Management game playing
I think that we have the managment of some airlines playing games to keep staff in line, They are pushing the gloom & doom line so as to get a better deal for the company.
Some would say that their job is to get the best deal for the shareholders, but what goes around comes around, just remember the way they treat the staff. When the upturn comes we will see them wringing their hands and complaning about the pilots lack of company loyalty!