After reading all the negative stuff on here about NJA, let me post some positive stuff. I've been thinking a lot about it recently as I have an SWA interview coming up and it has made me realize that I do have it pretty good here.
I am a 10 yr FO (just started 11 yr pay and also have 4 weeks vacation this year for the first time). I will make roughly 100k this year, not including per diem or 401(k) match. I am on the CC52 schedule, working 13 days/month. I am home based so those 13 days are all in. No commuting on my own time. I have 150ish (new hires have 105 or something like that) bases to choose from and can change anytime with 15 days notice.
For Oct I will work a 7 day trip, have 15 off, 6 day trip, 3 off. Pretty typical month. Occasionally I will have an 8 day tour in there.
Vacation months are pretty sweet as I will work 6 days those months. With 4 weeks vacation plus a week of personal time (which I always use), I will work 6 days for 5 months out of the year. 2 more weeks per year is training, so I will only fly the line 6 days those months. So I will be out flying 6 days for 7 months of the year, the rest I will fly 13. I have blocked 305 hrs in the last 12 months. I'm on the Phenom and we do not work that hard. I average about 25 hrs for a 7 day tour. We do our share of 12 hr+ duty days but it is not that bad. We had 26 hr duty days in the military with massive time zone shifts so this is a piece of cake. If we are too tired, we fatigue, end of story.
We have 100% free medical/dental/vision.
Am I disappointed over my lack of career progression? Of course, but my QOL is very good and I still make plenty to support my family and still max out my 401(k) and IRAs. I wish the compensation was better, hopefully that will be improved next contract, whenever that might be (earliest will be 2020).
If I get the opportunity with SWA and accept, I will certainly make more cash over the long run (particularly if you include retirement and profit sharing contributions). As a commuter I do not think my QOL will be any better, at least not for some time. I do love SWA as a company and have many friends there. I think the flexibility and ability to drop (with seniority) or pick up trips would be awesome. Shorter duty days but a LOT more butt in the seat time. Commuting will suck for sure as that will be lost days at home.
The point of this is to say that NJA is a good gig. I am happy and grateful to be here. If you can't handle schedule changes or having to clean an airplane then do not come here. If you want to fly to some cool places with (mostly) great folks, have a great schedule*, and decent pay, then give it a shot. If I wind up leaving it will be with mixed emotions for sure.
*assuming you are not on the CC72 or CC76, those suck. Good thing they are voluntary.