What I was getting at, was that one can be on the WB for time off. But the option of switching from overnights in the orient to overnights in South America to overnights in Europe to overnights in HNL may not exist depending on the fleet/domicile without trading one option for another option. IOW, stay in the seat with limited intl overnights but lots of time off. Or stay in the seat, commute to a different domicile with better overnights but less time off due to commuting. See what I saying?

Sure, the guy has the option to bid down to NB CA for options, then has to work more. But again, the point was about WB options.

"Granted I have only flown a bunch of GA, a SAAB, RJ and an Airbus..."

It is just you Joey, because you don't have any experience doing anything else... Are you sure you're not 16?

The guys who DO have experience, the thousands who have already done what you do, plus a whole lot more, in many different types of airplanes, around the world, for many years, have chosen, and with a few exceptions they choose to fly big airplanes on long trips, around the world, usually for the two reasons I mentioned above:

More money, More time off.

Eggzactly... more money, more time off! Also, did I mention the 737 cockpit is a torture chamber compared to any wide-body?

Meh, we have different opinions, lets just leave it at that.

Sure thing Joey, but how can you have a valid opinion about something you've never done, like flying international long haul flights? What if all you think you know about it turns out to be wrong?

And, for that matter, compared to its primary narrow-body competitor, the A320 family. I've been in both, and the Airbus flight deck is LIGHT YEARS ahead of Boeing as far as ergonomics are concerned.

I love an airplane that doesn't force me to be a contortionist every time I have to leave my chair.

I heard the -900 is a different bird. Nice interior for the pax, and the cockpit is much improved. Anybody have any first hand knowledge?


I recently flew with someone that had DH'd on it and she said it was surprisingly nice.

I love an airplane that I actually have more than a vote as to it's position in the space time continuum.

It's a Boeing, or....

Yoga helps though.

New cabin, same awful cockpit.

I'll stick up for Joey here... He likes what he does. Day turns, multi leg, whatever, in a narrow body with some intl flying to Caribbean and Central America. If he doesn't get bored from that in 30 years that means he chose wisely.

Others have a desire to try out new things. But let's get to the bottom line. Why is wide body flying so senior? Pay & QOL. Most days off, least amount of work. Period. If I could do that in a 737 or a320, guess what, I'd bid narrow body. Trust me on this, I fly cargo in a 747-400 and have had to fly 4 legs in one day in it, but I had a 2nd capt to do the other half of the work while I slept. It sucks no doubt, but what we're getting at is at AA you'll be sleeping in your bed more, and risking your life a lot less.