Well, then allow me to ask... does the system owe you a cheap seat?

if the system is partly made of pilots, then so long as they have a voice and it's unified, the price of their labor should be held high as possible (with in reason) and that cost needs to be passed on to you as their service.

Otherwise, why should I pay a lawyer or doctor for his time?

Why not get Walmart to outsource their services to India or China and let the free market dictate their worth?