Hey there,
just went through some posts. Just wanna say something about your concerns. I am with nje, was with an established airline before. Does not matter what you do, there might be some majors out there and with them, someday, when you get to a point, when you work part time or so you'll be able to have a better lifestile - but thats a long way, buddy...
NJE is compared to everything I did or hear about before a real nice company, talking about quality of life hard to beat. Got two kids back at home and I spend way more time with them than any of my friends even in other jobs as they most of the time leave early morning and when they come back home, their kids are almost in bed again.
With my former company I did 5/2 most of the time and if you are lucky and based in your hometown you'll end up seeing your family more than I did...
Take your time and think about all aspects - just an input from this side of the fence
Cheers Y