I agree that it is all about money. I just think that its cheaper to reduce the salaries of the tech crew than to attack the nightmare of pilotless airliners.
The trend is down. Salaries are decreasing. Companies like QF that pay high salaries are already well on the way to ensuring that the old folk flying now are the last generation to get paid very well for what they do.
Jetstar isn't just an LCC, its a vehicle for the group to achieve certain goals. Fair enough too from a business perspective. From my point of view there are problems that managers just don't get.....but thats off topic.
In twenty years when four or five big airlines own all the smaller ones but let them keep their livery, the real worth of a pilot will become apparent. Wages will dip to a level where they can't recruit enough pilots and then stabilize at the true market rate......somewhere in between the high and low and full automation will still look too expensive.