Serious question- Do other airlines in Australasia do base training in the real aircraft these days?
As for the SO to FO upgrade, surely these individuals would have had the shiny jet syndrome beaten out of them after years of plying the world in heavy jets. Other airlines just chuck brand new newbies in the RH seat of 180.seat jets.
That being said, it would be fun to go and have a crack at a few circuits in a 150 ton toy.