Originally Posted by weirdbiz

The most senior guys at Eagle fly mostly day trips, get 18 days off a month, and make around 100k. That's a good gig, if you live in base. The catch is that it takes 15 years to get there, and most of those years suck. The thing is, if you go to a major, you'll have however many years at a regional and then a bunch MORE years going through the same crappy lifestyle at a major. More reserve, more bad schedules, low pay, low seniority, working holidays and away from family... this could last for quite a few years because the majors are filled with old guys who are going nowhere, age 65, and seniority lists with thousands more people than regionals.
The point is, if you're lucky, you could have a decent gig at a major airline 15 years after you start, making more money than the decent gig you would get staying at a regional for 15 years. For that additional money, you have to slog through more crap and take more risks. It just depends what's worth it to you.