Maybe BA and the likes keep their CEP schemes for the following reasons:
1. They can control the standards of both inputs and outputs in these schemes.
2. They can control the number of units processed through the system to match their own requirements.
3. Prestige - How can the worlds leading airlines not have there own CEP scheme?
4. Jobs for the boys - it certainly keeps their HR departments busy.
5. Public Relations - These schemes generate a great deal of interest, a quick look at this forum confirms this.
6. Culture of the organisation says that we must train or at least do some training 'in-house'.
BA once announced that they would lke to outsource all functions except Management and Pilots. Outscourcing is a recognised way to reduce costs, so that you can focus on your core activities, but it is arguable whether the drastic measures once mooted by BA were taking it a bit too far. However, initial pilot training is a great cost to outscource, and this has alrady been done by many airlines.
Wearing a strategic hat, CEP schemes can easily be abandoned in favour of DEP schemes, with an immediate postive impact on profits. This must seem very tempting to Management who have a bonus scheme related to profit or share prices. Especially since the effect on the bottom line is visable in the short-term, and any negative effects will probably not be visable until the medium-to-long term, often after the managers that made such decisions have moved on to greener pastures.
Where the airlines could be thinking strategically in keeping their CEP schemes is that they are prediciting a pilot shortage, and having an established scheme gives them control over the risk of not being able to find pilots. Additionally, they may think a CEP scheme is a way of keeping pilot salaries down i.e. crap terms, rather than face the price the market is paying pilots, this is particularly relevant is there is a pilot shortage.
If I was a manager in the position of being able to scrap a CEP scheme in my company, I would scrap the scheme or scale it right back. Then I would happily accept the bonus after acheiving the required profit margins/profit/cost savings% or what ever measure is used. Not to mention, the cost savings would increase the share price (the 'city' loves cost savings), and of course that means my share options are worth more.. And of course, in the future, when the airline is struggling to find pilots, or having to pay extortionate salaries to attract them, I'll be retired living of my company pension, which was generously topped up with my bonus payments... Who said being an accountant is not fun!