United Interviewer: "So Dave, why did you quit Jetblue."

Interviewee: "I didn't like the Airbus. Too easy."

United Interviewer: "Another Hogan fail. NEXT!!!"

 

I actually think I know the guy you are talking about. He was corporate and had this idealized view about what airline flying was. He came from flying a tiny light airplane with lax rules and a pilot group where everyone knew everyone. He went to JetBlue which gears it's training towards lower time pilots. About half of every pilot class is low time, regional first officers, or great attitude but blemishes on their record. That was mostly done for retention purposes. For that reason alone the training is more detailed with zero wiggle room for interpretation.

He didn't like flying heavy airplanes with a stranger, in a structured environment, with rules on when the autopilot MUST be used (for example JetBlue requires its use for RNP), JetBlue is a small airline where you are going to see MCO, JFK, BOS again and again, no interaction with passengers, and staying in crappy airport hotels.... way more issues than the 320 being too simple for him. He didn't truly understand what airline flying was but tried to save face and say it was the airplane.

 

That's exactly where it's great. You effectively get in and out of it once. One preflight, no aircraft swap, done, go to the hotel. You sit there for 5 hrs and read. Yes the seat is tight but you can recline enough for an overhead panel inspection. Yes it's loud, but wear good earplugs. If you need to get up then set up a break or simply stand in the back and stretch.

Having said all that, there's no doubt in my mind the margins of safety are reduced on the Guppy vice the Bus. Not trying to be dramatic, but take the often cited example of LGA (or other short runway) with runway contamination and gusty winds, etc. There is no doubt your chance of a runway excursion will be greater with a –900ER than any Bus variant.