I have just retired from Cargolux after 10 great years and 45 years in aviation, longhaul and shorthaul. Allow me to address the lifestyle questions asked here.
It appears to be a sad matter of fact that there are an increasing number of young (30-ish) co-pilots who do the job merely for the money without consideration of the lifestyle they must lead. These good people seldom if ever leave their rooms except for the free breakfast offered and possibly for a fitness session and are content to sit there if necessary for days on end Skyping their loved ones and, presumably, counting their per-diem. Not only is this terrible for their own well-being, but also it is disastrous for their fellow crew member(s). In a freight airline one is dependant on one’s colleagues for a semblance of a social life – there are no flight attendants to play with.
Now, nobody is required to be a party animal, drinking and carousing every hour of the day but for good mental health it is necessary to have social discourse occasionally and staring at the four walls of your room for many hours is not good for the spirit, if it is difficult now being away from home and loved ones, how will it be in 30 years time?
In all companies there are a few odd-balls who do not socialise but normally they are a well known tiny minority of all ages. However of late there seems to be a larger number joining CV and 10 day rotations of never seeing one’s colleague outside “the office” are now more common. This is very sad, particularly for the youngsters concerned as they clearly do not want to be where they are and their quality of life is miniscule.
PLEASE guys/gals think before you leap, if your main concern is to be with your family then Cargolux is not the company for you, indeed any longhaul operation will not suit you in all likelihood. Yes, CV is probably the best paid option outside the flag carriers but its success is largely due to its flexibility, which means frequent changes of routing to serve the market where the loads are. This in turn means roster changes both at home and down-route, moving of floating days off at short notice and in general a changing roster during the month. Unlike a passenger operation any particular rotation is subject to change at short notice and your return on a particular day cannot be assured. Remember that boxes do not complain if they are delayed and the schedule may be altered to suit commercial demands.
It is entirely possible that you may be in Baku or Almaty waiting for your last sector home when the dreaded message appears under the door which turns you around for another visit to the Far-East and a return 3 to 5 days later than planned. I have seen colleagues come close to a nervous breakdown when faced with this; the wife/children’s birthday party or other social functions do not excuse your obligations so long as it is within the scheduling rules
In my experience job satisfaction only comes if you really enjoy the whole operation, warts and all – sacrificing your life in the pursuit of money just doesn’t cut it. Similarly flying the 747 maybe the pinnacle of your professional desire but in this case it sometimes comes at the cost of a stable home life. If you need to see your loved ones and children grow up without missing any milestones, then stick to a short-haul airline that gets you home (if only briefly) most nights. You will be happier, the schedulers will be happier and your colleagues will be happier!
Please read all 39 pages of this thread, nearly all your questions will be answered therein and if you are sure the lifestyle will suit you the go ahead and apply. If you are lucky enough to be accepted then you will have a great time with the correct mental attitude to the job. Good Luck.