The last few posts are very useful for anyone wanting an insight into airline life, and the large variations of pay and lifestyle within the profession. I work for the same outfit as Desk-pilot, flying the same turboprop, and would agree with everything he says.
Until recently I worked at a small base where everyone knew each other and got on well, where the social life was great, I had more standbys and free time than I knew what to do with, and the 'commute' was a 20 minute drive through the countryside followed by a 5 minute walk to the crewroom. Now, for my sins, I'm based at a slightly larger aerodrome just to the north of creepy Crawley. It's a huge and unfriendly place, and I have an hour's drive plus a twenty minute bus ride to the crewroom - if the road is clear. Given that my route involves the Dartford Bridge and a big slice of the M25, that effectively means adding two hours to either end of my working day. (I thought I'd left all that behind when I jacked in the office job in London). My roster is now great for building hours but not so good for looking after the garden - 5/2 and 6/3 mean exactly that, and I'll generally be getting home at midnight on the last day. That's progress for you.
This isn't meant as a whinge - sitting in traffic yesterday, wondering if I'd get to work on time, I thought "I'm really not enjoying this" followed immediately by the thought that I love my job and I know people who'd give body parts to be in my position. Once we're strapped in and taxying, I'm just as happy as I ever was. The point is that once the novelty has worn off, this job is all about quality of life - and there can be huge differences in lifestyle between bases, never mind companies.