RE: Paying your Dues (and I don't mean ALPA)
Ok your 23 with a new ATP with no children maybe a wife that works, but just think what are you going to do when you have a wife who stays at home or can't work due to older age or illness and two(2) kids in college at....let's see $50,000 a year per child by the time your kids are old enough to go to college.
Sure you stepped into a job flying a "Commuter Jet" right after flight training. You never flight instructed for $5.00 an hour, hauled freight (single pilot) for $20,000 a year. Yea I know the cost of things were not as much as things are now. But are you going to work until you "DIE" just to live. When you get to strap on a Boeing 777 think......I will fly it for less....I will have to work until I "DIE" just to live....
Like this smiliey face your running into a brick wall.
You need to listen to age....as the old joke a old bull and young bull see cows in the field and the young bull says lets RUN down there and get one...the old bull says let's WALK down and get them all.....(get all the benefits, money, and retirement.)
I just got a Captain bid after 20 1/2 years...I've paid my dues more than once...but I will still have to work until I die just to feed my family...
THINK ABOUT IT !!!