I think it was silly of Ryanair to do that as after reading it all, I tend to side with Channel 4!! Ryanair's responses sound very typical bully boy answers. It's that sort of attitude that permeated through his management and his crews. That's a very good reason not to fly them.

Also, can some one clarify for me the position of allowing passengers into the cockpit? I'm refering to the clip where the plane in spain (?) has been delayed by 3 hours and a passenger goes up asking for drinks to be served. It seems from the clip that the captain has stayed in his seat and the passenger is in the doorway. I thought that no passengers were allowed anywhere near the cockpit since 9/11, or is that just US airlines?

Yes, I think so. I have been on some European flights recently where the cockpit door has been open for at least a moment, including one not unadjacent to here.

On our EZ NCE-LTN, delayed because LTN was closed, the captain came into the cabin several times, using the cabin crew's handset to keep us up to date with what was (or wasn't) happening.

In the case of LiarAir, I guess the main door was kept closed just in case they needed to be ready to fly quickly, hence no risk of attack from outside.

The plane was on the ground at the time. They can't stop passengers going near the cockpit when the plane is on the ground as the cockpit door has to be open to allow liaison between flight crew and dispatcher, and on these small 737s (or equivalent) row 1 is about a metre from the cockpit door.

Whilst in flight, passengers are not supposed to be anywhere near the cockpit.

Ryanair have posted a number of customer letters on their website in response to the dispatches programme

http://www.ryanair.com/site/promos/d...dispatches.pdf

It was not Valujet that did it. That was done by its maintenance contractor, without Valujet's knowledge and (IIRC) with a false declaration. Whatever faults Valujet may have had, this was not one of them.

As for the programme itself
 

The correspondence on the website really says it all. Once you've read it, the programme itself simply provides the pictures to back up the complaints. The complaints are a mixed bag - some have just been puffed up to fill out the programme, but others are more serious. The biggest problem with FR, though, is something that a programme like this can't really do more than hint at: It's the corporate culture, and the corrosive effect. The programme can't do more than to point at the occasional hole in the top piece of cheese - hole that every airline will have from time to time. It's the corporate culture which may - or may not - eventually result in all the other hidden holes in the hidden slices all lining up one day, and an aluminium shower being the end result.

"RYANAIR CALLS ON CHANNEL 4 DISPATCHES TO ADMIT THAT TODAY'S PRINT ADVERT PHOTO WAS NOT TAKEN IN A RYANAIR AIRCRAFT, BUT IS A POSED 'SET-UP"
http://www.ryanair.com/site/promos/d...6-02-13%5D.pdf

does anyone happen to have a copy of this advert photo? would be interesting to compare with a true likeness if possible...

Are you surprised the picture of a whole page advertisement is created using a set created ad hoc (i.e in studio) ? I'm not. That page was purchased and I consider fine they recreated something anyway recorded and displayed during the program.
One thing is the visual evidence of a crewmember sleeping during a flight that ended with a crash and fatalities; an other is 'advertisement'.

You need to accept the captain statement if you do not like them, never fly with them again, there's a huge customer base to fish from.

From one part you have a company whose policy sounds like:

"Was your seat near a disgusting pool of smelling stuff, without a lifejacket and placed on a plane where you were delayed for 4 hours without any support and with a slide that seemed un-operational and all the FAs slept during the flight, that was boarded without a proper control between name on the ticket and name on the IDs ? If so, (but we anyway deny everything) shut up and do not fly with us any more. We not need you... there're anyway enough fools around"
"It was great, I had an almost free flight" and eventually the following closing sentence: "and the FAs were so kind, not like those of [insert your local carrier name here] who do not even smiled when serving a glass of DP champagne in my last first class RTW"

I can avoid them, I'm very happy about avoiding them but I'm lucky to have the choice of avoiding them and I can afford to pay for my leisure trips or use FFPs awards. A lot of EU guys can not and here it is.
:( A character (a bad one) in a book of fiction told you can squeeze money out of lower class guys (i.e. poor) because they have the need (of travel) and not the choice. :(

May I just say, about 6 months ago I suggested that BA flyertalkers should have a look at the website set up by Ryanair staff indicating their worries about their training, the amount of hours they work and the lack of safety practises they found in their work place.
I knew about this because I have a friend that used to train BA crew and left on a big pay rise to work for Ryanair (after being head hunted by FR) she found the whole organisation and the crew they recruited so lacking she came back to BA
I hate to tell you... I told you so....
I apologise for grammar due to jet lag and 3 glasses of wine ... hic!

Bump. This is on again tonight at 20.10 on C4's digital channel, More4.
http://www.channel4sales.com/program...schedules.aspx

And if you're reading this at 21.10 and thinking "Again! I've missed it again!", worry not - there's More4+1.

Looby Loo - worry not about your grammar - at least you know when it's lapsed unlikemany others! DId this person happen to be at LGW at some point, as I have heard a similar story and wonder if it is the same one.

What I did hear last year was a story about one of our number who happened to be on a Ryanair flight to somewhere that no one else flew to. Apparently there was an inflight emergency as there was concern that the landing gear would not lock. The cabin crew panicked - went completely to pieces from what I was told. In the end, our girl got up and yelled "I am British Airways Cabin Crew - if you do as I say I'll get you all out alive".The passengers were so relieved and she just took charge. The aircraft landed safely - but the crew were out of it completely. Our colleague was told by everyone that once they knew that she was they knoew that they had a chance as British Airways was reputable. I have no coroborration of this story
(probably mis-spelt) - but this was long before all this.

Ultimately the word is reputable. Would we call Ryanair reputable?

Suffice to say that there is a reason why Ryanair has gained this reputation. Their only variable for competitive advantage is price. And price is not proportional to profit. If you reduce the revenue on a given route, you will have to reduce costs until you reach a lower limit where safety prevents you going any lower. This eats up your contingency and then even minor problems become safety infringements.

Pucci
No my friend was initially long haul LHR crew then went into training at Cranebank, then FR and now full time trainer at Braincrank.. She's about 7 mths pregnant at the mo.... you can't miss her!!!
BTW I've got the programme on video if anyone wants to borrow it.

Also, as cabin crew with BA, my hours are very strictly controlled. The programme stated that it is only pilot hours that are limited at FR. Is it because FR is an airline (I use the term advisedly) registered in Eire?

Hi all and greetings from Australia!

As the programme is not airing down here as far as I'm aware, could someone please briefly exaplian what the issue was with the faulty slide?

I know for B737-200s the slide is engaged manually by clipping the girt-bar into a slot at the door sill. I'm not sure that there is any other indicator aside from the manual inspection. Was the aircraft in question a 737-800 and if so, is there a secondary indicator to show that the door is armed?

With thanks in advance,

L/M/E FF

Thanks - I think that I know who you mean - I have worked in recruitment in the past. You are quite right - we would never be allowed to work this way - and nor should they. Of course the picture is posed - and so what - I'd really held off about the crew - but as for the Captain (yes I saw the programme) he was the Senior pilot he was no Captain.