Ray, you hit the nail on the head!!! Peopleare not leaving GF out of spite but because the packages elsewhere are better to the point where you would almost have to be nuts NOT to leave.
Even someone like myself,who has a family, moved his household and furniture across the planet and would have prefered to stay is now looking. It takes a lot to move family so when guys like me (and EVERY friend I have here at GF with a family saying the same thing) it means there are serious issues. Top that off with more than a dozen Bahraini's planning to leave in the first batch to 'Airibiya' and GF has some serious crewing issues looming.
The other issues re: staff travel etc just add to the fire.
The only way to solve the issue is through the package they offer. To meet the other Gulf company's pacages that mean significant payraises, increasing housing to at least 700BD, more than tripling the school allowance etc and then adding yearly increases to match inflation.
I have a feeling though that we will get a token increase in pay (hey, lets see if we even get the 3% on this months pay cheque) and a 50 or 100BD increase in housing.
They have ONE chance to save some pilots from leaving - lets see if they take it.