Hopefully the mods will allow this thread as it may be better suited for the corporate forum, however I would like to hear from current major/legacy guys. In my short career I've done a lot, a short stint at a 121 regional then 135 and 91 corporate. Ive been strongly debating making the move to a major/legacy carrier specifically Spirit, UAL, AA, or SWA. Im currently the CP (a term I would use loosely) at a small corporate flight dept flying a midsize jet (40 series Lear). MY QOL is great only flying 5-8 days a month all scheduled, (130-160 hours a year) very rarely work weekends, holidays always off, only 1-3 nights gone a month, GF gets to come along on fun trips, and requesting time off is never an issue.
Pay is $100K plus car/fuel allowance, medical/dental paid in full, cell paid in full. We do have a 401k however its not great only 4% match from company. QOL of life on the road is also great, high dollar hotels and $250+ dinners at fancy joints is the norm.
It really is a great deal, however one always seems to think the grass is always greener. Money is not everything to me but long term earning potential will obviously be much higher at a legacy/major along with much better retirement. Where currently I will only continue to get small 3-5% raises every few years. Job security is obviously probably equal at a small corporate dept as it is being junior on a long list. The company has had a jet for over 20 years and even during a financial hard time a few years back(08-10) parked the plane however kept the pilots on staff with current salaries. Obviously something that is very rare, I attribute that
to being a small family run company versus a large publicly held company.
My dream was always to be an airline guy and never ever considered corporate. At 30 years old I feel like if I'm going make the move the time is now. So what do you airline guys think? Is it worth turning my back on a gig such as this to take a gamble or keep her steady with whats been handed to me. I am seeking honest real world opinions and you won't hurt my feelings. As the saying goes in the end you won't know if you made the right career decisions until your 65. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.