Emmirates work schedule?

[lear35pilot]

Hey, to those who work at Emmirates, I've tried to find on here how the work schedule is at Emmirates and I don't see any topics about it. My questions are:

Normally how many days are you gone and off for?
Since there is no commuting, what do you guys do mostly on your off days in Dubai?
Isn't it true that you have to vaccate the country for 30 days if you are not a citizen of Dubai?

I've heard that you all do 9-12 trips, but no mention has been made about how many days are off between. Any other information or links about the lifestyle and schedule of working for Emmirates would be great! Thanxs!

 

[DHPFLYN]

I am hoping to go there. From what I have been told the trips are from 1-9 days. Usually only doing 1-4 day trips. I believe the 9 day trips are heading down to Australia and you get some time to see Sydney. Or something like that. If I remember right you get around 12-14 days off not including any rest days. I am sure if I am wrong someone can correct me.

Hope that helps a little

 

[lear35pilot]

Thanks! DHP. I had heard something similar to what you've said. I find myself checking out the International guys more and more these days. Best of luck to you in your pursuit!

 

[chignutsak]

Hey, to those who work at Emmirates, I've tried to find on here how the work schedule is at Emmirates and I don't see any topics about it. My questions are:

Normally how many days are you gone and off for?
Since there is no commuting, what do you guys do mostly on your off days in Dubai?
Isn't it true that you have to vaccate the country for 30 days if you are not a citizen of Dubai?

I've heard that you all do 9-12 trips, but no mention has been made about how many days are off between. Any other information or links about the lifestyle and schedule of working for Emmirates would be great! Thanxs!

Can't answer your questions, but make sure you learn how to spell Emirates before you apply there!

 

[BUDDHA145]

Good Catch!!!

Hey Guys We Are Whaiting For
Crj200 Guy To Come Back From The Interview...he Will Let Us Know Some Good Info...i Hope.

 

[typhoonpilot]

This is a post I made a few months ago on another web board. It was primarily aimed at days off in a particular month, but it does have some of the info you seek.

In a purely unscientific look at the March Rosters here is what I see for some of my friends who are line pilots on the B777:

Friend number 1 - 13 days off plus 11 days vacation. Five days off prior to vacation and 1 day off after for a total of 17 in a row. Flying a Europe trip and a JFK trip plus start another Europe trip on the 31st.

Friend number 2 - 12 days off, 2 days reserve, rest are trips and recurrent

Friend number 3 - 9 days off, 1 rest day, 6 days vacation. Three days off before vacation, 4 days off after for a total of 13 in a row. Fourteen if you add the rest day at the end of the days off.

Friend number 4 - 14 days off, 10 in a row.

Friend number 5 - 13 days off, 9 in a row.

Friend number 6 - 13 days off, 11 days vacation. Seven days off before vacation, 3 days off after for a total of 21 in a row. One JFK, One IAH trip.

Friend number 7 - 14 days off, 7 in a row.

Airbus 330/340

Friend number 1 - 14 days off, 5 in a row. 2 Beijings, 2 Zurichs, 1 day turn, 1 night turn, 1 Available Day.

Friend number 2 - 14 days off. 5 in a row, 4 in a row, 3 in a row. Four Europe trips, 1 Asia trip.

Friend number 3 - 7 days off, 8 days vacation. Two days off before and after vacation.


There are currently two pairings on the B777 that are 9 days long. Both go to Australia. The DXB-BKK-SYD-AKL-SYD-BKK-DXB and the DXB-SIN-BNE-AKL-BNE-SIN-DXB. THe first one has 48 hours is BKK the first time through and 24 on the way back. You stay in SYD for 3 nights with an AKL turn on one of the days. The second one stays in SIN for 24 hours going and coming. You stay in BNE for 4 days with an AKL turn on one of the days.

The Airbus 340 has a 6 day trip that goes to MEL and then Christchurch with an overnight in Christchurch.

The majority of trips are 2 to 4 days in duration as well as quite a bit of night flying that are turns to the Sub-Continent. Nasty flying and very fatigueing.

One must realize that Emirates operates around the clock and one of the biggest departure periods is at 0200 to 0330. International flying entails a lot of sleepless nights. It can be managed, but sometimes it sucks. Personnaly I don't mind the 0330 departures as I can usually get a good 3 to 4 hours sleep before pick-up. A seven-nine hour flight and then an afternoon nap is all I need to recover. Remembering too, that we can rest on the flight deck.

Since there is no commuting, what do you guys do mostly on your off days in Dubai?
Isn't it true that you have to vaccate the country for 30 days if you are not a citizen of Dubai?

What do you do where you live now? Dubai has pretty much eveything in terms of outdoor and indoor activites that the USA has. Just no greenery.

It's not true that you have to leave Dubai for any length of time. As a resident with a Visa you can stay as long as the Visa is valid.


Typhoonpilot

 

[On Your Six]

This is a post I made a few months ago on another web board. It was primarily aimed at days off in a particular month, but it does have some of the info you seek.

In a purely unscientific look at the March Rosters here is what I see for some of my friends who are line pilots on the B777:

Friend number 1 - 13 days off plus 11 days vacation. Five days off prior to vacation and 1 day off after for a total of 17 in a row. Flying a Europe trip and a JFK trip plus start another Europe trip on the 31st.

Friend number 2 - 12 days off, 2 days reserve, rest are trips and recurrent

Friend number 3 - 9 days off, 1 rest day, 6 days vacation. Three days off before vacation, 4 days off after for a total of 13 in a row. Fourteen if you add the rest day at the end of the days off.

Friend number 4 - 14 days off, 10 in a row.

Friend number 5 - 13 days off, 9 in a row.

Friend number 6 - 13 days off, 11 days vacation. Seven days off before vacation, 3 days off after for a total of 21 in a row. One JFK, One IAH trip.

Friend number 7 - 14 days off, 7 in a row.

Airbus 330/340

Friend number 1 - 14 days off, 5 in a row. 2 Beijings, 2 Zurichs, 1 day turn, 1 night turn, 1 Available Day.

Friend number 2 - 14 days off. 5 in a row, 4 in a row, 3 in a row. Four Europe trips, 1 Asia trip.

Friend number 3 - 7 days off, 8 days vacation. Two days off before and after vacation.


There are currently two pairings on the B777 that are 9 days long. Both go to Australia. The DXB-BKK-SYD-AKL-SYD-BKK-DXB and the DXB-SIN-BNE-AKL-BNE-SIN-DXB. THe first one has 48 hours is BKK the first time through and 24 on the way back. You stay in SYD for 3 nights with an AKL turn on one of the days. The second one stays in SIN for 24 hours going and coming. You stay in BNE for 4 days with an AKL turn on one of the days.

The Airbus 340 has a 6 day trip that goes to MEL and then Christchurch with an overnight in Christchurch.

The majority of trips are 2 to 4 days in duration as well as quite a bit of night flying that are turns to the Sub-Continent. Nasty flying and very fatigueing.

One must realize that Emirates operates around the clock and one of the biggest departure periods is at 0200 to 0330. International flying entails a lot of sleepless nights. It can be managed, but sometimes it sucks. Personnaly I don't mind the 0330 departures as I can usually get a good 3 to 4 hours sleep before pick-up. A seven-nine hour flight and then an afternoon nap is all I need to recover. Remembering too, that we can rest on the flight deck.



What do you do where you live now? Dubai has pretty much eveything in terms of outdoor and indoor activites that the USA has. Just no greenery.

It's not true that you have to leave Dubai for any length of time. As a resident with a Visa you can stay as long as the Visa is valid.


Typhoonpilot

Thanks for your informative posts!

 

[Kenny]

Just got back from DXB a few days ago. I know with the $hitstorm a lot are going to face in the coming months, that there will be a lot of interest in EK, so here's my thoughts on what I experienced in DXB.

I first applied to EK at the end of 2006 and received the standard "thank you" email. I didn't update my app for another year and shortly after received a "short list" email. Didn't really pay much thought to chasing EK as there were other options that I thought would be better for me. Anyway, I updated my app again in Feb of this year and a month later got an invitation to attend an interview at the end May.

EK has never been at the top of my list but the industry in the US has been rapidly going tits up over the last few months in a way I'm not sure any of expected it to and I've been feeling the need to get out of flying here in the US before I get become another statistic like so many other poor sods. Been furloughed before and it wasn't pleasant.

EK paid for my ticket up to JFK and then on to DXB. I was listed in Y but ended up being upgraded to Business. Coming from an "airline family" I've travelled on various carriers for the last 30 odd years and EK's business product is sadly light years ahead of anything you'll be offered by a US carrier at the moment.

I was met at the airport by someone who escorted me through immigration and security and then took me to the hotel driver who drove myself and another guy to the hotel. We were welcomed by the hotel staff and given food coupons for our stay at the hotel. They just cover dinner but breakfast is complimentary and you get lunch at EK's HQ. The hotel is probably about the same level as good Sheraton.

I arrived about 9pm at the hotel and was given a huge packet of paperwork to fill out and have ready for the next day. Basically, you make sure they have all the up to date info on you. Didn't get much sleep the first night as my body was still on East Coast time. Downstairs and ready for the bus that takes all the interview candidates to EK at around 6am the next morning. There was a wide variety of candidates; South African, Brit, Aussies, Iranian, German, Italian, Indian and 3 Americans (ATA and USAir). All in all a really good group of guys, none of whom you wouldn't want to work with and 11 of us in all. All were CA's at their respective airlines and had in excess of 5000 hours TT.

Once at the EK building you 'll be escorted to the pilot lounge where they have as much water and coffee as you can stand. We ended up waiting around until 7am, when one of the HR ladies came to give us a welcome briefing. Her first words..."You are all qualified to be here, so relax and be yourselves. We need pilots". Standard briefing about EK followed; Growth plans hiring outlook, benefits, introduced ourselves and learnt a little more about EK.

Then we were split into 2 groups. Some for the 777 and 4 of us for the A310. No rhyme or reason as to what you got. There were Boeing drivers that got the 310 and RJ guys that got either. A lot has already been written about the sim profile so i won't go into that but I will say it was not difficult. After that you grab some lunch and head back to the hotel.

Day 2: Again you start at 7am and start with another briefing about the EK benefits and housing. They are VERY aware of the housing problems and didn't to try and hide the fact that you'll be in temp housing for up to 6 months. Guys in their 2nd week of sims at the moment are being told the end of the year. I got the impression EK is working extremely hard to sort this out. After that we were split into 2 groups again. Some did the psych testing and the others the group exercise. The advice I was given about the group stuff was "Don't be a dictator and play nice with the other children". They are looking to see if you can get on with others and be receptive to the ideas of others. The group excercise is watched by the line pilot who sat in the sim with you and someone from HR. 3 diferent problems to discuss and sort out. Make sure everyine is included. After that it's the Compass testing. Look it up on Google. Basically its math, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination testing. Once that's done you go as a group for lunch and out for a trip around DXB to see the housing options that are available. The apartment we saw for single guys was huge compared to my 1000' sq apartment. The villas for the married guys was larger than any of us were expecting. Day finished and back to the hotel to wait for the dreaded phone call to tell us if we'd made to round 2 and the 3rd day. My own feeling is that getting through to round 2 is all down to the sim and group exercise

I, along with 4 other guys got through to the 3rd day. You finish the psych tests that weren't done the day before and then you do the HR interview with the line guy and HR person who watched the group exercise. It's all TMAAT. I was lucky; I had some really good, honest stories that they liked. We joked and laughed and compared to the CX interview, it was a real pleasure.

The rest of the day involved going through the psych evaluation and medical. No real suprises for me; No patience and a classic Type A. That's it apart from the flight back.

At this point they've checked one of my refs, which is a good sign.

So, here are my tips:

Go with an open mind, the Middle East is not for everyone but DXB is not typical of the area.

Don't expect EK to do things the same as they do here in the good 'ol US & A. It's not UAL, DAL or CAL.

There are massive expansion plans, worst case as thing stand at the moment, you'll get a command at 5 years.

You shouldn't ever have to worry about job security and whether you'll get a paycheck.

What sold me was the people and I only hope I've paid my references enough that they say nice things.

Hope this helps...................and good luck to all who end up giving it a go.

 

[Gillegan]

A word of caution; given the vagaries of EK rostering, preferential bidding and rules and practices that do change at the drop of a hat, it is very difficult to give a typical EK roster. What is typical for a mid bid-group FO on the A330 this month may be completely atypical next month due to any of the above. Not that it is all bad, but one of the important attributes to be able to get along here is the ability to accept change. In fact, that is one of the reasons that EK is more successful than some other airlines is the ability to be flexible.

 

[curtis46]

Thanks kenny for your input.
other thing,are you allowed to take your spouse along throughout the interview process,or does she need to wait for you at the hotel until your day 's over?