I care about market rate also but that post was all about hypotheticals. The total cost of market rate per diem is roughly $7-9 an hour depending on the yearly hours flown and other things. Are you saying you wouldn't accept removing per diem all together for an additional $15/hr? It's just math, and the more your numbers add up to the better it is, it doesn't matter where they come from. And, I'd argue per diem is worth even less as, if you can itemize your taxes, the less you are reimbursed by the company the more you can deduct. Again, basic math. For the most part I don't care how the money is organized as long as the total works out to the correct number.