>>1998691it's cooling down, 2021-2023 was unprecedented and there were people with slightly over 1500 hours getting hired at Delta, United etc. when the average used to be 5-10k.
FedEx is downsizing, United and Southwest aren't hiring at all, and Spirit is staring at bankruptcy.
Airline piloting is not the most stable industry in the world and there are boom and bust cycles that mirror the state of the economy. Instead of the 2-3 years to get to a major airline it's probably going back to 5+, with significant stops at smaller cargo and regional airlines before anyone starts making the big bucks.
Day to day depends on both the person and the airline, some schedules will run you ragged and leave you with only enough time to shower and sleep before you have to wake up at an ungodly hour to fly a plane to bumfuck nowhere. Other airlines and other schedules will give you 36+ hours in major tourist destinations in foreign countries.
Seniority is everything, getting to a better job usually means better pay, benefits, and a less stressful schedule.
When I was a regional puke I was "paid" for about 85 hours of work a week, but that doesn't count the time driving to the airport, going through security, briefing the crew, waiting for the plane, doing your walkaround and preflight inspections, boarding passengers, etc.; you only get paid for the time that the cabin door is shut, which is only about 50% of the time you're at work (more if you fly longer routes) so the idea that you're "paid" $100 an hour is laughable when you're at work 10-14 hours a day
