The crew who left and came back: why they went, why they returned, and what they say now
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#1 Ex Emirates, eight years, left, and I am not one of the ones who came back, but I know several, and their stories are the most useful thing a crew member in a going phase can read. So I asked three of them and I am posting their versions, anonymised, with their permission. If you are one, add yours.
The one who left for an office
Left after five years for a marketing job in London. Said the money was the same, the hours were worse in a different way, and within a year she missed the aircraft in a way she had not expected: the doors closing, the crew, the sense of a day with a start and a finish. Went back to a different airline after 18 months. Says now: 'I needed to leave to find out I wanted to stay. Expensive lesson. Right lesson.'
The one who left for a relationship
Left to be in the same city as a partner. The relationship ended within two years. Went back to the same airline, lost the seniority, started again. Says now: 'I do not regret leaving for him. I regret not negotiating a leave of absence instead of resigning. Ask for the leave. They sometimes say yes.'
The one who left for the ground
Left to work in the airline's own operations centre. Did four years. Went back to flying at 40. Says now: 'The ground taught me how the airline works. Flying is still the only part of it I love. I am a better crew member for the four years and I would not trade them.'
What I take from the three
The going phase is real and leaving in it is a decision that some people get right and some do not. The leave of absence is the tool nobody uses. And the ones who came back all say the same thing: the job was better than they remembered and worse than they feared.
Me
I am not going back. Eight years was my number and I am happy on the ground. But I check this forum every week and I have not deleted the crew group chat, so make of that what you will.
Who left and came back? Or who left and is not going to?
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#2 Left, not going back, and I said elsewhere that I regret leaving in a going phase. The leave of absence advice is the thing I wish I had known. I did not ask. I do not know if they would have said yes. I will never know.
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#3 Left at 47 after 22 years and I am not going back, but I want to add: the ones who come back after a ground job are the best pursers. They know why the catering is late. They have been the catering.
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#4 United, eight years, and I have watched three come back to my base in that time. All three are happier than the people who never left. Something about having chosen it twice.
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#6 Left SAS at 38, not going back, and not checking the forum every week. Every day. I have not deleted anything either.
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#7 Ground ops now and the leave of absence is real: I have processed several for crew who wanted a year on the ground and came back. Ask. The answer is often yes if you ask well.