Volume- your experience is resumably in the States which instigated, and rigorously enforces the new regulations. The situation we have in the UK is that we take up rule changes from the European Community and US and enforce them totally, whilst other the other countries involved appear to apply a slack interpretation. Jump seat rides in the UK are totally banned, with incredibly minor exceptions, whilst even in the country that started the regs, things are slackening off. So my brutal answer was to plainly explain it can't happen. No UK pilot I know would hazard his job having unauthorised access to the FD when even his wife and son are banned out of hand. That is another question. As always with extended discussions on Prune, it is worth going back to read the initial postings and remind ourselves what the query is!
Thunor- sad though the industry is these days, was it ever really any better? Employment was always difficult (unless you struck lucky, as indeed I admit I did). Chuck the rose coloured specs away and give it your best- that's all one can say.