Welcome to the world of international competition;U.S. airlines have been operating this way for years. As a LAME,I put forward many of the same arguments, expressed the same concerns as I see here. Made no difference, thats what the bottom line needed - and it got it. That said, despite all the dire predictions, I have to concede that the safety record on the ground, and in the air, doesn't appear to have been negatively impacted.