Caped CrewsAider,
I shall correct you, you are wrong, the BA pension scheme(RIP) is a contributary one.
I do not have the exact figures to hand but if my memory is correct individual contributions range from 6 - 11.5%, depending on how big a divisor is applied to years of service when calculating final salary.
eg Contributions of 11.5% mean that years of service are divided by 42 and that is the percentage of final pensionable salary you get. Note pensionable salary is somewhat lower than actual salary for the purposes of this calculation.
I would accept that some of BA's pilots are significantly more expensive than those employed by the franchisees. I do not think however that those flying similar routes fall into this category.
With the demise of a FSS pension I rather suspect that any outflow of pilots from franchsees to BA will stop dead. Since this will make it easier for smaller airlines to recruit and retain aircrew I do not think that this will be good for anyones terms and conditions.
On the who earns most side of the argument (as opposed to the who costs most) then something not yet mentioned is time to command.
Two friends of mine who left military aviation 2 years ago have just moved into the left hand seat of a 737. They will earn way more than someone in a similar position who went to BA, indeed I suspect their lifetime earnings will more than offset the lack of an FSS.
Guess I screwed up!