Airline passenger news and views

Nice story but it does show just how tough it has been on those having to make the hard decisions. Do we delay, take on passengers and risk missing the window of opportunity; or we go as we are and risk the ridicule of the media? Most of the guys on the front line did a good job in very difficult conditions.

I want the borders kept safe not just from terrorists but from people that we do not need here. That means a lot of our EU membership that seemingly have rights but make no contribution to the country.
I have no personal grumble about Poles etc that seem to want to work but we have to get our own people back to working properly. We cannot pay other people to do work whilst we have unemployed sitting around claiming benefit.
Lets put the controls in place so that we know exactly who is in the UK.

I do love these online debates - you get to hear such diverse opinions and views. Of course we have to use selective screening. If we are going to have the cost and disruption of screening then it has to be made as effective as possible. Screening and searching the author's sister was a waste of time and resource in the name of political correctness.
Can we please get real and recognise from where the threat is coming and concentrate on that. If, next year, there we have a threat from the extreme right-wing of the women's institute then we can focus on elderly ladies. For the moment, I fear the religious extremists.

I already commented once on this and I have now read the entry from Ken Thomson about the doctors in Glasgow. I have to admit that when 'educated' muslims want to blow us up just because of the religious differences then it is necessary to focus on all Muslims. I am definitely not anti-Muslim. I have no knowledge about or interest in their religion. If they want to pray to Mecca then fine but I just do not want them trying to tell me what I have to do or wanting to kill me because I am a non-believer.
I would be sorry for an innocent Muslim being screened just as I am sorry that I am being screened but until the threat goes away, and as long as we know it comes from that particular religious group, then that is where we have to concentrate the efforts.

Can you imagine an ordinary paying passenger being allowed to walk up and down to business class? Yes, this is a ground for complaint.

OK, I probably grew up after the women's lib revolution but I am not unconscious of how to behave. If I am with my parents and one of their female friends comes in, I would probably stand up or at least shuffle in the appropriate manner.
I do not think that I would do it to a young women nor do I think it would be expected but there is nothing wrong with a bit of old fashion courtesy.
Almost separate from that, opening doors and helping reach things on high supermarket shelves etc is just common decency between human beings.

This shows just how far the damages claim against BP will go. If people do stay away from that coast, a whole bunch of angry (and possibly greedy) business owners will put in claims for lost revenue. I do not know who insures BP but I bet the majority of the cost is going to fall on the UK.

I blame the parents !
I watch with horror at the behaviour of the travelling public - and it is not just the children. Catriona is absolutely right in what she says and in the behaviour she describes. People just have no regard for others.
I too stand back behind the line and try to watch for my luggage. Ideally, when it arrives, I will step forward, collect it and then take it to my trolley. How difficult is that? Do people need an instruction manual?
My father reckons that he is becoming a grumpy old man. I think I am catching him up. Do people really have to behave this badly?

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If this was not so serious then it would be funny. We really cannot have security made even more difficult because of the actions of this baggage policy. It is definitely the law of unintended consequences and needs to be stopped before it gets out of hand.

I am enthusiastic. I read the article and comments on mobile 'phones and (despite the personal inconvenience) generally agree that shouting into a mobile on a flight is going to be anti-social. However, to be able to use my iPad would be great.

I also read the story about the couple getting charged extra for getting of the train too early. How have we become a nation that is so easily conned? I really do not think these people have the right to 'fine' us. I think that is something that only the courts can do.
The rail and airline companies are just companies like any other, they do not have special statutory rights to my knowledge

I know what you mean about crap telephone call centres, they just drive you mad and, I think, hope to drive you away. For British Gas, British Telecom etc customer loyalty is just for mugs. The best deals are for 'new customers only'.
Of course the Virgin letter is part of their marketing campaign but it is nice that they even think it worthwhile to say thank you or even recognise you as a customer.

Virgin Atlantic was put together with the help of Sir Freddie Laker one of the great pioneers of cheap travel. He had launched the first trans-Atlantic low-cost service, I think it was called SkyTrain.
He got bullied out of the market by BA and PanAm. They cut prices, bankrupted him, and then put the prices back up. So, be warned !
Laker Airways eventually won their compensation claim and BA/PanAM paid up but t was all too late and cheap travel was knocked on the head for a while.

I am really not sure about all of this. Airline food has to be kept simple because it has to be pre-prepared and then served under difficult circumstances.
From time to time, I get to travel Upper Class on Virgin (the company paying, I must add) and the food is very good for an airline but pretty poor for a restaurant. There is only a certain amount that the airline, despite how hard they try, can actually do.
This is probably good PR for BA, but that is as far as I can go.