I hope the VAus crew contine to do well out of this and that the have long and enjoyable careers.
This quote by airbusa330 piqued my interest though:
Most of the slaggers should consider the fact there is another airline in the market from a pilot's point of view offering an opportunity (without the garbage that QF puts candidates through),to get on the ladder.
I would have hoped that flogging across the Pacific in a 777 would be considered the top of the ladder rather than a means to 'get on' it. If the 777 is how someone gets on the ladder than what is there higher up?
The shame of it though is that airbusa330 is right. VAus probably isn't the 'top of the ladder'- unless the individual has been o/s and made their fortune with CX or EK and then considers being home and flogging around on the 777 as the pinnacle.
WRT the QF 'garbage', I've got no doubt that QF make people jump through some fiery hoops that don't seem to make much sense. It's deplorable that QF make an individual stump up the cash to pay for the employment process- although not as deplorable as making someone pay for their own aircraft type rating! However that 'garbage' that successful QF applicants go through results in them being paid about double what the VAus crew are paid. I'd take the 'garbage' (and even the longer time spent as a S/O and a F/O) every day of the week. Perhaps that's why I consider flogging the 767 around the domestic network to probably be 'higher' on the ladder than a VAus gig on lesser pay and conditions.
(Bias alert: The author has been in QF in excess of 14 years and is very thankful for his chance to get on the ladder some 19 years ago).