My best friend used to work as cabin crew at Stanstead for Ryanair, and that was about 4 years ago when the cabin crew training was free. Her training course was at Prestwick airport and was very intense. Every morning they had to all answer exam questions and they would have to be at the airport at unsightly hours to make sure that they could handle the early mornings etc. She would study really hard every night for all the various exams they had to do and safety was one of their main priorities. ]

The reporters said they hadn't been on a plane, but when my friend was training, they did a couple of flights before they graduated with their wings.

However, she quit the job due to the long hours and extremely hard work that it was. It wasn't a surprise to learn that a number of her colleagues were having a chemical romance with charlie.........

The best paid crew have perfected their handstands...

cheeky boy! is that what they get up to in Club World once the curtain's drawn?!

University in the 20th Century!

Indeed!

Definitely not the revalations I was expecting. I think Michael O'Leary will sleep a lot easier tonight having seen the video footage for the first time!

It is clear that the staff have complete contempt for the passangers, but this is obviously something that is handed down from senior management. The cabin crew are poorly trained, are paid a pathetic amount to do a hard job and often have to deal with the type of people who most of us would avoid in the street, never mind on an aeroplane. I used to fly with Ryanair on a weekly basis whenI worked in Paris as it was the quickest way for me to get back to Glasgow, but I hated every trip. The cabin crew were unpleasant and the fight to get to the front of the boarding queue was horrible! I wouldn't fly with them again, but for people who care about cheap fares, rather than service they obviously have a place.

Hopefully their service levels will improve following this documentary, but I think it's fair to say that Dispatches could do a documentary on any company and make them look as bad as Ryaniar did tonight...

The bit that made me laugh was in the bit where they were delayed for 3 hours and the Captain wouldn't give them drinks and said, "If you don't like it you can offload yourself".

WELL I TRIED TO OFFLOAD myself a few weeks ago and the bar stewards forced me to stay onboard and make a pointless trip to Dubblin after a cancelled meeting.

A truly scary programme.

Not too much of a surprise - although I'll be tempted not to sit in 1A anymore (not that I really undertood why...)

Perhaps because on FR non Spanish routes I get to overhear the FAs in front of me - when I'm sitting in 1A - chat about things they dislike about their employers and their working conditions, in Spanish. (I hear new employees getting clued up by more established colleagues, there are a lot of tricks to 'bumping up' your schedule so that you make more overtime... but it's too complicated to understand when you're trying to make it look like you're not actually listening during take off and landing.).

I wouldn't stop using FR after what I've seen. Sure, I prefer BA to FR, but then I prefer FR to IB. If you thought FR's attitudes to their customers was bad, you haven't eavesdropped on the things I've heard from IB staff.

At least I now understand why FR flights aren't as enjoyable as they were a few years ago, I didn't realise they had to pay for their own training (EZ have somehow kept their modest standards up and I still like flying with them.)

EDIT:
Just read the reply to the first letter from Dispatches here and I've just confirmed Ryanair's answer to point 5 - it's usually newbies who are put in the number 2 position next to the senior number 1.

And I can also confirm that there are no potruding pieces of metal that would hit my head in 1A - this is precisely the sort of thing I'd notice. I worry about my knees hitting my head instead.

That was on the 737-200 aircraft which are now retired. Still don't sit anywhere near the front and be at an exit row, knowing that you will be able to open it as the FA probably will not!

Because so many other companies staff members *never* complain about customers/their employers. I don't know what companies you've been working for, but they certainly haven't been anything like the ones I've been in...

As for the other incidents..it seems to me that Dispatches were trying to make them appear more sinister than they really were.

Now, i didn't get to see the programme and don't have Sky so probably won't get to in the future...but that won't stop me passing comment.

I would back what PhilH says. I work for a company that was on the receiving end of a similar investigation. It is amazing how by taking something out of context and applying some gentle spin you make it look far, far worse.

That said, I've flown FR a grand total of twice and that was plenty. I prefer being treated as a human.

Even so, the Number One should have looked at it and, if he/she wasn't satisfied, should have reported it to the Captain who would have assessed the situation and passed the fault to an Engineer.

In my experience as BA ground staff, I have come across a few instances where things on aeroplanes have "looked funny" and on each occasion the "Nigels" on the Flight Deck have examined my findings closely and called in an Engineer when necessary. (On one occasion, a window seal had slipped which could have caused de-pressurisation and was only really noticeable from outside the aircraft!)

Safety should never take second-place!!! Indeed, Ryanair have had so many run-ins with the CAA over safety critical issues, I am very surprised that they are still permitted to fly in British airspace! (But then, the CAA are like all the other British Blimp organisations - watchdogs with no teeth!!! Let a poor pilot inadvertently exceed his hours and they'll revoke his licence, but a tycoon who openly despises aviation, pilots, crew and passengers can do what the hell he likes!!!)

On an unrelated note, I'd like to welcome ellsbells (who also happens to be Mrs Efin) to the BA board and congratulate her on her first (of many if i have anything to do with it) post .

Awww bless! Welcome indeed to ellsbells .

But hey, what do you want for a pound - a life jacket or something!