Max,
thanks very much for your reply, and for the reassurance that my travel plans will probably not be ruined.
I have travelled on Citiexpress four times previously (all to and from Madrid incidentally) and always found the staff to be very warm and the flights enjoyable, so from my perspective, you guys at the sharp end are all doing yours jobs incredibly well under what (seem to be) difficult times.
The very first flight i ever took with you guys certainly sticks in my mind as one of the most enjoyable ever. It was back in the summer of 2002, and being the aviation enthusiast that i am, i asked if it would be possible to visit the flight deck. For obvious reasons i was refused, however the extremely friendly FA took it upon herself to kneel down next to me and chat about aviation and what was happening at Citiexpress for a good 20 minutes. That's what i call customer service!!! She explained to me how she was based at Cardiff and had only just recently started working on the ERJ145 from manchester. I wonder what happened to her as she was worried about job security even then.
On the return flight i managed to speak to the pilots after we had landed and they explained to me how they were actually based at Gatwick but were up at Manchester for 4 days flying from there and staying in a hotel. What a way to run an airline!
I may well take you up on writing a letter to your MD. A response would certainly be interesting although i very much doubt he would have the time to write to me. Coincidentally, i am 19 and studying for a BA in Air Transport Management, a fall-back for if i dont make it as a pilot (God Forbid). Im going to remember this Evans guy, and make a mental note of how not to run an airline
.
Regards
Alex