I know it does not come close to covering expenses, but I believe per diem is considered reimbursement for meals. Not sure who pays this during training, but at a past employer I think we received 1/2 per diem as newhires.

I'm at a big US regional and we had double hotel occupancy rooms with no per diem in training. I know there are a handful of regionals (and majors) out there that either don't provide hotel rooms in training or don't pay anything during training. Southwest still requires you to buy your own type rating before coming to training.

I'm sure the conditions over at Ryanair are pretty bad but some of that stuff is also done by US airlines, especially the bottom feeder regionals.

If buying a 737 type rating got me a job at minimum flight time at southwest sign me up! For a regional? No, no ill pass thank you. Haha
Just everybody wait and see. I hate to admit it but its very possible this becomes mainstream over here in the US. Look at GLA, no pay during training, no compensation to get to the interview, and even then u get paid about half a peanut to work. Why do people still fly for them then? Because they Need the expeirence. That will always drive some if not most pilots to keep spending money. And the airlines know that. Hopefully, pilots stand up for each other and the proffesion and prevent this from happening. Unions be ready for it, it will come eventually.