I used 'proper' airline in parenthases for a reason (after all what is a proper airline?) but yeah don't mean to denegrate any S/O or Crz F/O!
TL & One Dot - If they're good guys (most are) and try hard then the'll get everybody's respect, regardless of whether they've flown F18's, F27's or C152's. If however they've just sat by choice for 14 years in the back seat, pinch the good sandwiches and moan about the company all day then they don't!
Sorry if it's offensive but right or wrong I have found that guys fresh from banging about in C402's are usually way more suitable/capable than somebody who has been idling along (I know often not by choice) in the back seat. Similarly offensive perhaps but airlines like Emirates and Ethihad currently airlines that are recruiting, don't pay much due to SO time - it's pretty meaningless unfortunately.
With everything that's happened at QF (farming all their ops off to Jetstar) would any new SO ever get a go at a LHS? Similarly VA's career path seems even less certain. So whilst the shiny new jet syndrome may seem a good idea after years in Karratha or the circuit area at Parafield (and possibly a pay rise!!!) it may in the future be a one-way road to oblivion. Not because the SO/Crz FO is no good but because he has no value to his management - a management not interested in upgrading his skills but only interested in their own appeal to the sharemarket.
As I say, hopefully shortly most of this will be academic. Not enough bums to fill the many cockpit seats being rolled out in Toulouse and Seattle means that there should be jobs everywhere.