Why Cathay??
I'm leaving the military flying game to fly for Cathay. As far as I can see, Cathay is easily the best option for me........lot's of like minded ex-military pilots in the company, very competitive (compared to Qantas) financial package when living in Hong Kong, the chance to live overseas and do some serious travel, the chance to have 15-20 days off a month to hang out with my wife and kids, the chance to live in close proximity with a lot of really good mates, etc, etc, etc.
Obviously you have to make the choice ensuring you are satisfying the things that are important to you, but for me, it's a no brainer. As far as the lack of flying goes, compare 8-10 years to a Captaincy in CX with 17 in Qantas. I've spend the last 10 years flying around trying to hold my head up under 7g while trying to shoot my mates, so my body will appreciate the airliner lifestyle for a while!!!!