I flew nine years for 'Flex and left four years ago to fly for a legacy. I'm finally earning what I got into this business for in the first place, but I would not trade my time at Flexjet for anything (nine more years' seniority where I am now sure would be nice, but you can't have everything).
All in all, the flying was a lot more fun at the fractional. A lot less automated and repetitious than airline flying, we went to a lot of places off the beaten track, and every once in a while you felt like the scheduling gods were smiling down upon you. One time we sat with a broken jet for three days in Palm Springs while the rest of the country froze. Another time we airlined to Shannon, Ireland and sat for two days waiting for a plane to show up so we could fly it to Cairo. We drank Guiness from the teat and stumbled the streets trying to make sure we looked right instead of left before stepping off the curb. Then there was the trip to Barcelona. And the one to Majorca. And etc.
So the flying was more fun and there was more chance for adventure every time you left the house. What wasn't fun was what I saw happen to guys post-acquisition. The feeling that we weren't in it together anymore. The camaraderie just vanished overnight. I saw a lot of guys I respected sell themselves down the river. I hope it was worth it.
So I make a ton more money now and work a lot fewer days to make it and I will retire far more securely than I would have had I stayed in the fractional. I fly with mostly good guys, a few tools here and there, and when we taxi into the gate at the end of a trip I'm in my car and driving home ten minutes later. I'm a tiny cog in a huge people-moving machine, I don't have to worry about getting ratted on by some douchebag because I spoke ill of management, and that's all well and good, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the flying I used to do.