Depone,
I do agree, I would have been happy to done the old route if I had known it would lead to something! And if I had been at least 10 years younger!
However the tragedy now, is that these guys who took the old route, thought it would get them into the right position, after several thousand hours SEP and MEP TT, they discover that nobody wants this experience anymore, not many appreciates this!
So now they are stuck, maybe expired IR's, working for peanuts, unless they pay their own TR and do EJ program P2F they have no chance!
I know one guy, he had over 4000 hours, SEP/MEP - was instructing and air taxi. He was late 30's, 38 or 39, than he paid is own TR without any job guarantee on the 737, by some miracle he got a job in the Middle East, not a very well known company, but was a job, he stayed there or few years, i think around 3 - 4 years, and last year he got a very good job with a European career, where he when he gets his command will be close to £100K a year.
Life is what you make it yourself, and if people like Cowhorse, think that pilots can't get away from RYR, I guess it is because they get early command, and than the pay is good, all depends on the base!
My friend was miserable until now in February when he got told he got temporary base at Stansted for 8 - 9 months, so he could be close to his wife and daughter!
But what i say, you should think of this issues before you go spending £40.000 - £100.000 on training!
There has to be some realism, I know of companies where the pay is much worse than this, and young and older guys get trough it, because end of the day there will be something better coming up in the horizon, but at least you in it, instead of sitting waiting for Mr Godot!