Originally Posted by
4thgenaviator
Hey all,
I’m a current regional FO. This is my 2nd regional. I now have a family with 2 kiddos. The regional life (especially my current airline) makes having any sort of QOL very difficult. I’m wondering what would y’all recommend for the best QOL given my current experience. I have no checkride failures, 4 year degree, no skeletons in my closet, etc. For this post, I’m only concerned about QOL. The allure of pay is great, but time at home is infinitely more important. I’m considering Flex, Netjets, Frontier, JB, and Spirit... but am certainly not limited to those. Wondering what the community thinks.
And before anyone says it, I know that not flying at all would give me the most time at home, but that’s not currently a good option.
Thanks!
What's your seniority? A decent regional can still give you 15-16 days off a month, and if you live in base you aren't going to beat that at FlexJet, NetJets, etc. You could certainly apply to JB and Spirit, but it doesn't sound like you are competitive. At JB, you can plan on being on reserve for six months, and if you don't live in BOS or JFK, that's gonna suck.
It all depends on where you live, what EXACTLY you want, and where you are currently at at your regional now. In the long run, nothing is going to beat the QOL of a major airline with even a little seniority.