Thanks for the contribution, Sally. I'm glad that Sunnies read this thread because it looks like sooner or later we'll all be one airline.
Don't get complacent though. If the EBA allows the company to push you harder, you can bet on it that it's only a matter of time until your rosters start to resemble ours at Eastern. That is 10+ hour days with minimum breaks followed by minimum rest.
Simple maths will tell you that we are far better off with the meal allowances we now have than the proposed DTA. A slightly higher base salary doesn't make much difference once the tax man has taken his cut.