Have life
Just to get started I DO NOT work for Virgin and to clarify I HAVE worked as a L/C and in CLP.
You have a fair point the VS traffic job is one of doing very little. But the ONE thing the should do is to make sure the loadsheet is in line with the LIR. ACARS or not the T/O still has to get the info to CLP and CLP have to put the correct info together for the loadsheet and any decent L/C or T/O will check to see if this has been done, ask for a loadsheet to your printer or check the ACARS one themselves.... Its not too much to ask if you have decent people around you!... Yes there will always be petty arguments between Airline and agents and those even less mature few who will cause a delay just to prove a point. Me when I was in both positions if things went wrong just put it right as soon as possible and then go home and sleep easy!!
If you considered yourself to be one of the good CLP'ers and obviously Leezy considers himself to be one of the "good" T/O's then you are actually agreeing with each other. But we all know that there are people in both positions who dont have a clue!!
The way this thread has turned is to be the failure of handling agents to keep up the unrealistic SLA's with the airlines due to lack of manpower, very very poor recruitment at all levels(this is so important), non existant training, and management who are a f**king joke!!
WTD