Hi Dan,
Remember when we met up in Bahrain? I was with Air 2000 and you were still in the Air Force. Things have certainly changed over the years.
You're now ex-Virgin, enjoying life in the Sandpit and I'm ex Air 2000 and enjoying life in Virgin on the B744. Your posts and experiences are always welcome on here and you are right about not everything is huggy and fluffy perfect at Virgin. However, of the various airlines I have flown for, I must admit that life at Virgin is by far the most enjoyable.
Like anything in life, it is not perfect but as far as pay and conditions are concerned there is nowhere else for me to go. I love the lifestyle. I enjoyed the long haul when I was at Air 2000 on the B767 and I missed it when I was with Astraeus on the B737.
At the end of the day though, the question that started this thread can't be answered so simply as you have demonstrated. The fact that so few pilots actually leave Virgin is one factor that could explain why it is considered a good company to work for. The main one however is the lifestyle and the way we protect it through our strong Balpa representation.
For anyone else reading this thread and getting confused by some of the contradicting statements in the previous posts, you should really consider the fact that in reality, the grass is usually brown on both sides of the fence. What makes the difference though is the lifestyle, terms and conditions. How much time you get to spend doing the things you enjoy with your family. How fatigued you may be when you do get that time. How much you can afford to spend doing it.
Long haul isn't for everybody. At least at Virgin we do have an industrial agreement that limits us to 750 flight hours a year which, when reading about the hours that long haul pilots in some airlines work, is not something to be sniffed at. We also have a good benefits package and get to fly well equipped heavy metal.
Like anywhere else though, there are always things that we can complain about. That is why PPRuNe has become so popular. As we are not 9-5 office workers with the usual network of co-workers we get to gossip and compare our jobs and lifestyles on here.
Virgin is not the perfect company. There isn't one as far as I'm concerned but it is the best one I have ever flown for and, as far as I'm concerned, there is less brown grass on this side of the fence when compared to other airlines. That applies not only to my own personal experience but also the general perception I get from other pilots working for other airlines, including the main players in the Sandpit.
Maybe we'll get to meet up again downroute one of these days. Unfortunately the B744 doesn't do the Sandpit. Do you get to JFK, EWR, MIA, SFO or LAX?