Boys and girls, join Ryanair, if you must. What is said in this thread however, is true in general. I am with the company for three years now, done my command, and still paying back for the next two years at least. Type rating, waiting for 6+ months to the start of line training, hotel etc. costs, then the command training and so on cost me about 35000 Euros. My salary has gone down by 600 Pounds per month in the last 6 months, just by the way the company rosters me and changes scheduled block times and lowers the sector pay that way.
The money for a captain is OK, however I now depend on it. The roster is very demanding and I am totally knockered all the time. If I leave now, i.e. in the two years after my command, I will have to pay back a bond of 4500 GBP.
Be aware that you sign away your soul for longer than you think.
Anyway, it's your life, and people who have got the job tend to forget how horrible it was without it. At the end of the day, we all live.
The most important message I have got for you:
Join IALPA, BALPA or any other union and sign up for the REPA webpage.
Believe me, sooner or later most of you will need legal advice. You don't have to be active, but be a part of our struggle to improve the place we would like to like.
All the best,
Z.