ATY
Good question. I think yes, that was the best likely to be offered over 'perceived' pressure. Look at EK. Their work rate was horrendous and their pay significantly lower than ours. But when you have 100% of your training resources tied up dealing with a 10%+ expansion, the unexpected loss of 5% of their pilots last year increased the training requirements by 50%! Suddenly they get a 17% payrise this year! And a very generous profit share system.
Here is another view on the numbers. The salary bill in 2001 was around $1.7billion (salary+PF). Now it is around $2.2billion. We have gone from 1500-2100 pilots and exchange rates have inflated based salaries.
The July 2001 A scale cuts saved just over $30million a year versus the 2001 B scale rise costing them $10million a year. We had around 650 A scalers then versus just over 400 now. We had around 850 B scalers then vs almost 1700 now. Given the B scale increases and the A scale decrease in numbers, by my calculations, the 3 A scale pay cuts have covered the B scale payrises since 1999.
So the last time a payrise actually cost them anything was 1998 for B scales. Last A scale payrise was 1995.
A scales are currently at 1994 levels. B scales are currently on 1991-92 A scale levels.
So no I wouldn't be too hopeful based on past payrise history.