If you add in constant international flying, airline flying can be a bit more difficult givin the language differences, different regulations and procedures. Not to mention 121 seems to be a bit more " under the microscope" than 91/135... I don't recall the FAA ever showing up to do a line check at NjA, but have had 2 or 3 FAA guys in the Jumpseat over the past 6 months..( on 6+ hr flights to boot) at the airline. Factor in airlines are not simply starting up and taxiing out from an FBO at uncontrolled fields. We have to deal with ATC, ramp controls, tug drivers, FA's getting their safety briefings done before we reach the end of the runway. EtOPs paper work, load close outs, Maintemaince sign offs, prelim and final numbers...
Never really consider a pop up trip to an uncontrolled field all that difficult at NJA.. But I tell guys all the time that getting an ASE to some Podunk field in NC was fun because it was different..
IMO airline flying is more challenging when you factor in everything.
Really? ATC, ramp control, FA briefings, paperwork and maintenance sign offs are difficult? I guess the ATC I work with is different than yours. I guess coordinating my own DEICE is easier than ramp control. I guess giving my own briefings prior to engine start is easy when the pax just want to go. I guess we don't deal with maintenance and the ensuing paperwork.
Your experience in the 91/135 world seems to be different than mine. Try being the one to explain directly to the pax why there is a delay when everyone else told him not to expect anything. Try being the one to explain to the passenger why the airplane is perfectly safe even with an MEL'd item. Try coordinating a potential weather diversion when you have the security on board for a foreign dignitary who is behind you on a different ATC frequency.
The easiest part of my job is flying the airplane.