This isn't a My-airline-Is-better-Than-your-Airline willy waving competition.
Pros and cons on both sides and an I'm in one camp with plenty of mates in the other so I know the arguments well.
The Clincher in my book is a subtle one and open to dispute. It is this.
You have left the service where you enjoyed working in an intimate, friendly, comradely and social working enviornment. You all know that civvy street isn't like that. Which is true. But at an EZY regional base of say 6 aircraft you will get to know the cabin crew and the FOs. There are christmas parties and summer BBQ's. There will be crew in the town or village you settle in nearby.
You will fly with the same people, develop banter, get ribbed, know the kids, been to the BBQ, deal with the same 3 engineers, meet the Tower etc. etc.
You may not get that to the same extent at Heathrow.
Its a subtle difference. And as I already said, Base, Money, Lifestyle. If you take the 2nd year ex-mil salary as being £74k basic then the other two are up to you.
Cheers
WWW
ps My experience of the longhaul-ex-wife-syndrome is strictly limited to the one I snuggle up to every night. 4 out of 5 longhaul chums (sounds like a petfood advert this) are divorced. It seems to be a trend.