"I suffered for my $250K p.a - now it's your turn!"
Maloo, your point is 100% relevant. However.......it gets easier when you take staff travel for what it is - a totally inequitable, illogical system that arrogantly abuses all but those at the top of the seniority pecking order.
It's not even a commercially sound concept in terms of caash flow in that you can book and pay for your ticket at the first opportunity only to be gazumped by someone who decided to go at the last minute.
As for the sometimes snotty upthemselves 19 year old son/daughter Y gen travelling unaccompanied & geting the first seat while people who actually do the work are shoved elsewhere down the back - oh that's if they can get on at all..........grrrrrrrrrrrr.........
I do feel for the cabin crew though I think a lot of them are ripped off more the F/O's & S/O's - especially the newer ones that work their backsides off for next to nothing and they can't even experience their own product - jeeez even the clean up staff in Gordon Ramsey's & Neil Perry's Kitchens get to experience their own offering.
I was told the other week that some of the CC had to pax to LAX in the rear middle seat of a chokkas economy cabin, then only have reduced rest and then work the return sector.
That's a hard gig in itself, but I was amazed to be told that while these CC suffered, up in first was the princess y gen daughter of one of our senior collegues who (according to the CC) was a total demanding bitch dropping daddy's name and very senior status at every opportunity... ....... that's the system - hardly the model of equity and care.
Personally, staff travel causes more grief and division than it's worth. It's pending overhaul cannot come soon enough.
AT
cue: outrage responses from the precious few