I hear what you're saying redeye, but I'm a very low airtime heli pilot (75 hrs) but there's no discrimination against this when looking for SFH in my area (Cambs / Northants) although there is quite a price difference between different outfits.
I guess it comes down to the old supply and demand (Chukkas situation) chestnut and, it seems to me, whether you're in or very near a city. A free market economy is great, but it doesn't half p**s me off sometimes ;-)
Chukka- this'll (not) make your day, Helimagic in Truro, Cornwall charges £275 + VAT an hour for TRAINING on a 44, not sure what his SFH prices are...
Slim