Avman
Yes you are of course correct. There will be substantial variations from flight to flight, day to day and between a/c types.
Perhaps seat guru was a misleading example. I used it merely to show how consumers might exercise some overall power.
What I am suggesting is that it may be possible to find an overall safety standard for comparison between airlines. This could cover many common potential safety factors including crew qualns. and training standards. Crew qualns. for comparison might include average total time for both captains and fos. Time on type might also be a factor. Maybe various factors could be included and all weighted to produce a simple 1 to 10 scale. I hope this is not too far fetched as a concept. This would be consumer driven and would hopefuly excert some subtle pressure on airline managers.
I also think flight professionals have a great part to play in promoting safety as something to be valued by consumers. At present safety is taken for granted by the public, many of whom look primarily at cost. Guess what? Airlines respond to this public demand for economy. Maybe pilots and maybe also cabin crew need to do something as a group to promote air safety as an issue for the flying public. At present we have only negative news stories following accidents and incidents, flight delays etc. Not much positive stuff out there about the primary focus put on safety by flight professionals. Of course pilots have been in a relatively poor negotiating position with employers in recent years. This needs to change before T&Cs will improve. What about promoting safety, including better training and experience, as a public issue as a first step in regaining better conditions for all?
Paul