Actually, I'd see UK salary levels as being about right for the skill levels and personal input by crews. Expat salaries for airlines in developing nations are generally much higher due to the poor conditions there.
Frankly, I'd say that the problem is on the part of the US majors such as Delta and American that allow themselves to be blackmailed by their pilots into paying suicidally high salaries.
We all know that we're now into a global recession - even though Gordon Brown claims that the UK will avoid the worst of the fallout - and what happens? You have the DL guys demanding (and getting) pay increases that will add US$2.4
billion in costs over the next four years; LH guys are 96% in favour of striking; AA pilots want even higher increases than those awarded to DL crews ... it's completely insane!!
The best solution - which is the one that I personally advocate - is that everyone should be on a decent basic salary and then have both profit share and a compulsory ESOP. That way, everyone wins when the company does well; and when things are tight they just have to tighten their belts as well. This should apply to everyone from the CEO to the tea-lady.
Economics 101 - when you're entering a recession, you
cut costs, not
increase them!!
Not a lot of point being the richest person in the unemployment office...