Gents, you're peeing upwind and here's why:

1) Individual airline pilots cannot negotiate their own rates. They're set for you. With corporate pilots, it can be a different ball game.

2) You can be the world's best pilot. You can be typed rated in A320 with 10,000 hours in the left seat. In the U.S., if you're starting fresh at an A-320 operator, that nets you 25-30k a year and to the right seat you go - courtesy of seniority system based pay.

3) No matter what, you'll always have someone else willing to work for wages you think are inadequate and they'll undercut you. So many proud profession defenders on these boards, so few voluntary resignations... it's that pesky supply-and-demand curve that just won't switch to pilots' favor.

Solutions are relatively easy, but require departure from typical U.S. airline pilot mentality.

Flame away...