[jtrain609]

BTW I've gotta add something else here.

A few of you have mentioned Captain Bob, working 15 days a month and making $70,000 a year in his third year at the company. Bob is a hell of a great guy, and actually did a lot of leg work to get me into the company I'm at right now, but as Bob I'm sure will admit, he got in at a good time.

You've gotta realize is that you MIGHT not be so lucky. You NEVER know what's going to happen in this industry and you MIGHT end up in my position. I got in at the end of a hiring wave and only have 200 people under me (on a list of 3,200 I believe). I'm facing commuting to reserve in Newark (I live in Salt Lake City, UT, which can be a four and a half hour flight, and there are only two flights per day to Newark, depending on the day), and YOU might be in the same position.

How many days a week does your wife want to see you until she gets fed up and leaves you? How long are you willing to make min. guarantee because you're on reserve and the bypass level is 60 hours?

Don't think about the top end guys, you've really good realize that upgrades are moving north right now and you WILL be in the right seat for anywhere from 2 to 5 years. I'm personally expecting a 4 year upgrade at Express right now. Does $40,000 a year for 5 years appeal to you? Are you willing to spend 5 days a week in a 1 bedroom apartment with 12 other guys while making $1,200 a month for the next year?

Don't get me wrong, I dig my job. My QOL is better now than it was at my last job, but that doesn't mean I'll simple settle for what I'm handed. I fully expect another industry leading contract when this one comes up and I'm not interested in taking pay cuts at this point. I'd rather end up on the street to tell you the truth.