Original Message

I've talked to LOTS of guys who have done it and only one didn't stick with it (covid stoppage at first then found a cool at-home job; has new baby so it's ideal for now and he was an FO for 2 years so he can easily go back to it or helicopters if he wants).

You're certainly not going to get the bid schedule you want at first or base you want at first depending on the airline.  Maybe 9 months to 2 years to get there at the current rate of change.

Pay has gone WAY up.  PSA and Piedmont are $90/hr (75 min hours/mo) as of the past few weeks and almost all airlines are following suit so you'll make more than HAA entry-level pay and not have to be away from the fam for 7/7/14/14.  The pay is NOT a reason to not go to the airlines anymore.  At starting pay at that level that only goes up EXPONENTIALLY it's a no-brainer to at least get started, get ratings, jet experience, etc. then you can choose any airplane job you want in the future.  

You'll still have to pay for parking and hotels when on reserve if you don't live in base in many situations.    

Once I'm an empty-nester here in a few years I plan on making the jump myself.  In the mean-time, I'll have to do something else (and I'm DEFINITELY saying siyonara to the HAA world for it's crap pay and expectations).