Good advice. Small bases can be heaven, but are very dependent on the base captain, so if you get some micro managing Monday morning quarterback, it can be dispiriting. All the big bases are very enjoyable and if you keep your head down and don't do anything stupid, you'll never see the BC or management, though you will work harder and it's kinda annoying the unions pushed for pay to be the same at the quiet and very low cost of living bases, as the very expensive, hard working big bases. It is also now much worse than it used to be for direct entry pilots, who now are in effect bottom priority for a base transfer for about 5 years after joining. Seniority is done the same as a flag carrier (fair enough, I suppose - just the way it is), but of course, one doesn't need to change base in a flag carrier, so I wouldn't join on a base which I wasnt happy with, in the hope of transferring, because you will wait an eternity. It looks like direct entry recruitment may start sooner than earlier estimates.
Nonetheless, Ryanair is the only company where I've really enjoyed going to work, and the average standard of ones colleagues is generally really impressive, so for me, that, and the roster, (almost?) makes up for the ~5-10% deficit on pay compared to EJ etc. (I say almost, because that gap is widening, and there are increasingly interesting and very well paid/low taxed expat jobs outside Europe).
Last edited by midnight cruiser; 6th November 2025 at 07:39.