At an airline, Flying is the job.

At NJ, Flying is part of the job.

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Jetlag - I think you nailed a very important distinction - and so if I may...

Does the fact that flying is only a part (small?) part of the job at NJ add or detract from the whole experience of working there?

On the one hand, at the airline job you could just drive the bus from A to B, leave the stress of logistics to others, and have increasing schedule and pay control every year as you gain seniority ...
or
At NJ, you are a part of the whole flight experience, from the cleaning/loading/boarding, to flying, to turning the jet for the next leg etc, while the schedule, and pay make small incremental improvements over several years.

So does it really just come down to personal preference??
Why to the guys who love NJ enjoy the job so much and not want to go anywhere else? Does the involvement with the extra duties give more job satisfaction, make for a more enjoyable work life overall?

Again, not considering the commuting aspect in this question.

I'm not trying to poke the bear here - genuinely trying to understand the differences to potentially make an informed decision.

Thanks

Many at NJ are airline refugees who came after 9/11 or from different airline shutdowns at a time when it wasn’t easy to move on to something else. Then the job just kept getting better. Also the airlines have had a bad habit of furloughing every 7-10 years, although things do look good for the future for once.

A lot of it depends of the type of flying you prefer. Some guys get bored with airline flying. At NJ you’ll routinely go to places you’ve never been. For better or worse it’s always an adventure.

If you’re just starting out the airlines would probably be the way to go. For pilots already at NJ it’s harder to start over. Here’s a few of the pro’s:

No commute

Vacation (on 7/7 it’s 21 days off. At 10 years that’s 4 weeks off plus you have 12 biddable PTO days so a 5th and then 5 days. So you’re down to about 19 weeks of work a year if add you a sick call and the occasional go home early day)

Predictable schedule- on 7/7 you know it a year out

Health care - completely covered

401k - 58 or 59% match plus 1/3 of flight pay. Works out to around 40k a year if you max.

Like I said, If you’re just starting out airlines will always win on overall earnings and ease of the job. You’ll make good money at NJ as well, but definitely work harder for it. I would say the job is more rewarding given the different challenges, flying wise given all the airports we go to. It can be a tough call depending on your interest.

Sparrowhwk,

I'll answer, but only for me. YES, being a part of the total experience increases my job satisfaction significantly. Maybe I'm an oddball, but I also like the constant changes, never knowing where I'm going next, the challenge of new airports every rotation. To me, it feels more like "real" flying, not hopping in a bus driver's seat and going from point A to B without a care of who is sitting behind me. I really feel like I'm a part of making this person's travel experience safe and enjoyable.

But that's just me...

There are some really great responses on this thread.

Aviation is so much larger than airline…. And lucrative.

One merely needs to be strong enough to take the path less travelled. The first step will lead to many others.

A lot of it is also timing and intangibles.

How much career runway is left? Golden handcuffs? Family medical issues and continuing insurability? Commuting issues?

It’s a complicated equation and nobody knows the anatomy of YOUR situation. You make your decision and roll with the consequences. And anybody that second guesses you doesn’t get it.

What's "real" flying?

Do many people use the empty legs to travel?

Some have, with varying degrees of success. I’ve only done it while on the clock. Never for personal travel.

Is the varying success due to flights changing ? Or is it not that easy to sign up and actually be able to utilize it?