It is amazing the way these ignorant people still come out and get so angry when pilots ask for more pay. But I think the main problem is simply that the vast majority of laypeople have no idea what it entails to become a professional air transport pilot.
A huge proportion of pilots end up spending a small fortune over many years to get that valuable license. They have to spend hour after hour up in the air building up their flight time, take exam after exam, then spend a fortune buying a type rating and then finally taking your CV and sending to airline after airline. If you're lucky to be chosen, then it's medicals, nerve wracking sim checks and finally your line check, all in the presence of people who will have no qualms in failing you if you make any kind of mistake.
And if you've had the good fortune to be chosen as a cadet, it's not all that easy either. Written tests, psyche tests, interviews with grumpy line pilots, idiotic group sessions where people have to sit around and build the eiffel tower out of coke cans and then more interviews. Then, when finally sitting in the right seat, they work for low wages while having to pay back some of the training cost. Right through a pilots career it's a constant examination to check whether he/she is still up to the job.
You see it's just not correct to compare flight crew with cabin crew or groundstaff or office clerks etc. All are valuable of course and are vital to the smooth running of the airline, but these other workers did not have to go through the same rigours and training that the plots have. And at the end of the day, when you properly analyse it, the pilots responsibility is huge, taking into your care 10-400 pax is a big deal. Being prepared to deal with inumerable outside factors that can happen on a flight requires thorough training, which takes time and money.
I've always believed that the main problem that the pilot community has encountered when disputes arise, is they just don't put their case forward well enough to the media. And for that the blame must lie with the pilot unions. They have to start getting better
PR people to address the media and give their side of the story. If the public could read 52049er's post in the press or hear about in the media they would be alot more sympathetic. For the amount of work he did, £66 is a very low reward considering the amount of money he would have made for his airline that day.
Finally, noone can tell me that BA pilots don't earn their money. I was travelling FCO-LHR last month and the flight was delayed due to ATC. The captain came out and went to his passengers (in the departure lounge!) and explained to them the reasons for the delay. He spoke to all of them, adressing them politely and apologising all the time, even though it wasn't his fault. He left a lasting impression on the passengers that day, how can you value the goodwill he generated? Those passengers would have told their families/friends about the excellent service.
These fliers not only deserve what they're paid but deserve a lot more as well. And that goes for all pilots. I would place no more worth on a BA flier then one with FR or Eazy etc.