In all honesty, I changed to longhaul to facilitate a change of lifestyle, not to please my ego. And I really do net regret this. Now I joined of course at the bottom of a list, and would not see why a guy, who happened to have joined an airline during the heydays should have "priority". By the time I'll be captain we are talking around 16 years FO time.. I guess it would be problematic to put me up with a DEC in my 15th year!
