Yes but; devil's advocate: there are no airlines in operation that exist to give us a job that allows us to play with big boys toys. If putting more bums on seats to make profit requires adopting the business model you suggest then so be it. That should not have led to a dilution of piloting skills. It should not have led to a reduction of annual sim time. It has, and the never ending circular debate will be about whether it is all a cost saving exercise. The critics will say yes, and the management will claim that as there has been no increase in major incidents, even accidents, then safety has not been compromised and thus 'what's the problem?" I don't see a direct connection between LoCo & lower pilot skills. In the charter days we flew cheaper than national majors, and I might suggest we were better handlers. There was a company culture of skilled handling because it was necessary. Many destinations had no radar or ILS: it was middle of a rainy night and a circling into Corfu was required. If you couldn't fly you couldn't land on the black shiny bit. Kos, Samos, Heraklion and many others come to mind. Today, the toys are more like play stations and the airports are more wiz-bang. It can be argued that on a daily basis the skills required are less than bygone days; but then Murphy, Mother Nature & Human factors combine to make it a really bad-hair day. Play station rules do not apply. You need to be able to play a real game of tennis with real balls and a real net, not some cosy lounge Wii version.
"The typerating program for the A350 was developed around that focus with just flying manually at the start and then gradually introducing more and more of the autoflight system throughout the course."
Back to the future; finally, hopefully. I hear a national B777 operator has adopted this style after SFX. It's the way it was, should have stayed and hopefully will return to. If you look at the total manual flying time allocated in a standard jet TQ curse it is dreadfully little. Base training is not a fill in, either.
Someone quoted the opportunity to experience an engine failure on departure at 100', just as you relax a little. They also said it was not too hard. Good for you, but I guess you are in the top 20%. This is where you get a bird strike, not V1+1kt. Give an engine failure just as you hit TOGA on a G/A from an NPA. You were in CMD mode and then the A/P disconnects and bang goes an engine just as you revert to manual. You are left holding the baby or hot potato. Deal with it. Real life, real problems, real possibilities requiring real skills. If you can't hack it then you should be found out. Such a simple change in regulations at no cost but a massive increase in skill set. There could be much changed in the standard OPC/LPC check that would require more skills to be demonstrated and at no cost to the check time. The items would be more relevant and a true test.
Where is the first DFO to so order such changes? Those who want their guys to be the best & safest 'pilots'. Where is the first XAA to order such changes so ALL their pilots can be the best & safest? Maybe there is a lost world somewhere where it already happens. Let's keep searching.