Hi Butty box, I've packed in the 744 after many years for the same reasons except it costs me more like 6-700 pounds a month to get to work and up to 1000 for a standby month and it is getting more expensive and less convenient all the time. Plus I have to suffer the UK rail network which falls over every weekend and grinds to a total halt on bank holidays until the "improvements" finish sometime in 2400 or so. Will I miss it? , I might miss San Francisco but the rest of it, absolutely not. I will not miss being awake at 3.00 am halfway across the Hudson Bay, I will not miss crawling out of the bunk feeling like sh*t with another 7 hours to go, I will not miss the bloody Carribbean or even more bloody Florida 2 trips which are up to 10 hours in the winter with 2 crew just for a nightstop and most of all I will not miss having one day off then dragging my tired arse down to LGW to stay in the nasty Travelodge at my own expense and coughing up 15 quid to some thieving taxi driver to get me 1 mile to the airport in the morning because the hotel hoppa is always late and is full of horrible pikeys who stare at anyone in uniform like they are from a different planet. Forget the glamour of long haul, the loads are falling and as they get worse the companies will screw the crews as hard as they can. 6 or 7 transatlantics a month in your late forties/early 50's will ensure that you never collect your pension.
I'm sure that NJ has its faults and frustrations but the big difference I notice from talking to those I know in NJ is that they enjoy it for the most part whereas most of my current colleagues either want out or early retirement. I do reckon that having done the big jet stuff first is an advantage since you then know that size is not important and in fact lifestyle is everything as you get older. The biggest change will be not having to be responsible for commuting any more. That alone compensates for the salary drop both financially and in terms of stress levels. Maybe in a years time I will be up there with comrade Smeagel but I somehow think not. To be honest I'm rather looking forward to it and I have not felt that way for a long time.
BTW I was under the impression that upgrades were based on hours and ability rather than seniority number. I have 8000 hrs and was told at interview and also by mates within NJ that it should happen within 12 - 18 months.
The seniority is I understand applied to fleet changes. I am more than willing to be corrected viz the current slowdown.