I ask the simple question:
If in 80's (Britannia, Monarch, BA, B.Cal, Air 2000, etc.) 5000hrs/7 years was considered the norm for command threshold (4000 in exceptional circumstances if you had that total all with in the company) what has changed in our industry that by 2000 the threshold had dropped to 3000hrs? That is not a gentle readjustment, but a huge reduction and might be achieved within only 3.5 years. Add to that an F/O with less than 1 years aviation experience. In 80's a 5000hr new captain had a 2000hr+ F/O next door because the recruitment criteria was higher. Cadets were the rarity. It's not just a massive reduction in command upgrade experience, it is a large reduction in total flight deck experience.