"No one can really say what will happen.... Skyhigh 5/20/08"

Personally, I think the economy will slowly turn around, and with the retirement picture in the next ten years, people will progress up through the ranks.

There are still good jobs out there. Fedex and UPS Capts are making over 200K. Perhaps some of the other majors can catch back up, over time, to what they used to be and at least equal the cargo outfits. SWA has always been successful and a good job.

For those who enjoy the positives of the career and can overlook the negatives, it's still a good job. Some just aren't cut out for it and never should have listened to the All ATP's or ERAU recruiters making it look so easy and glamorous to be a highly paid airline pilot. It's not that easy and never has been but those who stick it out and persevere might have a shot at a top job. There are no guarantees, so if "might" doesn't cut it for you, then you should check out something else for a career. That said, many like to say be a doctor, dentist, or lawyer, and fly for fun. I don't believe it's really that easy. People whine about aviation at this site but I'm sure in this economy that many careers are suffering. If you know one that's a guaranteed 100K job that anyone can easily get into with no sacrifice or chance of failure, well, please let us know.

Skyhigh would be a Captain today at Horizon Air if he hadn't left for a shot at an LCC 757 job. It would be interesting to hear his comment as to whether being a Captain at Horizon making 80K is a job worthy of his time or if he would have walked from that as well....