Originally Posted by contrails

I agree with you but I think it is important to point one thing out (and you surely know most of it, but I'm typing for anyone else to read, too).

Many captains at the top 10% in their seat/base at decent companies like ASA, XJT, Eagle, Horizon, etc. work far less than any mainline pilot that is not flying ultra-long haul.

Any XJT captain with maxed out vacation (there are a bunch) essentially works 8 months a year before sick calls.

7 days of vacation still means trip dropping with pay on both ends and becomes anywhere from 14 to 21 days off.

The remaining 8 months a year they're senior and get a pretty good schedule, 15-19 days off.

Some guys and girls can watch the line for takeoff at EWR grow and realize their out and back is going to run way late, and they get on their PDA and pick up a 150% pay daytrip the following morning, only to have it dropped a few hours later for domicile rest, with pay of course.

These people are very, very far from being furloughed and they do not have a bad QOL at the moment at all. They can easily clear $100K annually, without putting up with any timezone nonsense that they might not want to have on their schedule just to maximize days off or pay.

I am not by any means advocating anyone be a 'lifer' because it is not smart.

But, for someone that is already 40-45 years old at one of these types of companies, it is not a quick no-brainer to give all that up and go to a company where they will be 90-100% total seniority for half a decade, in which many world events and economy changes will happen.