Once again .Ravin 11..
When I arrived at Cathay I was 35 and well expierenced. Commands were 3 to 4 years. With ASL etc. etc. my command went 9 years ( thats 9 yrs as a f/o..no second officer time in there). So I was a f/o longer than most of the young captains today.
I took it as that is Airline Life...timing is everything. I just got on with life and didn't do half the whinning one sees today.
When you join an airline, they don't promise you early commands and they don't promise you basings. If you come here expecting them, then you are very naive.
Airlines change with the times and so do management types and hence contracts change. I, like you, hate it but the only way to change it is to stand together and stop whinging at one particular group.