Certainly career SFO is what I’m thinking of doing. I have the advantage that I was able to join young from elsewhere. But yes, realistically I’ll still be 40 odd by the time I’m senior enough for any sort of lifestyle in the LHS.
JSS has changed things in ways I don’t think as yet have been quite understood. Someone else points out US majors, but it’s a level playing field in that they are all seniority driven, they generally work less (certainly not 6x LH trips a month) which negates some of the negatives of juniority as at least you have a fair amount of time at home, and are paid a lot more.
In the UK that certainly isn’t the case. Right now in BA it’s the perfect storm. We have a seniority driven system unlike any other carrier, working to the absolute limits of both industrial and legal rules, which makes the lifestyle pretty tough even for the most senior, combine that with juniority and it’s a nightmare.
All the while actually not being paid anywhere near what other even European legacy carriers earn never mind Easy/Ryr/TUI/Jet2 all paying their SH skippers more than the majority of ours.
I know this will probably have been asked a million times and depends on personal circumstances / desires etc etc etc but I find myself at a bit of a crossroads and I’m not sure what to do.
I fly for a British loco, A320, which has reasonable financial security so long term will likely survive. I’m 23 and have an ATPL. Command at my current job could be as early as 2.5/3 years from now - 26 years old. If that happens I’ll be earning £140k.
On one hand I think that opportunity is too good to miss - get all of my debt paid off, buy a house and be mortgage free relatively early in in life. Then the opportunity to go part time is readily available, just in time for the midlife crisis. On the other hand I think maybe I shouldn’t get suckered in by the golden handcuffs - I’m young and single and should probably go and try long haul (if I can get in of course).
What are peoples thoughts? Accept that for the next 10 years I’d be living a junior long haul life, then be senior, then get command and be junior again, and not earn as much in the process, (also who knows what long haul lifestyle will actually be like in 15 years time - think min rest down route everywhere...) or take the golden handcuffs, earn far more for the next 18 years (I’ve done the numbers, 18 years is the minimum for BA to overtake where I am atm) and then go part time and enjoy life with my family, seeing the world in my own time with the people I want to?