One of the best instructors I had told me once: There are two kinds of people in the airline industry. Those who are pilots, and those who want to be pilots..... Although I am sure there are many people who enjoy their jobs in all industries, it does have some truth to it...
AAG, let me clarify something. Management decides where I fly the airplane, and the marketing and sales people make sure it does get filled. The other lovely people in the organization make sure everything runs smoothly, and the engineers make sure I have a good flying machine to take the paying passengers around. We upfront take them safely and efficiently to their friends and family, to their loved ones or to their job. We do that day and night, raining or sunshine.
Flying is a profession that requires a high degree of skill, inteligence and most of all responsibilty. It requires decisions now, and not tomorrow, or after a meeting, and a working group. Everyone else in the airline can get it wrong, but not us. We cannot get things done in our time, but in the time dictated by the situation we are in. We are in crisis management everyday and although I do enjoy what I do, I do not see the reason not to get paid well for it either, especialy since it takes alot of energy and effort on my part, not just when I am working, but most of my everyday life.
The people I see working however on the other side of the desk, do not seem to me to be puting the amount of effort, time, money, and skill to deserve the money we make upfront.
It is a free country, and if you think you deserve more, then leave your present job, go to the bank and ask for 120000 pounds, and come and join us.