First of all - huge respect to former colleagues who are still doing their utmost to 'hold the line' in ever worsening conditions.
Probably as good a time as any to jump ship (no pun intended) and look for an airline job. If you fancy the expat life, Air Asia have just ordered 200 (yes two hundred) A320s and are scratching their heads a bit wondering how to crew them - and no, I don't work for Air Asia. Other airlines (in the middle east - and I realise many of you may have had enough of the desert) are in permanent 'recruit' mode.
QATAR have just awarded crews a 17% pay rise, Emirates a similar figure. Once out of UK you can then transfer your mil pension into a QROPS (google it) scheme and watch your fund grow at 15%+ pa tax free rather than at CPI (taxable) with UK plc.
I'm not saying it's paradise out here guys but ask me if I would ever go back and guess what the answer is?