At the end of the day, if you are working for BA,VS,TOM or TCX on a legacy contract, it is a case of same poo, different flavour. Nothing in the mainstream airline industry is going to turn the clock back 35 years to better times, so all that you are left with is working the system to your best advantage. Seems from the above posters, including myself, PT is the only way to control your life. I'm sorry, but at the age I am now, the thought of doing back to back early starts is exhausting just to think about. But, 15 years ago, I'm glad I suffered it to be home for bath and book time. Sadly, at the time, I couldn't afford to go PT, and the industry was much more resistant to flexible working patterns. Odd, that it is something from EU that actually did us a big favour.