Degree in economics for pilots?
Fabbe92,
Your posts show a good degree of uncertainty, and you are wise seeking other views, but in the end there are always pros and cons.
A degree in economics will provide you a good grounding in economic matters, and of course a fall-back position if you lose your medical. But it doesn't provide any further foundations for physics and engineering, which are very useful as a background to ATPL, and also as a background to understanding the high tech bit of kit known as an aeroplane.
There are many possible academic backgrounds to be a pilot:
* degrees in science or engineering (generally you will learn good tech skills and an ability to think in a structured way),
* specific degrees in aviation (where you learn some aviation specific economics, some physics and some engineering tailored toward aviation),
* specific degrees in aeronautical/aerospace engineering (where you get an excellent background in the technical aspects of aeroplanes, but no economics),
* specific degrees in economics (where you will learn macro and micro, and how the world of money turns: but probably do very little airline economics unless you choose your university carefully. Beware it is these guys that brought us the GFC).
In the end, it is not wise just to do a degree as an insurance, instead I recommend that you do one that you will find interesting. A 3 or 4 year degree in something you don't like will be no fun, and you may well not even finish. You need to wake up each day and look forward to your day, whether it may as an undergraduate, or later as a professional pilot or airline executive.
I further suggest therefore that you look very closely at the detail of possible degree options, including the summaries of ALL the offered subjects, to see which best interests you. The same degree title offered at different universities often has different options and specialities.
Also the better universities usually have higher entrance levels, harder subject materials, and higher standards, but this is why they are better universities.