Hi Wingswinger,
I teach 4 levels of control-cascade (as taught to me in Toulouse in 1989) as level 3 is what is required when doing a TCAS or after breaking cloud on a non-precision approach. "Autopilot off, call for FDs off, leave the A'thrust engaged". Taking out the autothrust on the TCAS often leads to speed problems and another set up!
Taking the autothrottle out in the Boeings is SO much easier than on the Airbus as the power has to disengage at the correct setting, whereas you have to guess or look away from the PFD to set it accurately on the Airbus - but we do have the speed-trend arrow right in front of our face to tell us what is happening, if pilots bother to look at it.
In 1990 we had to fill in a questionaire about what we thought about the Airbus systems and I put in that I wanted the levers to follow the thrust set up to the climb gate then become switches above that - I believe that mod was offered initially but no one paid for it.
I am glad this thread has drifted back to the title: Good flying skills and alpha awareness have been eroded for sure, but most problems I see in the sim are caused by lack of FMA awareness - followed by a desire not to take control from the computer.