Originally Posted by
Joe R
I would likely be commuting from Frankfurt (I live 15 mins from the airport) if I can't convince my family to make the move :-) Therefore BOS or JFK would be good bases for me. Currently trying to do the math if it would be worth it in the mid-to-long term. I have 22 years ahead of me. Here are the options
Option A - join EU legacy carrier
Entry salary 90k EUR
3hrs commute
Linear, slow increase
Upgrade after 10 years
Exit salary 220k EUR
Option B - join EU ACMI carrier
Entry salary 40k EUR
3hrs commute
Upgrade after 1 year
Then salary is 110k EUR
Build PIC hours and move on after 3-4 years to ??? (and likely be a nomad for the rest of the career)
Option C - join US carrier (e.g. JetBlue)
Entry salary 80ish USD?
10 hrs commute
Upgrade after 2-3 years?
Then salary is 240k USD
Exit salary north of 300k USD
With a salary of 300k USD, I could even work on a 67% base, drop all other lines and still have a salary of 200 kUSD? Even if I have to invest 50k USD each year for commuting and renting an appartment, this doesn't even sound too crazy. With 150k USD + wife income, we'll be able to have a high living standard over here.
have you looked at US carriers like United? They serve Frankfurt as well as having Lufthansa as a close partner. Might make commuting even easier as well as the possibility of working EWR-FRA trips and having a layover at home.
I do think the financial part would work better being with a US carrier, but that’s a rough commute to do for the next 25yrs.