You wouldn't go have heart surgery with a surgeon who has taken 3 months worth of medical classes. And thats part of why they're paid well, it takes a long time to get the education and ability to perform that job well and it is a serious profession.

Being an airline pilot is very similar. It is all simply a supply and demand problem, but everyone out there is trying to think of ways to make it work while ignoring that. You can't just bend the supply and demand model to fit your situation without breaking it (such as putting inexperienced pilots in cockpits).

Our job is one which requires lots of training and lots of experience. And it should be paid accordingly. And now that we have tools in place (such as the ATP requirement) to try to ensure that that training and experience is there, the supply and demand model is going to have an impact on the pay we receive.