Conditions vary greatly in the office environment, and I have noticed more unhappy people coming from IT than anything else. For me there was a big increase in quality of life in making the jump from blue collar to white collar work. However even within that category conditions vary and not all companies realize that treating the employees with respect pays off in the long run. There is a lot of variation just as there is with regional airlines, and majors for that matter. Whether you are in office work or airline flying, you should always look at the other companies and see what they have to offer. Unfortunately airline flying impedes lateral movement with its seniority system. I guess you have to know all you can about an airline as an employer, before accepting their offer.