Relax People! DownIn3Green, you should not yell your frustration out to the wrong people! I would be careful! The aviation community is smaller than you think.
Yes, there are easy ways, even if you don't want to believe it! I instructed in the US for a while and guess what? 90% of my students fly for the airlines. It depends on who your daddy "is" or if you had been elected as a cadet (BA, Lufthansa, etc.) or in which system you have to live with (FAA, JAA etc.). If you really want to get scared than take a look at some airlines in Mexico. I have instructed some of those people and they do NOT belong in a cockpit of a 727 (as a FO), a F100 or a Saab 340B. But daddy's a pilot...
I am NOT saying that all those pilots are bad, but a know a few, and I would not buy a ticket with certain carriers there.
And one of those airlines is in the STAR alliance!
Where's your justice? Saw a female pilot at Signature, ORD a few days back. Blond, big *youknowwhat*, and got taken on a Citation X as SIC with 1200 hours, no jet or TP experience, 100 multi. Is that what you call working your way up? Face it: This aviation business makes no sense, it is chaos covered up by laws. And don't say that this is only a US thing, I have seen it in Europe, too.
Be persistent, and meet the "right" people. Only that's how it works!
Bottom line is: Never give up and try not to be jealous. At the end of the day we meet again in the sky, and that's the limit!