That's a very balanced and good post Mesmer. You make some really good points.
All the evidence on average salaries, actually shows cabin crew as being on a par with most sectors of BA including the ground staff and office workers.
The two sectors that earn more than everyone else are Pilots and Management but then that is understandable and not surprising.
We do earn more that other UK airlines but if you took just the post 97 crew earnings, this figure would in fact be much more similar to the figures of other UK carriers.
When, however you compare us to other International carriers, we come out on a par with many and many other carriers pay their crew more than BA crew, such as Iberia, for example.
Other airlines do have the same number of crew on a 747, such as Qantas, I believe, but the majority that have premium cabins have more and some airlines, particularly the Far Eastern ones have as many as 17, 18 or even 19 cabin crew on a 747 compared to our 14. This dose make it hard for us, as an airline, to compete with the level of service offered, but we do try!!!
So well done for posting your post because I do feel the general hatred of cabin crew as a workforce is getting quite out of hand and it is good to read your balanced view.