@ Capt Oryx,
Some differences have to be pointed out.
"Big Airplane, Bigger pay" is not true. In most ME airlines all pilots receive the same basic salary and performance pay, regardless of airplane type. Same in QR. The difference is that on an A320 fleet for example your duty time by far exceeds your block time while on an Long Haul fleet duty and block will be very close to eachother. In EK they dont have the problem and EY has solved it by paying 320 drivers an extra allowance, the same way it used to be in QR.
In QR this allowance was cancelled in 2003 when all HOTSHOT managers went on to fly the bigger airplanes.
So in theory there is no difference in pay, in reality there is but we hvae no manager with the balls to solve the problem!
In other parts of the world a pilot indeed makes more money once he is on a bigger airplane, but this has NOTHING to do with the type he is on. It has to do with seniority. Flying an A340 in a European airline usually was a result of over 15 years seniority in that company. Same in Far East. CX highest paid pilots are on the 747 but to be a skipper on that airplane, you need seniority in the airline.
With regards to the upgrade. Right to left on an A330 or 777 is done by airlines without a smaller option available to them e.g. EK. All others, with a smaller fleet operating, will put their upgrades on the single aisle fleets.
This is part of the normal career path in real airlines. Overhere there is NO career path and their is NO respect for seniority!
But until now they realised that upgrades had to be done on A320 for reasons as mentioned above.
Now the rumour is back they might do R to L on 777 and 330 again! Not only is this dangerous, it is demoralizing for the battle troops on A320! Its a short term solution to a cancer growing inside QR and in the long run, it will only accelerate the cancer spreading.
