Asking regional pilots if they value working more over vacations is probably going to elicit some heated responses. A mainline pilot will tell you to get in class ASAP and get your seniority number, but thier QOL is so great that they could easily go on a week long vacation every month without blinking.

I agree with the poster above- vacation/ family time is important. You are going to miss so many holidays, weddings, family events, etc. once you start working. If this is an important event for your family I'd definitely suggest going. Not only will it be fun, but its a gesture to show that they matter to you- you'll need them to know that as you miss the aforementioned holidays, weddings, vacations in the future.

As far as furloughs, I wouldn't worry about that- movement at regionals these days is so fast that you build seniority quickly. Youre more likely to lose your job from your regional folding because of a major incident or loss of contracts. And when that happens, an extra 10 numbers on the seniority list wont matter- everyone of your coworkers will be on the street.

This is only based on my experience, which is limited. Only been in aviation for 10 years and only regionals/airlines for 2. Lost decade guys will probably have a different, and quite valuable input. However I think we're in a much different economic climate than back then.