I found the following very articulate post regarding the staff travel issue on the EJ intranet.
(author's name obviously deleted)
PEOPLE.
We are all wasting our time here. Having carefully read all the comments on this thread my understanding is that all the responsibility for staff travel in easyjet has been completely devolved to a computer.
I can sympathise with this.
The yield mangement computer can deal with staff travel at a very low cost base. It has a simple supply / demand fare structure built into its algorithm.
If I could discuss staff travel with the computer I would. I know I cannot.
I have therefore written a simple letter to the computer in the hope that somehow in binary code it will understand, if someone would be so good enough to translate for me......
Dear Computer,
It's hard to imagine we actually bat for the same side when you fleece me for over 240 euros to fly back from ALC at VERY short notice and I count 9 empty seats on the aeroplane.
I could regail you with my tale of woe but I suspect there are far worse.
I understand we all operate in a very tough environment with thin margins of profit, and I know every penny counts! But I would like to tell you a little bit about something I don't know whether your binary brain will understand - and that is my contract of goodwill with easyjet.
Easyjet is my livelihood (much like you perhaps), I believe in the business model and believe in the business. Perhaps I need to get out more, but there is almost nothing else I would rather be doing than than flying the orange website around for a living.
The contract of goodwill you ask? Here's how it works for me; accommodating crew on a flight that have to position somewhere to save big disruption. No bookings, no staff travel, just a call from crewing at the last minute. On the other hand, a captain prepared to accept me to travel on a last minute load sheet change to position and rescue a stranded aircraft. A Seat booked perhaps, but maybe the report time is only 30 minutes before departure. Perhaps accepting a change to my schedule that falls out side the crewing agreement because it is a time of disruption, or maybe I just feel I want to help eayjet out of a bind?
The contract of goodwill for me is not negotiable, please understand dear computer that I will always hold my end up because for me it is a matter of proffessional integrity as well as company survival.
But understand computer, the priviledge of staff travel is one of the few that we get. To pay through the nose for a flight with good availibilty leaves me wondering whether the contract of goodwill has been left by the wayside by you in a moment of greed.