Gents. A little more thread creep here if you don't mind. Harry's figures, in my opinion are off. One will be taxed on the housing allowance here at EK if one is a US citizen. We are comparing a 92/mo to an average 80/mo (not hard flying due to rigs). So even adding the imputed income of not paying taxes on the first 100k, and adding to a US salary the monthly mortgage rate of a modest 3 bedroom house (not in NYC, SFO or LAX), can't include educational allowance because free education in the US, my figures come to five year narrow body domestic captain at all three major legacies.
One also has to remember that the number of retirements at the legacies that five year captains to that point is NOT out of the question.
So here we are......Wide bodied international captains, and for me 10 years, flying into some would say war zones, challenging airports, flying close to 900 hours a year, lack of contractual, what you probably thought, full leave, 8-10 days off a month, majority of rotations with one sector on the back side of the clock, vacation awarded at four days at a time, no cost of living increases, sick leave that at times has to be paid back later in the month, at the "world's most admired international, we do it better than anyone because of our planes and route structure, top tiered airline" making essentially US narrow bodied domestic 600 or so hours a year captain's pay. And at some Legacies, top range first officer pay.
Options have come available for moi, so this SHOULD be my last year here. Thank you AAR, etal, for turning a dream job into a labor camp type environment job. This is not to denigrate those who have little or no options. The one positive I can say is, not once has the monthly remuneration been late or less than expected. But then again, the Legacies are on time too.