My apologies now that I looked back on it.

no worries, and glad to hear you're being treated well over there.. just don't let your guard down..

 

[legalalien]

aim your comments at some of the others on here... I've lived abroad a lot, and currently am on my 2nd contract.. having worked in China, Asia and now starting an MD11 contract in Finland..

I don't disagree that EK is a good deal... just saying it's not as good a deal as it should be for a company so profitable.. 12K for a widebody CA isn't enough, other benefits not withstanding.

How does the EK salary/benefits package compare to these contracts you have been employed through? As an MD11 pilot I am obviously interested in what MD11 contracts pay!!

 

[HA25]

How does the EK salary/benefits package compare to these contracts you have been employed through? As an MD11 pilot I am obviously interested in what MD11 contracts pay!!

depends on if you have a JAA license and/or if you are willing to relocate to a EU Base.. $15K/mo, 20 on 10 off, Condo in Helsinki, and a ticket home for my 10 days every month is what I'm looking at. $25K bonus after 2 year contract is finished.

 

[jonjuan]

And here's life in the UAE......
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/05/12/uae.american.detained/index.html?hpt=T2

Detained American accused of stealing handcuffs claims torture

CNN) -- An American detained for more than two months in the United Arab Emirates faces up to seven years in prison for stealing police handcuffs, an allegation he says he only confessed to after being tortured.
A judge in Dubai is expected to hand down a verdict next week against Adam Foster, 30, of Burdett, New York, whose case has become the focal point of a grassroots letter-writing campaign via Facebook that calls for his release.
"It's hard to be hopeful at this point," Foster told CNN by telephone Thursday from Dubai, where he has been detained since his February 26 arrest. "I don't want to think I'm going to be getting out of here in a few days and then find I have to stay for seven years."
The UAE has charged Foster with theft of government property, possession of police paraphernalia and theft at night. If found guilty, he faces up to seven years in prison.

 

[chignutsak]

problem is the tax free comes with ANY overseas job, and the housing allowance is useless if you don't want to live there.. I fly contract in Asia, get paid a lot more, have business class travel home for my 3 weeks off, and get the tax break... they're simply non-competative in my view at EK.

To qualify for the expat tax exclusion, I thought you had to be stateside no more than 35 days a year. How do you pull that off with your 3 weeks off at a time?

 

[Varmint]

And here's life in the UAE......
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/05/12/uae.american.detained/index.html?hpt=T2

Detained American accused of stealing handcuffs claims torture

CNN) -- An American detained for more than two months in the United Arab Emirates faces up to seven years in prison for stealing police handcuffs, an allegation he says he only confessed to after being tortured.
A judge in Dubai is expected to hand down a verdict next week against Adam Foster, 30, of Burdett, New York, whose case has become the focal point of a grassroots letter-writing campaign via Facebook that calls for his release.
"It's hard to be hopeful at this point," Foster told CNN by telephone Thursday from Dubai, where he has been detained since his February 26 arrest. "I don't want to think I'm going to be getting out of here in a few days and then find I have to stay for seven years."
The UAE has charged Foster with theft of government property, possession of police paraphernalia and theft at night. If found guilty, he faces up to seven years in prison.

Dude...give it up. If you think nobody is never wrongfully arrested or forced into a confession in the US you are sadly uninformed. Look at all these deathrow inmates whose convictions have been overturned with DNA evidence in the USA after they have spend 20-25 years in JAIL being tortured and bufu'ed everynight while incarcerated. Do you think the police and prosecutors didn't make stuff up in their cases? Get real. Stealing is a serious offense here, and I am glad it is.

 

[bizicmo]

And here's life in the UAE......
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/05/12/uae.american.detained/index.html?hpt=T2

Detained American accused of stealing handcuffs claims torture

CNN) -- An American detained for more than two months in the United Arab Emirates faces up to seven years in prison for stealing police handcuffs, an allegation he says he only confessed to after being tortured.
A judge in Dubai is expected to hand down a verdict next week against Adam Foster, 30, of Burdett, New York, whose case has become the focal point of a grassroots letter-writing campaign via Facebook that calls for his release.
"It's hard to be hopeful at this point," Foster told CNN by telephone Thursday from Dubai, where he has been detained since his February 26 arrest. "I don't want to think I'm going to be getting out of here in a few days and then find I have to stay for seven years."
The UAE has charged Foster with theft of government property, possession of police paraphernalia and theft at night. If found guilty, he faces up to seven years in prison.

Funny I read this and think that he did steal the handcuffs but didn't confess to it until tortured. Lesson learned, don't steal handcuffs and think that they won't torture you to get the confession out of you.

 

[SWA/FO]

Hey if these guys like their Gig then great! It might not be for you, but your not over there. I think it sounds good... if you need to go there then fine. Leave them alone.

 

[HA25]

To qualify for the expat tax exclusion, I thought you had to be stateside no more than 35 days a year. How do you pull that off with your 3 weeks off at a time?

nobody said I spent them in the US now, did I?

I can chose to go home or I can use my travel benefits to go anywhere..

 

[fareview]

EK Salary update: As mentioned 8%

So from May 2008 until now, the salary has increased 26% and bonuses totalling 29 weeks. Thats about $40k in bounuses in three+ years.

But my favorite things about EK are the small details;

Getting chaufeur driven to and from work. My commute is from the kitchen to the front door

Envelope with local cash per diem handed over every time we check into an overnight hotel.

Filet Mignon & caviar any time I want it on board.

...Flying the 777 & seeing the world for free from 4/5 star hotels aint bad either

fareview

 

[Dan Roman]

Hey if these guys like their Gig then great! It might not be for you, but your not over there. I think it sounds good... if you need to go there then fine. Leave them alone.

Well said. My wife and I love to travel and have often said if my airline job went south we would explore the expat flying gigs. Fortunately my job is sound, but the experience of living overseas would be a good one.
Bottom line is some folks like to stay in a shell and throw rocks at anyone not like them and some folks like to experience as much of life as they can, as result they are more open minded and have had much richer experiences in life.

 

[Green]

If they doubled their wages, I'd actually start taking them seriously as a career.. but for that kind of money, I'll hang tight and fly for a 3rd rate ACMI before I call that a career.

You don't quite understand the package. That's an easy mistake to make for an American who is used to calculating hourly rate by 900 to arrive at yearly earnings. An EK FO on first year pay in 2011 would earn over 160k including all allowances and retirement. Does any carrier in the US pay that much? It's a very good gig. All the info is on the website, all you have to do is add it up.