Job Discussion Forums

maotouying · Joined: 16 May 2005 Posts: 119 Location: My Chair In China

Has anyone ever noticed how these schools in China are undercutting your cost of airfair, by putting limit's of rediculous caps of whatever they can get away with?

If a school is offering to pay your full air fair for a 1 year contract, you come here and you paid like I did on a one way of about $1200 US. And the school is only willing to pay 10000 RMB. It is not re-imbursing you your round trip cost. In fact, what they are paying is just ONE WAY but calling it ROUND TRIP re-imbursement.

I am seeing offers of schools only willing to pay 3000 or 6000 for a full year contract. This is NOT at times, re-imbursment of your cost to fly here. Such as my case. It's just covering 1/2 the cost, if that.

I disagree if they are ABLE to purchase a ticket cheaper for a return. It's not the point. They point is if I am spending over $1000 to come here, and they say they will re-imburse that cost, and as well pay your return ticket, they should be paying (regardless what you can purchase a return air fair for), what you paid to come. That is to say, pay the first term. the re-imbursable amount, and then on the completion of the contract, pay the same amount.

That is to my understanding what a re-imbursement of what it cost one to come here.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

You are right, some schools are advertising a certain amount they will give you in their advertisements, regardless of what you paid to get here. Others simply say they will reimburse your air ticket, so you must keep ahold of that as proof of purchase. Others will pay a one-way trip home, others will pay for a round trip ticket. Like I just said in another post, you must be very specific in asking what the school's policy on airFARE reimbursements are and make sure it is spelled out in your contract. Be careful, be cautious, be diligent so you can make the right decision. Once you've signed that contract, then it's YOUR burden.

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

I agree, this is where most schools would like to screw a teacher over, especially when a contract is in it's final weeks. A teacher who recently left my employer nearly fell into the same trap. His contract stated that the school would "reimburse the return expenses". The employer took this at it's word and offered him a train ticket to a neighbouring city from where he came.

Myself, I changed my contract to state that the school would give me X amount when I complete. I had no intentions of leaving China and due to past experience I thought it was the best thing to do.

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

I have always worked for public universities and never had a problem with airfare.

hairuo · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 473 Location: Somewhere in China

You might mention to the school that SAFEA, Article 5 says round trip for 2 semesters. Most state universities give round trip. A couple exceptions that I know of, one in in Guangzhou and the other is Xiangfan University. I have been teaching in China more than 4 years. And this is the first year I have run into schoools paying less than round trip. If you signed a contract accepting less, you will have to accept less.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

They may have a problem with English ("Round trip" versus "return airfare": they might think 'round trip' is the American version of "return trip" when they are in fact only willing to pay a TRIP BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN).

On the other hand, I have never had any issue over airfare. They offer a flat rate of 5000 to 10'000 (occasionally more); others want to reimburse you on a case-by-case basis (which privilegies new arrivals over long-termers who don't return home). It's best to try to negotiate a fixed amount and, if you manage to do that, to prorate it per month.