Aw, c'mon!
When I worked for Bristow I used to spend a bit extra to get shirts from Aberdeen, a belt and pants from Germany (pants would be 'Hose,' pronounced 'hoser' of course, because 'Experimental Test Pilot' wouldn't fit on the little label), shoes from wherever, no sunglasses because sunglasses are for wusses (You ever see John Wayne wearing sunglasses in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,' for example? I rest my case.) and then I would try not to worry too much about how much this cost compared to how much I was being paid, as in 'not very much' compared to 'quite enough, thanks very much.' I should walk around looking like a bum just to save $100?
They did give me free bars every time I asked but maybe that was just so that I would go away and stop bothering them. It was bad enough having to read my memos without having a face-to-face encounter, I fear.
What are we going to read here next, that working for Bristow causes cancer? In my experience, each company went and down relative to the other. Even Pan African would shift a bit on its terms and conditions, now and then. Well, years later, of course!
Any aviation professional worth his salt should be able to weasel on his expenses enough to kit himself out right snappy, I would hope.