If you do some similar numbers for a SAAB, about $6 per fare covers the pilot wages. It also means pilots' wages could double if everyone payed $6 more, a bit drastic, but it'd be nice...Now ask each passenger if the want to pay $120 and have a 19 year old pilot straight out of the academy, with about the same experience as a P plater up front, or pay $126 dollars to have an experienced crew, I think I know which option most pax would choose.