Originally Posted by
T28driver
Or, alternate theory, might be all of that COMBINED with massive deregulation, free trade agreements that allow unfettered (big word) access to formerly protected markets, the rise of "contract" pilot groups with little or no collective bargaining power, and maybe a few gulf states deciding that throwing billions of dollars of subsidies at airlines that fly half empty widebodies around the world would be a good idea.
Maybe those things too.
Well, the deregulation is still in play. Free trade agreements are still in place. Contract pilots are increasing, not decreasing. The Gulf carriers are still flying half empty wide bodies around the world. Yet even mainlineAF admits that "...our wages have gone up and started to be where they should". So if those things are still in play, but pay is going up, the most logical conclusion would be those factors played a much smaller role in hard times than 9/11 and the economic downturn.