KRUSTY, your post in itself is showing an ugly side of self preservation. In these 'unprecedented' times, how about as pilots we look at thing a little differently?
Why don't those 55+ year old senior captains give up the 40ft retirement yacht and retire a couple of years early with plenty in property, super etc?
Those at the bottom of the seniority lists are the ones that will suffer the most in this crisis. Most have young families, fresh mortgages and started flying at a young age with little/no other skills.
I'm sure, for example, of the roughly 400 pilots at the bottom of the QF list (no, not all cadets), most of them left high seniority positions at domestic/regional carriers, some within the group...no one could have predicted this when they made the move to the 'safest job' in Australia. Their old positions have already been filled and there is not likely to be any work in aviation in the next 3-5 years.
Maybe it's time for the top of the list to make some sacrifices for the bottom, instead of topping up their 7 figure defined benefit super.
I'm a firm beliver that seniority is the best/worst system, but we're all on the same team, let's not throw the bottom half under the bus.
Where do you start when we have trolls like this posting?
What BS re: near 55 yo senior captains leading any such lifestyles?
Guess you are one of the millenial / gen y crowd, who have never faced a hardship in your
short meaningless life, and now want experienced crew who still have years to offer to be sacrificing their hard earned $$$? Your mortgage is no more important than one of theirs.