Re: MercuryDancer
I second MercuryDancer's point. As an innocent UK SLF, my choice to fly cheap or not-so-cheap is not down to the safety aspects, because I have been given no reason to believe that the main locos are any less safe than Big Airlines. I assume, along with my fellow passengers, that the cut price reflects the low level of service and general discomfort of flying with such carriers. If it were made clear to me that the low-cost ticket was achieved by means of hiring low-hours, inexperienced, lightly trained pilots, I'm sure I would not be the only passenger who'd choose to pay the higher price.
I suspect most passengers discount the safety aspect, not because they don't care, but because they genuinely trust that the safety standards are equal. If they're not, the general public need to know.