I've read this thread with interest...and mostly a smile. I agree with the gentleman that said something to the effect that experience doesn't necessarily equate with quality. I'm one of those Captains/Instructors that does new-hire interviews and training for my airline. I've seen guys with 5000 plus hours and several jet type ratings that couldn't hold altitude in the sim to private standards or explain the basics of an instrument departure procedure, yet had one of the 700 hour wonders not only nail his written exam and technical interview, but handfly an engine-out ILS without the FD in level D sim (for the first time in his life) so tight that you wondered if the sim froze up. I've also seen the reverse. It totally depends on the individual. Most of our interview is made up trying to learn what the candidate is like as a person...are they trainable, honest, dependable, easy to get along with, and can we trust them when we aren't looking.

The airline world has changed and will continue to do so. I agree with the gentleman who indicated most airline pilots can't understand that due to lack of experience in competitive business environment. I've jumpseated in the flightdeck many times (as most of us have) with the disgruntled senior captain who's had his pay cut from $350K per year to $175K. A lot have no concept of pay outside of the industry. One in particular thought all middle managers in fortune 500 companies made at least $250K per year. He was upset that he now made less than that (his real problem was paying for both the first, second, and current trophy wife, the two houses, one condo, and vacation house, three luxury cars, the 50ft yacht in FL, the T206 on floats, and two kids in college on his "reduced" $230K per year - no kidding). The current US News and World Report list the Airline Pilot Profession as the 14th best paying in the US at about an average of $110K. It is bested by fortune 500 CEO's, some specialized medical professions, and a few others. Most doctor's, attorneys, accountants, dentists, corporate VP's make less or about the same as we do. And I do mean us, as in regional airline pilots. My wife is a Ph.D. Makes $80K per year working for her hospital. Sure the new guys don't make much, but the guys with five and six years seniority or more are earning close to $80k in general and you're still off 14 days a month. I left Corporate America as an IT Director making $105K yr. in California. I worked for 15 years to get there averaging 65 hrs a week, usually six days a week. Today I make $30 grand less. But I just got done with five days off. I wouldn't trade this job for the world. I was laid off of my old job as a director. Today I'm senior enough with my airline (top 20%) that the airline would have to fail (or I get real stupid) for me to be out of a job.

The Internet has changed the world. When a customer can click on "show me the lowest price" and buy their airline ticket, we become and are a commodity business. The company who can move seats from point A to point B the cheapest will always be the survivor/market driver. And unfortunately for the "legacy" carriers Southwest, AirTran, JetBlue, Frontier, and other "discounters" have rose in market share to the point where they can drive pricing almost everywhere. The customer won't pay for our old salaries, pensions, benefits, lifestyle, work rules (I spoke with one American Airlines captain the other day lamenting the fact he was going to have to fly more than 40 hours this month!) because they don't have too! So you want to keep your job, you work for less money or more hours or both. Period. And don't think that fat B737 salary at SWA (right now compared to everyone else) will stay there. Because before long some airline will come along and do it cheaper and a group of captains will be willing to fly for them for $120K per year instead of $180K (as is proven at USAir, JetBlue, etc). Which by-the-way is still a higher salary than most doctor's, attorneys, accountants...

Bottoming line, where else are you going to go to have this much fun for as few hours work that you put in? Selling Real Estate? Please...