If you were actually involved in the industry you would see that the job of CA is not all that different from FO. Just when it comes down to it and a decision needs to be made, you get to make it. Yes, you get to log PIC but what does it matter when you are already at a "career airline"? Cathay is a career airline. An FO at Cathay makes about what an RJ CA makes in the US. I, for one, would have no problem going to Cathay as an SO, upgrading to CA in 8-10 years on the 747 or A340 and growing old and grey there. But if you want to log all the PIC you can in an RJ, go nuts. If numbers in a log book are what you deem important, then I guess to each his own. I personally will take QOL any day.