Lab Rat, You are right on. I have had a smooth ride but after seeing what is going on I would never recommend the Airline industry as a career. I fly now purely for the money. Every job has it's drawbacks, flying has many more than most. Other than the aircraft nothing is in your control. You can't just move on like most careers, your tied to a seniority system, pay and benefits can be yanked from under your feet even long after you've retired. One screwup in your career and your fired never to be rehired. Lifestyle and pay are the only thing I've got going for me and I hope the pay stays but you just never know.