I think the argument is that 5 legs touching 5 airports a day, usually 2 aircraft, often several different crews, 24 hours a day ops, into 115 or so cities, carrying 150 ish pax per leg is a bit more risky than napping half a flight between the same two international cities and getting three landings in a sim each quarter. Airlines don’t pay by risk, or by revenue generated. They pay as little as they can get away with using any justification possible. Our unity is the only thing keeping us from being paid like an Uber driver.