RD:
"Most people who have been in the business for any length of time realise that going from Flybe (or a similar-sized airline) to Easy (or whatever) is just
more of the same."
Exactly! more specifically, money!
You're right about EZ being as much as a dead-end as FlyBE, but I suppose that's true for any airline, it just depends on what your expectations are. From the EZ terms and conditions, a line trainer with 5 to 10 years service can look forward to about £80.000 a year (including duty pay), which is substantially more than what you get. A much more comfortable position to be stuck in.