Pilot experience/passenger choice
You all know that whenever you book a flight you are given numerous options, some important, others inane. Seat number, meals, baggage, entertainment options and many others are available but while they may make the trip more comfortable they will do nothing to enhance my safety.
Even if we travel on the more expensive classes, everything is provided but once again we are not given any option or knowledge about the crew.
Whenever I take a taxi, I can talk to the driver, ensure he knows the route, examine his licence; and if not satisfied then I can take another.
But in the airline game we have no such choice, even though sometimes I have paid more for a taxi journey than for a flight!
Throughout these forums there are numerous threads debating the importance of experienced pilots in an emergency and the airlines taking cost cutting into the cockpit. Taken to its logical conclusion, the airlines will try to crew the plane with pilots with the minimum legislated qualifications and paid as little as possible, all in the name of reducing costs.
But I think it is about time that pax had the opportunity to choose the experience of the flight crew and if necessary pay a little more for the opportunity to have something which may in effect save ones life.
As the airlines have their rosters done well in advance, what I propose is that they give a rough guide as to the experience of the pilots rostered for each flight. Something as simple as does the First Officer have over 1500 hours experience and does the Captain have less than 5000 hours or more than 10000 hours would be enough form us to make an informed decision. It will allow us to choose a flight with which we are comfortable and if necessary pay a little more for an experienced crew if we want.