They had an opportunity care of the AOA and they took it and avoided doing the S/O years.
So this is your problem. You joined the airline with a few hundred hours on turboprops from the bush and these guys stole your job. All the ASL chaps I flew with had thousand of hours heavy jet time with other carriers or significant military experience. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with young SO's with limited experience, but that's why they come here. To gain some jet time and get to the right hand seat of a wide body aircraft with a legacy carrier.
I met an SO when I joined who told me that the average ASL captain was "sub standard because they hadn't been through the rigorous passenger fleet selection process" and was therefore not worthy of the same recognition as himself. Ooh please, come on chaps, get a grip. This post is not a dig at SO's. But if you're twenty something with some twin time, then you can't expect the same opportunities as a forty something who's been around a bit.
I repeat. This is not a dig at SO's but just my thoughts on the real world. There's more to life than Cathay and the ASL blokes I flew with had a lifetime of experience and knew that this place shouldn't be taken too seriously. As NC says, "its only a job."
As myself and Fire Wall have said before, if you joined the CX seniority list before these guys, then you have nothing to worry about. They will get a pax command after you. Now if you're man enough to go across to the freighter and suffer the roster and the lifestyle for a few years, then be my guest. You'll have to drink beer with the ASL blokes though and heaven forbid, even have to get used to Flight Engineers. Now we're talking.
By the way. I accept that the ASL thing did delay commands for a many FO's on the passenger fleet. But ASL was the companies little baby and not the AOA's. If you have an issue with ASL then I suggest you take it up with the management and not each other. That just furthers the "divide and conquer" policy, which is exactly what they want.
Flame away.............
Fire Wall........you have control.
PS: My wife thinks I should get a life and stop reading this s**t. Maybe she's got a point.