I know it's not the PPRuNe way, but there must be some positives to come out of this.
People on PAS were complaining, people not yet on PAS were rejecting it, because of the fear that the gap between 55 and 60 would leave them stuffed with no pension.
Now, we've had confirmation that all PAS Flt Lts will be offered an extension to 60, ensuring that they can retire on a full, immediate pension.
The complaints now start that it's another 5 years on the top pay scale. JTO, if you're looking at 17 years on level 35, that means that prior to this you were still looking at 12 years! The top PAS levels seem entirely fair compensation for the job. I'm annoyed you need to be promoted to get the final 5, but overall it seems like a fair pay scale. Now it interfaces with the pension, and if you're in the mid-to-late 30s bracket and on or about to start on PAS, you're probably one of the very few who can benefit from AFPS15 (career average when your salary profile runs from level 20 to level 35 PAS).
We're never going to get a 100% pay rise and the job will always have its issues. But in terms of the things that have frightened people recently, surely this is good news? Service until the new pension age?
I'm not too worried about the "manning levers;" the discussion around them seems to centre on being able to let large tranches of people go when types are removed from service, like Harrier/Nimrod/etc in 2010. Not to look at individuals and kick them out with nothing.