I can see both sides the story here too, it is so wrong for someone to even think this, but look at it from a wannabe's point of view as well, take myself as a casing point, a bit of background 1st without boring you to tears.
Come next April I should have fATPL CPL/MEIR MCC FIC, 250 odd hrs, (just like 500,000 others) 33 years old, just been made redundant from work which pays £50k per year, wife, seriously large mortgage, 2 small children, a nice wedge of redundancy. Ok, me in my head, gees I'm 33, what chances have I got realistically of obtaining a jet job? well at 33 it has to be fairly slim, but that's ok I have my redundancy to fall back on for the time being, hmmm, those CVs havent worked, oh hang on, what's this reply from Airline X? Dear Dean, would you like to come and work for us for nothing for a year, in the meantime you get to fly a nice shiny new 320 for a year which will give you about 700hrs on type, please respond a.s.a.p.
What would you do? I know what I would do, morally wrong? hell yes, opportunity of a life time? hell yes, would I be in a position to say no? hell no, like people have been saying, it's a dog eat dog industry, and a catch22 one at that.
Me after a year of taking the offer, Full ATPL looming, a contract with Airline X, being paid now, well look at that, this time next year I could apply to BA, then another year or 2 I could apply to Virgin, wow my dream of flying 777s could come true soon, thanks Airline X for your offer, without it I'd probably be nowhere
Me after 5 years of not taking it, I am sick to death of instructing now for £x per hr, I knew I should have taken that opportunity a few years ago, goodness knows where I would be now, it certainly wouldn't have been where I am now, curse my luck.
See, it's a vicious circle, maybe you have to blame the people who got the ball rolling some years ago, maybe you have to blame airlines like Astraeus for their 100hrs on type scheme, but which ever way you look at it, it's a culture that isn't going to go away any time soon
Dean