I can understand your point of view ironbutt57.
This same logic is also used as justification for the airline pilot salary scale in countries like the USA-- as a new hire you are on a pay scale that practically entitles you for food stamps, but you are told that if you stick it out you will have an excellent package after 15 or 20 years.
Consider it from a humanistic prospective. When does one really need more money and more quality time in life. When one is younger or older? Younger families make do on less out of necesity, but in reality, a better lifestyle and higher pay in the younger years of life is better than when you are in your 50's.
This is one of the things that I have found more attractive about Gulf Air-- a realistic starting salary and all hands sharing the load. It is one additional way to help retain newer people.
Really, I do favor a system where you have an input on preferences and where they are considered on the basis of seniority. As far as I have seen, these requests are already entertained throught the AIM's system (I think they limit it to one or two requests) and that is fair. However, I would hate to see a "build your block" system, where seniority #1 in his position/fleet gets all he wants while the newest guy gets what nobody else wants. Sure, I would also love to have my way with the schedule, but if we are talking about fairness, which system really is more fair?