Originally Posted by
Cyio
The thought of needing another six years to reach a 10-year upgrade is daunting, to be honest. When I first arrived, I knew we had longer upgrades, but perhaps ignorantly, I thought, 'Who cares?' Now I am far from a disgruntled FO, and I bring no animosity to the job, but I am only into year four; ten seems like a lifetime away. Who knows, as the years go by, seniority improves, schedules become more favorable, vacations increase, and so on, plus who knows what will happen with any new base, merger, or new fleet, and so on.
You hit the nail on the head. Being a senior FO is some pretty tall cotton. You definitely get tired of the right seat, but getting what you want all the time is a nice feeling. If you play your cards right, you will be making more money than junior captains and work less days. I am glad I took first available, but only because I had a couple of years of hiring and the Lance program to pad the seniority hit.
I don't really think it's going to be 10 years, but if you are prepared for that eventuality, you won't be disappointed if it is.