Howsit changed
A lot.
My Father had a 33 year carreer with a single good airline up in the north. Good service onboard, ID tickets, good salary, good conditions and has a nice pention. He retired in 1987 at age 53, a year and a half before he had to. 23000 hours total including military and other flying for 37 years average if 621h a year.
Long haul for the last years I've just recently gone to short haul with a different company. 900h a year every year to the minute since 2002 with maximun duty times as well. I get paid peanuts and bananas. They treat me like a mushroom (Keep me in dark and feed me with s.hit). I can buy water and coffee onboard our flights and pay for tickets home from base and accomodation there. Companies offer no pention, no retirement. My salary has been in a constant decline since I started flying. I make less as a TRI/Captain today than I made as an S/O in the 90's.
Still when the door closes I like the flying part. I like to see the sunrise over the Atlantic going Eastbound as the flight is coming to and end and bed is closer. I like the many cities around the world with my favourite hangouts and places to go and things to do. I hate the beancounter management types and the b.astards that ruined the industry with pay for training, paying for uniforms and water and flying for food. I dislike not getting paid a full salary during training, living in garbage hotels and having 24h travel times to bases with trains, planes and automobiles all combined so that the company can save a few bob. The MOL's, Wolfes etc that have destroyed a good job and made it akin to driving a dumpster truck with salaries not all that far to follow.
I am happy that I saw the golden days with my father and I am equally happy that he has his memories from those times. Indeed he is surprised when I tell some of the stories to him on how things are today.