Who didn't turn up?

[tubby linton]

News item on BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6592959.stm

[WideBodiedEng]

Never thought I'd stand up for him, but why should he?
Its a general lack of self discipline and lack of manners that causes this not the LoCos. Excepting that if we didnt have LoCos then some of these louts couldnt afford to fly.
The MPs just want to posture and puff hot air.

[20driver]

"whether taking a flight is becoming a less pleasant experience."
I really pray that the house of commons can find something serious to do soon. I hate to think what other " less pleasant experiences" they will investigate next.
I thought it was a little early for the silly season, must be global warming.
20driver

[Bangkokeasy]

This would be funny if it were not for the fact that it is being conducted at considerable cost to the taxpayer.

It is quite obvious what will come next. During the course of this enquiry, there will of course, be a lot of research done, not only into how unpleasant the loco experience has become, but also, purely for comparison, how it differs from the first class experience to such places as Barbados, or New York. And once in these places, of course there will be a need to stay a few days, sample the whole travel experience, various levels of hotel accommodation, meals, shopping, etc. And naturally, the gorgeous, pouting assistant, Miss (or Mr for the sake of PC) Rita Chevrolet, will have to come along to take notes...

A junket in the finest "Brussels" tradition!!

[TartinTon]

I thought Rita had left?

[llondel]

He's got a point - of all the things that make flying a less pleasant experience now than in the past, the time on the aircraft is well down the list. Having to go through the daft security measures and all that hassle, and often the immigration and security at the far end that are far worse. I bet none of that gets discussed as reasons why it's worse.

[green granite]

Why not ask the customers, they could do it in the form of a questionnaire?

Oh sorry I forgot It's being done by MPs whose first law is never consult the people who matter or the great unwashed. :ugh:

[Wiggly Bob]

I didn't think the Government wanted us to enjoy flying. Carbon Emissions and all! Now they want to see how they can make it more enjoyable. REMOVE THE TAX :ugh:

[Ancient Observer]

I'd say that not turning up was a good decision. Given a choice of listenning to Gwynneth or Aviation's own motormouth, I'd listen to him any time. Given a further choice of, say, listenning to the security bloke at T1 Domestic last Thursday, that would be better still.

[old,not bold]

Gwyynith Dunwoody's bullying of her Committee and its witnesses, which I once experienced from the winess chair, usually means that her Committee's reports express her prejudged conclusions and little else. So I agree with Ryanair's decision to let the UK's parliament carry on without their help.

The article mentioned "very unpleasant, a good proportion of people shout the length of the cabin, walk around with drinks, use foul language and are generally awful".

That's true, of course, especially on Ryanair. But the passengers are often just as bad, and we should acknowledge that, to be fair.

[Few Cloudy]

This begs the question as to who is then pleasant to fly with and whether all airlines were "invited" to the gig or only the low cost companies mentioned. Sounds like a biased waste of time to me.

I think all airlines try to make their flights go well if they can. Nobody deliberately upsets the customers.

FC.

[Hirsutesme]

Ryanair upset me so much I never fly with them now.

[perkin]

Why should the head of an Irish based airline be accountable to a UK parliamentary committee anyway? I agree with MOL completely on this one :)

[ChristiaanJ]

I'll be flying MPL-STN tomorrow (as SLF, I hasten to add).
RyanAir, sure. The only airline doing MPL-LON direct, and at affordable prices.
All I ask for is a plane reliably flying from A to B and a seat, not caviar and canapés. If I want a beer, I'll buy one.
And no complaints so far, rather the contrary.

I'll report when I come back after the weekend.

In the meantime, isn't it high time a few British taxpayers got together to impeach this lady for wasting their tax money?
Oh, you can't do that?
High time it became possible, if one still wants to able to claim to live in a democracy, rather than a pseudo-socio-technolocratology.

[apaddyinuk]

I hate myself for saying this but Im with MOL on this one. Another complete waist of taxpayers money. Why is there not an investigation as to why our taxes are being dumped into pointless investigations such as this or why there are people sponging benefits at our cost?

[CARR30]

Isn't government policy to discourage air travel by making the tickets as expensive and airport procedures as inconvenient as possible?
The time spent in the hands of the carriers is usually the least stressful part of the whole journey.
What do MP's care anyway? Their main concern will be getting their expenses for each trip reimbursed by the tax payer ASAP.

[Desert Diner]

What is the point of their enquires?

Why people shout on planes?

[Jump Complete]

Don't blame MOL for not bothering, and I'm not particually a fan. Most (nearly all, I'd say) of the misery is in the airport.
Got to say, I haven't had any bad experiences on Ryanair, used them about 6 times in the last year. Sometimes the evening flight is late, but never actually landed later than 30 mins after schedule. The worse one was during the fog before christmas. Due to leave in the evening, the flight diverted (pax bused in from diversion 50 miles away) but got out on the first flight the next day. No hassles getting on the flight and they can hardly be blamed for it. A few grumbles that they kept us there until the flight had landed at diversion before making a decision when looking out the windows the vis was under 100 metres the whole time but suppose they have to do it like that. Maybe it's the route I use which tends to have commuters etc rather than p***-heads on a weekend out but never had any idiots on the flights. The only thing that annoys me is the scrum for the gates when they announce boarding. Everyone ignores the 'Passangers with boarding passes number 1-49 only' call.
As for this commitee, sounds typical of the Blair government. Loads of bs and public money waisted to show they are 'doing something' when nothing usefull comes of it at all...

[CARR30]

The terms of reference for this enquiry are published here

http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/transport_committee/trans06_07pn17.cfm

I suppose it keeps them all out of trouble until they can waddle off and collect their pensions.