Oh dear Charlie L, it seams that you neither have the memory span or the mental age to understand any of the posts I have written over the last few months and it has taken one of your own (see above) to reinforce my points. Officers have now got a retention package because pilots had marketable skills in life outside and so, when they'd had enough - they left. This caused a lack of bums on seats and so the retention package was introduced. As a by product of this, Officer rear-end crew benefited even though there was less of a retention problem there. The other option of leaving (in your 30s or 40s) without an instantly marketable skill (civvie aviation is becoming a 2 crew world) requires a certain amount of balls - this is admirably demonstrated by your colleague above.. .So in summary if you want to see your lot improved you either have to have a marketable skill or to have balls. It would appear that as you are content to sit here bleating, you have neither.. .Put your money where your mouth is and leave if you're not happy. The money comparrison with Officers that you work beside down the back end is false because their package is driven by pilots and they are the ones who "drive" the whole retention issue. If you think you can expect to persuade their airships that you are as valuable commodity in the current (or any future)market as the pilots, then prepare to be disappointed.