A biter well and truly bit

I admire Michael O'Leary but I don't much like his airline, Ryanair.  To be fair, I have only ever used it once and the journeys to and fro went perfectly smoothly but it was in the communications with his airline that I found my dislike growing.  For a start, I was told that the flight ticket to France would be about £50 return for the two of us but at the end of ticking this box and that box the total ended up at well over £200, which is what I guessed it would be because I never believed the opening price in the first place, so why titillate with the silly opening price?  Also, it must be said that I don't think the price of £200+ was excessive anyway.  However, it was the tone of the communications that put me off.  It was all hectoring 'do this', 'don't do that', and any failure to obey the rules will result in huge fines which, one felt, the management were slavering at the lips to impose on the unwary.  The countless number of daft ideas that O'Leary comes up with, like charging to use his toilets on the 'plane, provide sufficient evidence to conclude that he is an 'Oirish berk', albeit, a very successful one - for the moment!

However, his latest wheeze, that in this age of automated aircraft systems in which 'planes take off, fly and land automatically, second pilots should be dispensed with in order to save money, has provoked a witty rejoinder from his own head of flying training.  As reported today by The Financial Times:

Captain Morgan Fischer, who trains other pilots at Ryanair’s Marseilles base, says he knows the airline is dedicated to keeping its costs as low as possible, so why not go one better – and replace Mr O’Leary with a junior flight attendant?

“I would propose that Ryanair replace the CEO with a probationary cabin crew member currently earning approximately €13,200 net per annum,” Capt Fischer has written in a letter to the Financial Times, which reported Mr O’Leary’s comments last week.

“Ryanair would benefit by saving millions of euros in salary, benefits and stock options,” the captain said, and there would be no need for approval from the authorities.

Too, too, delicious but I hope that Capt. Morgan's retirement and pension fund is well topped up because I am not at all sure of the length, width and depth of Mr. O'Leary's sense of humour!

 

Comments

[Dexter VanDango]

How very strange..

I was just talking this afternoon to a friend in Oslo. He had booked a ticket with Ryan Air last week.

The price was just 80 kroner.. but by the time he paid for his baggage, booking fees, foot rest, oxygen allowance, option to land and what not, the ticket cost over 900.

[David Duff]

Typical!