Originally Posted by
Probe
For me, it was a OK gig from 95-2000. Great 2000-2002.
It sucked from 03-12.
It is OK now. Almost good. 2013-2015.
Looks like "sucked" is winning. I would be spectacularly happy simply making it back to "good". 20% pay raise, and 3-1 duty rig brings it back to "good", at least for me.
Great from 2000-2002? Well the big contract I guess. After the dust settled from that, the economy was obviously going south and UAL started losing piles of money. By the summer of 2001 I remember believing that furloughs were likely by winter. My last trip before 9-11 the Captain and I spent the better part of the flight from ATL-ORD discussing the fact that UAL was on track to lose over a billion dollars for 2001. That was without a black swan event like 9-11. Throw in all the uncertainty of the outrageously expensive bid for USair during part of that period and none of it felt right.
The paychecks were nice, but I would hardly call it a great time. The money made it harder to notice.