Airline passenger news and views

I watch this dispute with horror. I just cannot see any positive outcome. If a sizable proportion of the BA staff are willing to go to lengths to support the company then it surely cannot be that bad an employer. I hate this fixation with employee rights.

Why cannot the insurers call upon the government for cases like this? It would seem sensible that all insurers should pas an insurance tax and that tax should underwrite events beyond the expectation of the standard policy. This is what happens (as I understand it) with the Motor Insurance Bureau. They pick up the cost when an uninsured motorists hits you. They get their money by each insured motorist paying a bit into the fund. Can it be that difficult to arrange?

I do feel sorry for the airlines and the people that are stuck or have lost their holidays. It is no one's fault but the recriminations are going to run and run on this.
I will say, having watched the television reports, that the government response has seemed very weak. There was not much that they could do about longhaul but laying on special travel from Europe should not have been beyond them. Just imagine how proud you would have been to go to, say, Rome railway station and present your British passport and be led to a special train to bring you (and others) home. What was the phrase? Her Britannic Majesty requests and requires ...
Those were the days !

I agree that we should be more selective. I would be quite happy to look at 100 of my fellow passengers and decide which ones that I would be comfortable travelling with. I might end up with 50 'suspects' but it would be a good start.

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Given that the airline elects to use these seats, which they probably will do if the aircraft is full, then it is just the luck (bad luck) of the draw if you end up in them. I generally avoid using the back loading stairs if I am at the end of the queue so as to avoid the risk of ending up right at the back.
I read the comment above and see that some airlines give you a bottle of wine to make up or perhaps to shut you up. I am really not sure what else you can do.