Strangely, I am paid full time to sit in the seat. I also get time and a half and double time where warranted (8-11 hours at 1½x and 11+ hours at 2x, along with 40-48 hours at 1½x and 48+ hours at 2x). As well, I get significant travel and field pay, and even when I'm on the plane I get my daily meal allowance (USD $55/day).

While my compensation while flying might be more generous than others, I suspect many people here are actually getting paid (in one form or another) while they are sitting in a seat. (And not "half pay.") That someone only gets ½ time to waste away in a plane seems like a patently bad deal, and all the more reason they should be in J.

On top of that, it wasn't even me that paid for the ticket, also like many others here, I suspect.