I don't think i've ever met a client who neither knows or cares what lot the pilots are on - and this will never change. If such a person does exist then they are in the minority. I'm almost offended that you seem to think that there are companies operating who have made fiscal decisions that dimish safety. Those that were caught doing this lost their operating certificates a long time ago and - in the UK at least - are regularly audited by the governing body to ensure this doesn't happen.
You appear to be placing the blame on the client for driving the price down. Ultimately it's the pilots that accept the terms and conditions, driven by a business plan that calls for a low cost base as it's the only way they stand a chance of making money. Don't hate the player, hate the game on this one.
FWIW i've got no axe to grind against any of the operators mentioned in this thread. The market place needs competition (look at British Airways circa 10-20yrs ago for a case study). They all have - broadly speaking - the same target market, and all offer a similar product (It's up to the client whether they prefer the Mustang or the Phenom, I know which camp i'm in but I only sell them) and as such I think it's expected that they will kick off a price war between them.