as the market is slowly turning in favor of pilots
I disagree. Until the various companies begin to park airplanes due to a lack of pilots
and airline management begins to see a decreasing trend in load factor that is a direct result of decreased capacity, the market will not turn in favour of pilots. One need only look south of the border to Horizon right now. They're parking airplanes and attempting some short term fixes to patch a problem that has been years in the making. The writing was on the wall, and yet they still did not do enough with their recent union agreement to ensure resumes are flying through the door.
Up here, Jazz and Encore have very little problem filling ground schools with their current pay matricies, WestJet has a pool of pilots ready to go to mainline, and Air Canada will be overflowing with resumes once they open the doors again. There is zero incentive for any of the airlines to improve WACONs outside of union negotiations. Hell, WestJet is starting a ULCC which will see young pilots jump at the chance to fly a 737 without regard to how it impacts the industry. This is because every pilot, at some point, has been a lady of the night, willing to do more for less.
So, If I were an airline executive, where do I see the need to improve pay when I can still fill both front seats when I can just fill it with younger, more inexperienced pilots?
Which companies out there offer the best deals not only on salary but also on lifestyle ?
To answer this is a personal question. Not that it is confidential, but that it depends on what you want at the end of your career. All airlines, including those with Red (or black now?), Teal, and Racoon tails have their pros and cons. What works for me may not work for you and that will drive your decisions. Maybe you want to live in Toronto, so it doesn't matter who you fly for. But maybe you live in Okotoks and don't want to ever commute to Montreal, in which case you have a different decision. Hence, it's personal.