I'm appreciating all the comments really.
I know that the happiest career would always be at a money losing, government pampered legacy with a rock solid contract, protected by an agreement set in stone, back home and 30 years ago. Like a few here have understood, I'm trying to find the sweet spot between the experiences/happiness and the money/stripes. I used to fly a bigger cargo jet. It was alright but it was too far into the opposite end. I was flying barely 30-40h and the salary wasn't great but it was enough. It was a small operator it felt like a family. But there was no "magic" to it. Most of the people working where already back from the adventures. They were working there just as a career closing episode, basically waiting to retire. Same night flights and back home every day as if I hadn't been anywhere.
There are those for whom this would be a perfect package. There are people who, as long as their work doesn't bother them too much and pays good enough, they'll be happy. It's a valid position. For them, work is that thing they do purely for money to enjoy while off work. The more money they make and the quicker, the better. So they go to the ME, they hold their breath while they save money and when they can't take it anymore, they'll run away hopefully with full pockets, ready to take that 30h captain job in an old learjet or a rusty cargo converted -400. Call me naive but many years after I started flying I'm still looking for that magic as I was growing up wanting to be a pilot (And I'm not 30 anymore...). I don't think that's gonna change in the near future and I don't think I'm gonna find it at any low cost short haul European.
For me it's really not like that. Work is a huge contributor to my happiness. I need to look forward to go to work. If I have a 2 hour flight and back to some European city where the only "magical moment" will be to say hello to the dispatcher in the local language and it'll just be like driving a bus there and back. Work feels just like a remunerated disturbance of my time off. Nothing to look forward to. On the other hand, if I'm at home on sby and they call me for a 9 day BKK SYD AKL, I'd be excited. I know it will be an immensely fatiguing week, for sure, but I will look forward to the experiences. I'll meet people, I'll eat out, I'll take walks and eat my breakfast at Whalebridge and in Auckland I'll spend the day on a bicycle with some of the crew like we used to do every time. I know Qatar would also offer me that experience during layovers but I'm starting to understand that my days off in Doha would not be as enjoyable as in Dubai and I would again be invaded by the need to commute back home on every chance like I do now. So my concern has shifted. Is delaying command worth it only to go to a city/work where I'd be looking forward to go to work and enjoying it in a way that being tired would not make me feel miserable? Would the fourth stripe immediately make me feel less miserable and to start loving my job again? I'm good at FO'ing. I'm easy to fly with and I've never had a bad flight even with the captains that nobody enjoys flying with so command for me only means more money, not a change of experiences. Is it better to be a miserable captain feeling like a bus driver or a happy first officer feeling like a true airline pilot... I guess nobody can answer that.
Last edited by Spongeboeing; 11th Jun 2022 at 10:10.