There is a simple answer to this..... some jackass decades ago decided it would be a good idea to get paid for only our flight time... This is one of the only professions in the world where we pretty much get raped for the amount of time we actually have to be at work and labor laws basically ignore.

For those of you trying to defend this you obviously have no clue or just want to keep throwing out excuses because you think we would make less if that was the case. Most of us average 12 hour days and get paid for about 6 of it.

Keep in mind I am not talking about getting paid for down time in hotels. Just for the hours we are at work.
I know it will never change but this is by far one of the stupidest decisions ever made in the pilot profession.