I'm on hols at the moment enjoying the awesome powder in Vail. That's a bloody good lifestyle
Staff travel. No, none. You do accumulate miles on airlines if that's a goal. You can have temporary gateways. Eg, you have a party in Rome, make that a temporary change so you'll be flown there at the end of your tour and you can start there. You can also change gateways as needs change. We have guys who spend winter in the Swiss Alps and thus use Geneva and Summer in Malaga. People have also used their travel to the US as a launch for holidays too. Occassionally, you can hitch a lift home on a positioning NJE flight. That's very nice.
In comparison to easyJet's staff travel. We've found that more often than not, it's easier and cheaper to book through the normal channels given enough notice. It's only short notice flights where it's a benefit.
Time to command. 2,500 hours absolute min, 3,000 hours usually. Plan on 400 hours a year. If you do better, you're laughing.
This is where easyJet has an advantage. (Other airlines on the CTC scheme may not do as many hours)
Lifestyle's important to me. I am not chasing hours. I work approx 30 to 50 days
less than my husband in easyJet. Difference in pay? About £6,000 or so. (he earns more).
There's talk about "big jets". I am not interested in "big jets" as they can't do what I can do in my Hawker. Besides, the avionics suite is more advanced than most "big jets" any way. If I want to go bigger.. there's the Falcon 7X or a G550. Tough choice.
Personally, I think I'd prefer the Hawker 4000 or maybe the Falcon 2000 EASy. Go and check out the flight decks on those aircraft.
However, I understand that the "big jet" desire is real. We've had a few guys return to NJE after leaving to fly a "big jet". Big as in 744. Others, 737 etc. They got bored and have returned.
The 2 jobs are different.