groundbum,
Take a look at the ticket price to fly from the UK to the States. Take off the taxs! See what's left.
Even if removal of the pilots was feasable and did not introduce other costs, eliminating £100 from the fare would require the sacrifice of a lot more than just the pilots.
We could probably provide you with a tub of whale blubber, a pair of speedos and a compass and say start swimming! If you wanted to fly, you'd better be ready to flap your arms really hard
But with reference to the original point, actually I believe we
have become the weakest link. Not surprising when cost cutting is paring our training, and support to the bone.
pb