Travel: Necessary evil or fringe benefit?

[AnthonyGA]

I presume that people who decide on a career as cabin crew see the actual travel aspect of flying (that is, the fact of going from place to place) as a fringe benefit of the job, but what about pilots?

On several occasions, I've heard that pilots aren't keen on the travel part of their jobs, and that they prefer to just eat and sleep or otherwise take it easy on layovers. It seems to make sense, since presumably pilots become pilots because they love to fly, and not necessarily because they are interested in travel.

So I wonder: How many pilots here see the travel part of their jobs as just a necessary evil—the price you must pay in order to fly for a living—and how many see it as a fringe benefit of the job?

On a related note, which type of flights do you prefer: long-haul or short-haul (or something in between)? Seems like long-haul flights would get pretty boring … particularly if you don't like the travel part of flying in the first place … but maybe there are benefits related to the flying task itself when you fly long distances (?).

[Leezyjet]

I'm still training, but one of the thing's I'm most looking forward to is the travel part.

What you do have to remember though is a majority of s/haul pilots will spend no more than a few miunutes/hours at the destination before flying back again, and most will be back home in their own beds each night.

It is only really the l/haul chaps that get any significant time off to explore down route but also they maybe on minimum rest or stuck at a hotel miles from the city, or even jetlagged so don't bother going exploring.

:)

[INNflight]

Ask the bizjet jockeys...

A week on Barbados while the owner and his family splash into the waves, then back home and flying the missus to New York for a day of shopping or two.

:D

Hardly any work during holidays because the owners stay home with their family....lots of fancy and exotic destinations otherwise.

A few friends of mine are in corporate, it's like getting paid for going on holiday is what I hear. Oh, or flying Metallica around and getting backstage passes :{

[stansted_dan]

I work for a large UK biz operator (and hopefully one day flying for them) and the pilots have it pretty good. Lots of short domestic day returns and home to the family at night. But then also lots of overnight flights to exotic and long-haul places where they really do get paid to spend time exploring. A perfect combination really, the long-haul pilot lifestyle of getting time on 'holiday' between flights, but also plenty of weeks where they're home for the evening like any short-haul pilots would get. Certainly beats flying back and forwards all day long with half hour turn arounds! Provided you're family can deal with you sometimes disappearing at short notice....

[SNS3Guppy]

I don't like or care for travel. I'm not a tourist. Most airports are about like any other. It's airport to airport, then to the hotel, then back to the airport and off to another airport. I'm not out there to see sights, or to travel, but to fly and to make a living. That involves the airplane...travel is just a byproduct of moving the big metal time machine between this time zone or that.

I don't really like altitude, either. Or loud noises. Spiders. The smell of dirty diapers. Low-rider cars. Dogs that bite. Poor maintenance practices. Or Brussel sprouts.

[con-pilot]

I don't like or care for travel. I'm not a tourist. Most airports are about like any other. It's airport to airport, then to the hotel, then back to the airport and off to another airport. I'm not out there to see sights, or to travel, but to fly and to make a living. That involves the airplane...travel is just a byproduct of moving the big metal time machine between this time zone or that.

I am somewhat in agreement with statement concerning brief RONs. For an example, land in Geneva mid-morning, spend the night at a hotel near the airport and then leave early the next morning. When I return home the following typical conversation takes place.

"Wow, you were in Geneva?"

"Yes, just for the night."

"What was it like?"

"Hard to say, I landed, we were taken to the hotel, spent the night and took off early the next morning."

"Well what did you do there, I bet it was fun?"

"No, not much fun. I got to the hotel, checked in, went to my room, got onto the computer to check up on what was going on back home, had lunch, worked on the computer some more, read a while, went down to the bar, had a couple of drinks, had dinner, went back to my room and went to bed. Then left the next morning."

"But what did you do?"

"Sigh."

With a few noticeable exceptions nearly all airports look, feel and smell the same.