30 year Career: US Legacies vs Emirates/Qatar/Ethiad

[777forever]

Wwyd?

Pros? Cons?

 

[ultrarunner]

You'll know if you picked right in 30 years. My father-in-law did 33 years at DL without a flippin' sneeze. He guessed right ;-)

 

[yellowfever]

I think US legacy schedules will be better for your long term health.

 

[paulsalem]

30 years is a long time to be an expat. From what I understand most expats eventually miss home too much.

I'm on year 1.5 of ???.

 

[Varmint]

I am in the same boat with Paul. I don't know how long I will stay abroad but I do know that I am looking at properties in other areas of the world that I have discovered only because of the expat lifestyle. Currently, I have no desire to go back home and am enjoying almost every minute of the experience.

I think that EK's growth has peaked and if you are looking at good growth/command potential if you were hired within 2 years, QR actually looks really good.

 

[Gear Disagree]

I've been asking myself this question quite a bit as of late. I'm still very happy out here and are not planning on going back home any time soon; however, 25 years from now I'm not sure how pleased I'll be with having to sit reserve, or not being able to get vacation time over Christmas, due to the fact i got it last year.

 

[iflysky]

Same boat here. Not sure what will happen. Initially it all started with just a year or two, wait out the recession and go home.
4 years down the road, have flown a wide-body all over the globe and just got my command.
It's going to be a tough decision to make when all the legacies go into a hiring spree. Stay or go and start all over again.

 

[777forever]

Very good points. Tough decision ahead for many


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[iluvetops]

I would do it if I had an age to play :-(

 

[typhoonpilot]

I would do it if I had an age to play :-(

You're still young enough to do it buddy. 25 years at a major. Probably 10-12 to make captain. Still gives you 13-15 years as a captain and all the while living in the USA. Certainly not without some risk as well. Nothing is guaranteed with U.S. carriers.

Tough decision to leave your new home though. I think you've got a good deal. Will come down to what you and your family really want.


TP

 

[Golden Falcon]

The airlines all similar, lifestyles between certain countries here varies widely...go for lifestyle, airplanes are are future beer cans anyway...well except the plastic ones..future lawn furniture?

 

[sinkrate]

Not sure how it will work out in this industry for American expats. In other industries experience/history shows that once a guy is an expat for more than five years or so they usually finish their career overseas. It takes a few years just to learn how to enjoy the life style. Once you do it is really hard to give up. Eventually you reach a point where you give up too much to come home and don't have enough time left in your career to recover it.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Not sure how it will work out in this industry for American expats. In other industries experience/history shows that once a guy is an expat for more than five years or so they usually finish their career overseas. It takes a few years just to learn how to enjoy the life style. Once you do it is really hard to give up. Eventually you reach a point where you give up too much to come home and don't have enough time left in your career to recover it.

Agreed, at 48 I don't think that I will be returning to any job that is available right now (DAL, USAIR, UCAL) I understand that my situation is not common since I work abroad but actually live in the US and haven't uprooted my family, but still, not interested in any job back in the US.

 

[thepotato232]

Your daily reminder, ladies and gentlemen, that Dumb Pilot has a really good thing going and we all hate him very much.

I keed, I keed...

In other industries experience/history shows that once a guy is an expat for more than five years or so they usually finish their career overseas.

That's a really interesting piece of information. I would imagine there are some hard numbers out there somewhere as prevalent as expatriate work is these days, but I haven't seen any. I would imagine it's got a lot to do with a person's age when they make the jump, too.

 

[tyuwerty]

7 years overseas now. I will never return unless an unforeseen situation forces me to. No intention to come back even after I retire. 42 years old.