Quite right, beentheredonethat! If the current (for how much longer?) mismanagement of CX believed it was possible to continue whittling away at the pilots' conditions without a reaction at some point, then they ARE living in Wonderland. It is clearly apparent that the pilots "tolerated" a degradation in several areas over the past 8 (or so) years, however the scalpel has now penetrated bone, and the anasthetic has worn off.
Just as lewis Carroll was high on opium writing your favourite fairytale, CX management have been on a similar high from their past successes, and like all addicts needed another hit to keep them feeling good - the bigger, the better. But opiates come at a price, and past experience shows that an addict will usually sacrifice EVERYTHING in the longer term to satisfy his craving. Now might be a good time for Tyler and co to go "cold turkey", and face the REAL world, before their obsession completely destroys what used to be a solid source of revenue for all its employees, as opposed to a lavish, short-term high for an irresponsible few!