Well my situation isn't so cut and dry. I'm Canadian so I'm not going to have access all the great things that are currently happening south of the border for pilots. For us it's business as usual and you wouldn't even know we've recovered from 9/11 based on wages at our national carrier. Like I mentioned I have lived in Japan for an extended period and I have ties here with my wife and in-laws. I choose to live in Japan above all places. You've mentioned duty days between 8-14 hours and some day/night shift changes. That's great info but I'm still a little vague on the details. 8 hours are no problem. 14 not so much if it happens often. Same with the night shifts. Do you work there or is there anyone else that could outline what a typical month or rotation is like? Instead of comparing it to an American carrier perhaps it would be easier to compare to something like Cathay or Emirates in terms of how hard they work you?