To individuals who don't have much debt to pay back to some university, or bank, then the job probably does seem ok. A good chunk of things is based on how you look at it, but if you look around the airline industry and think things are all peachy then you should take off your rose colored glasses.

There are individuals who do enjoy being off work for half the month or more. There are also individuals who don't look at the time off work, but the time away from home, away from friends, and away from family and your own bed. When you're writing a check out every month for a couple grand for a lovely home you spend half the month away from, five hundred dollars for the car you rarely drive, a hundred fifty for the motorcycle in the garage, not to mention the student loan payments and bills, and the thoughts that "when i get home, compete the honey-do-list, mow the lawn, fix the sink, ride the motorcycle, and relax enough not to dread doing back to work, it will dig on you a little bit, then you'll have kids.

I wouldn't try to be a downer on anyone, a person's choice is a person's choice. But you can't go around thinking that just because your aviation experience is rosy that everyone else is in the same predicament. Once i upgraded, i seemed to fly with guy after guy who was looking a $100+ loan in the face, barely able to pay the interest, and have a job that pays pennies. All the while, you think of how "awesome" it'll be to make 150k a year at Southwest, he's thinking that with 150k, he'll FINALLY be able to make payments....not even money for "toys" and living yet. And by the time it's done, he'll be 65, and ready to retire.