Having done a long-distance weekly commute myself for the better part of two years, I wouldn't wish the lifestyle I had at that time on anyone. But we all have a different tolerance for flying, being away from family, the importance of our job, etc. so of course YMMV.

I commuted from Richmond to Milwaukee just about every week in 2007 and 2008. My employer offered me a better position with higher pay in Milwaukee, so I took it...enticed by both the earning potential and the ability to fly frequently, which I enjoyed but in the past flew mostly on leisure with only the occasional business trip.

RIC-MKE is less than 700 miles as the crow flies, but a good six hours each way door to door since no airline flies RIC-MKE nonstop. Or a 16-hour drive, which I did a few times moving one of my cars and some of my belongings. I could fly from RIC to MKE with a connection or drive an hour and a half on either end and catch a nonstop DCA-MKE or RIC-ORD. My boss usually let me work three 12+ hour days in Milwaukee (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) so I'd fly home Thursday morning and back on Sunday afternoon or early Monday morning.

When I first started commuting to MKE I was engaged, but due to the time away from home, my fiancee started becoming very resentful...and the relationship ended after a while. My family is all on the East Coast and I never felt at "home" in Milwaukee, so I kept an apartment and car for most of that time in Richmond, eventually hoping to transfer my job back home when a position became available. I ate and drank too much (airport bars, restaurants, and upgrades don't do me much good in that regard!) and never had a regular sleep schedule.

The flying was fun for a few months, but it became a real chore after taking the same short hops over and over again. I stopped caring about miles and points and just booked the flights that would get me from point A to point B the quickest. Delta, US Airways, United, Midwest, AirTran...RIC, DCA, MKE, ORD...they all blurred together after living the life of a weekly traveler!

I finally was able to transfer back to Richmond in late 2008. I gradually eased up on the MKE trips once they hired my replacements there; for now, I am back to being primarily a leisure traveler. I am so grateful for being out of the "rat race" of frequent travel. I can drive a few miles down the interstate to work rather than hopping on a plane, sleep in the same bed every night, live full time in the city I love, and have one home that feels like home rather than two crashpads. I have a whole lot more time to do what I love and take care of myself when I'm not spending it in the air!

I may be in the minority on FT, but no amount of money or career advancement would lead me to take a job in an unfamiliar city again, or a job with a regular commute by air. At least I learned my lesson before having a wife or children. Having one foot in one city and one foot in another city just didn't work for me personally.