Now airlines are packing them in with levels over 90% and I advised my staff, at least ten years ago, that the rebated fare "privilege" should not be considered a major beneficial factor in working for an airline
Very true, it's a hit or miss benefit these days, especially when the LoCos can offer similar fares on much the same route, for a confirmed seat...
However ( as always), rightly or wrongly many Crew members have engineered their lifestyles around the ability to travel to and from London on rebate tickets. Maybe the Crew members should have considered that when making the decision to strike.