MacTom
You are probably right; many people may very well ask themselves if they can continue that style of flying for the next umpteen years. I am one of them. But consider this: any airline making money flying around Europe is working its crews at least as hard as easyJet, probably harder, and for less.
Lo-cost airlines have pushed flight crews to unheralded levels of productivity that has squashed ticket prices for customers, and seeded a desperately needed evolution in air travel. They have created opportunities for passengers, pilots, cabin crew, and developed long lamented airports such as Liverpool - in fact, compare that particular airport now with its former self of just five years ago.
True, the status of pilots has almost collapsed when measured against an earlier time, but then there are considerably more of us successfully pursuing the childhood dream to one degree or another.
BA short haul pilots working from LHR are doing four sector days. They spend most of their week away from home (according to seniority) and they fly as many hours per year as a guy or gall with orange wings. At least the latter see their own bed, and all its benefits, every night. It's the future for all of us on short haul.
But this is the rub. Sooner or later we, the diminished, will be unable to follow the lifestyle that seems to have become acceptable. An accident may occur, we may strike, we could rebel, or we could simply die. And an inquiry will conclude that modern rostering practices were to blame.
I fear that one day we all of us, pilots, cabin crew, and management in all of aviation shall pay a high price for the rise of lo-cost.
FQ
Last edited by Flying Quill; 12th Mar 2005 at 06:42.