Fragrant Harbour A forum for the large number of pilots (expats and locals) based with the various airlines in Hong Kong. Air Traffic Controllers are also warmly welcomed into the forum.

Exit Strategy

Old 24th Jan 2022, 21:14
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Exit Strategy

If you don't have one, you're likely too late mate
The fat lady's been singing loudly and baritone for 2 years now and if you read news papers at all, the writing's no longer on the wall but plastered on every billboard in the "once" independent territory of Hong Kong.. Cathay, as an airline, has no routes, no customers, no SAR Government (joke) with a backbone or capable of providing "fundamental" support and what's worse, no enthusiastic or even half ass interested employees.. Only office seat warmers keeping their online shopping skills honed.. Cut their office internet access and the place would empty in a day with their last 2 computer tasks being click "buy now" and the construction and printing of an up to date resume..
Work replacing the giant menacing Lions at the front entrance with more apropos Paper mâché Hamsters should be the Jellyfish's next order of business. One of the few he's likely competent to perform..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/foreign...bs-11642950280

Last edited by Flex88; 24th Jan 2022 at 21:33.
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 01:31
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You having a bad day, Flex?
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 01:40
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Firstly I sympathise with CX pilots. But why leave? I’d be milking it til it ended. If you leave early you may miss a generous redundancy. Think my last year at KA approached 4 mil for a few hundred hours when you included the payout. That’s October 2019 to October 2020.
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 01:51
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Originally Posted by Gnadenburg
.....my last year at KA approached 4 mil for a few hundred hours when you included the payout.
Noice! More than we were able to force the thieving bastables to give us.
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 05:38
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2010 I will retire with 55
2011 I am seriously looking at other options
2012 If I can't get a base I just quit
2013 I just need my provident fund to be taxed in HK, then I am gone
2014 I am very seriously looking at other options
2015 I will pull the plug the moment the housing is gone
2016 My family is happy here
2017 I just commute for another year or two, my family is back in Oz
2018 I would never work under COS18
2019 I don't understand guys without an exit strategy
2020 I am now very seriously looking at other options
2021 I don't know how the guys on the freighter do it, I would quit if I was them
2022 I love flying the 747, it's a great machine. But closed loop, no way!


tbc

Last edited by Sam Ting Wong; 25th Jan 2022 at 09:52. Reason: spelling and complement
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 07:57
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....and that is why many will find it near impossible to leave or may never leave...... just one more year, just a few more Dollars and I will be done. Heard it my entire career at Cathay. You have become institutionalized, with a massive fear of the unknown....probably rightfully so.
I left end 2020 after 20+ years, didn't take their ****ty deal. I signed a contract when I joined for pay that up until "sign or your fired" compensated for the harsh reality of working for Cathay Pacific. CX is not really that different from any large corporation, you either get involved....jump on the gravy train so to say, or you take your paycheck and don't give a damn. The second option is no longer viable. The world is starting to move on fast, in case you haven't noticed Hong Kong is not. The city was in trouble prior to Covid, what's changed since then? asking for a friend... The issues at play are bigger than you, bigger than CX and bigger than that sycophantic monkey Curry L@m. Time is not infinite, do yourself and your loved ones a favour and move on asap, its worth the risk. Good luck to you all.
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 13:11
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Originally Posted by Sam Ting Wong
2010 I will retire with 55
2011 I am seriously looking at other options
2012 If I can't get a base I just quit
2013 I just need my provident fund to be taxed in HK, then I am gone
2014 I am very seriously looking at other options
2015 I will pull the plug the moment the housing is gone
2016 My family is happy here
2017 I just commute for another year or two, my family is back in Oz
2018 I would never work under COS18
2019 I don't understand guys without an exit strategy
2020 I am now very seriously looking at other options
2021 I don't know how the guys on the freighter do it, I would quit if I was them
2022 I love flying the 747, it's a great machine. But closed loop, no way!


tbc
STW!!!!😢😢😢
Where have you been? I missed you so much!
I’ve got 4 additions for you:
-I just need to get my oldest through highschool
-I just need to get my youngest through highschool
-I just need to get my oldest through Uni
-I just need to get my youngest through Uni
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 18:03
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-Just got divorced, need more money for retirement and my wife's boyfriend.
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Old 25th Jan 2022, 23:14
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Everyone get there year end bonus? Or was it only for those more equal than others? Seems some GM managers reached there flying hours targets, and that special one fester on the 400 who seems to be the only cn on 80 hours for Feb, The blatant corruption knows no bounds, seems I didn’t get the fcn with the bank account number for my roster requests.
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Old 26th Jan 2022, 04:47
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Originally Posted by Airblast
You having a bad day, Flex?
I doubt he ever has a good day by his posts.
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Old 26th Jan 2022, 05:00
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All the exit strategies in the world are worthless if you fail to execute and act. Ask around, all those that had the courage to act whether by option or force seem far happier than those who didn’t.

you’ll never know how much that lettuce sandwich weighed until you stopped carrying it.

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Old 26th Jan 2022, 06:38
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Bloomberg are reporting that the Government plan is set to keep the financial centre of Hong Kong isolated from the rest of the world until 2024 “at the earliest”. There is no end to the “zero CoVid” policy in sight. There is no plan or strategy to exit from this isolation and chaos. If the Government have no plan it really is time to create your own plan, take your own decisions about your own future for your own and your family’s well being and happiness. Good luck to all ex-colleagues still wading through the nausea of quarantine and testing and isolation. I left last year and have had no regrets.
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Old 26th Jan 2022, 11:48
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May as well close up shop now and start putting assets on auction. Don’t know why they are prolonging the inevitable.




https://www.flightglobal.com/strateg...147169.article

https://simpleflying.com/cathay-paci...-january-2022/
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Old 26th Jan 2022, 18:11
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Anyone with any get up and go, got up and left
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Old 26th Jan 2022, 20:27
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I left in 2019, after 30+ years in the airline. I joined in the late 80's, as a FO on the Classic ! It's bittersweet to look back now. At the time of joining, it was arguably the best airline career for a pilot in the entire world. The airline went out of their way to demonstrate that you (and your family) were valued and important. I remember my wife and I being flown out in First Class to HK for the second interview. Three days in HK, all expenses paid. A limo to take us of a tour of housing, dinner with the senior management, cocktail parties and a tour of the Kai Tak facilities. There was no question it was a definite "yes" if they offered a position.

Well, over 30 years later, the airline is unrecognisable. It is now probably one of the worst working environments in the industry, and the management seems to treat their pilots with almost utter contempt. The worst people have risen to the top (I do not consider MH to be one of those, but that is a personal opinion). CX management (and Swires) lost sight of what made their airline special. Bean counter mentalities overtook a previously firm appreciation of the contributions of their staff. We are now left with watching a once magnificent airline descend towards oblivion.

I accept I am no longer there to witness first hand the inner workings (although have many friends who inform me of the day to day). I pray for those remaining that the management come to their senses and recognise the only way forward is to recognise that the attitudes and policies of the past were what made CX successful. Time to throw away petty prejudices against aircrew and restore their pay, benefits and dignity.
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Old 26th Jan 2022, 22:36
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Originally Posted by Piet Lood
STW!!!!😢😢😢
Where have you been? I missed you so much!
I’ve got 4 additions for you:
-I just need to get my oldest through highschool
-I just need to get my youngest through highschool
-I just need to get my oldest through Uni
-I just need to get my youngest through Uni
One more

- I am waiting for the Aussie dollar to go below 5, then I go…😬😬😬
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Old 27th Jan 2022, 02:01
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Originally Posted by mngmt mole
I left in 2019, after 30+ years in the airline. I joined in the late 80's, as a FO on the Classic ! It's bittersweet to look back now. At the time of joining, it was arguably the best airline career for a pilot in the entire world. The airline went out of their way to demonstrate that you (and your family) were valued and important. I remember my wife and I being flown out in First Class to HK for the second interview. Three days in HK, all expenses paid. A limo to take us of a tour of housing, dinner with the senior management, cocktail parties and a tour of the Kai Tak facilities. There was no question it was a definite "yes" if they offered a position.

Well, over 30 years later, the airline is unrecognisable. It is now probably one of the worst working environments in the industry, and the management seems to treat their pilots with almost utter contempt. The worst people have risen to the top (I do not consider MH to be one of those, but that is a personal opinion). CX management (and Swires) lost sight of what made their airline special. Bean counter mentalities overtook a previously firm appreciation of the contributions of their staff. We are now left with watching a once magnificent airline descend towards oblivion.

I accept I am no longer there to witness first hand the inner workings (although have many friends who inform me of the day to day). I pray for those remaining that the management come to their senses and recognise the only way forward is to recognise that the attitudes and policies of the past were what made CX successful. Time to throw away petty prejudices against aircrew and restore their pay, benefits and dignity.

I pulled the plug, it's just not what is was back then, I had enough ( with 64 and 11 months ;-)
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Old 27th Jan 2022, 05:47
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Said by every trainer ever: 'I just want to give back to Aviation.'
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Old 27th Jan 2022, 13:29
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It's getting pretty hard to feel sympathetic for anyone who is still there, expat or local. People have been calling out "iceberg dead ahead for quite a while now". There are other airlines and other jobs, why go down with the sinking ship.
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Old 27th Jan 2022, 18:50
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I can't decide what I appreciate more, the excuses of those who stay, or the invaluable career advice of those who left.
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