I was at a regional for 15 years, and have been at an ACMI for 6 months. I absolutely love it here at K4. You are on a paid ticket everywhere you go (lately, it’s been mostly UA First class), and there’s no more commuting/crashpads. You usually will fly one long leg and then layover somewhere for a day or two. Yes, we go to some crappy locations, but we also have nice layovers and decent hotels. I’m making more on 1st year pay than I did on 15 year CA pay at my previous carrier.

Also, we work 16 day trips. It’s nice to have your 14/15 days off blocked together. Then, you can really enjoy your days off. 4 on 3 off doesn’t really allow you to do much.

To me, passenger flying is horrendous. Crowded airports, crowded planes, pushy gate agents, and overdramatic flight attendants ruined that segment for me. It’s nice to hop on a plane, take off your tie and be on your way for the day. Not to mention, making dinner or catching some sleep in the bunks is a ton better than flying a 4-5 leg day in and out of New York or Chicago.

Just my .02, but I would never recommend the regionals...or pax flying for that measure.