Barney,
CX made over $14 BILLION HKD PROFIT - a record amount - with a remuneration package in place that held it as a (considered) world leader, all the while attracting pilots with excellent experience, credentials & knowledge. They paid well and attracted and then screened accordingly. Again, all the while making record profits. Greed. There can be no other word for it.
This is not as much a business decision as a means for a profit chase & back pocket lining at the expense of standards, safety and reputation. Legacy? Well done TT, RH and co. You and the cohorts effectively ruined the reputation of an airline well regarded as amongst the best, if not the best. You have increased the profits but look at what expense.....