Originally Posted by
Nick NOTOC
Beware the FR influence on safety throughout the EU region.
I call upon all pilots in the EU to join in the efforts of Aer Lingus crew and buy stock, so we may prevent the MOL virus from growing beyond it's own.
FR are cheap and nasty, and I always try to fly with another airline if it is roughly the same price. Yes the service is really, really poor, and there is no back up, but if you are anyway savvy you will have a plan B. But EI can learn some lessons from FR, and visce-versa. I dont buy the notion that the two brands cant live on doing what they do now, EI is very, very good at what it does(premium traffic) and FR is exceptional at what it does(not so premium traffic!). There are bound to be synergies which could be called into play if the two companies were to merge, Call Centres, Ground Services, Cleaning, Catering, etc.
Now whatever about their service I dont see how you can call FRs safety into question, I personally fell quite sadisified that I am safe on a FR aircraft, which is more than can be said for some rivals. FR have a fleet of over 100 738s flying around Europe, and while some of them may be a bit tatty, I know that the one area where MOL will never cut corners is safety. On short european flights price and safety are my primary concern, as is the case with most travellers.
There has been a lot of hysteria about the EI takeover, and most of it is typical SIPTU rubbish. At least MOL has a vision for EI , and is buying the shares with a long term plan in mind. If the employees manage to accumilate enough shares to block the FR takeover who do they think will win? As much as it would kill me to see it, I fear there would be a line of green A320s parked at DUB. If the pilots have a long term plan lets see it. A virus MOL may be, but like all good viruses he can adapt to changing condtions, and thrive. I thought the oppertunity for DUB to be a world leading hub had passed, but with a heritage like EIs and the vision of MOL DUB can still be a winner.
Originally Posted by
Leo Hairy-Camel
Not with a fleet of a few, ancient and brutally thirsty Airbus 330’s, but with 50, 100, even 200 brand new, state of the art, environmentally friendly 777’s or 787’s.
Certainly there are a few who would stand in the way of a properly run Aer Lingus, but between their desire and the fulfilment of it falls the shadow: the shadow of incompetence and self-interest. Nowhere is this more on show than with SIPTU and IALPA.
Brutally thirsty A330? Leo please I know you are a Boeing driver, but let us not forget that the A330 PULVERISED the 764ER in the sales stakes, and I believe that the 333 has a very attractive CASM. That is until the 787 comes along! And the EI 330s are hardly, as you put it "ancient" either. If I remember correctly FR really did have some ancient airframes for many a year....the 732? Or have we forgotten those?
Apart from some very MOL/FR type language I have to agree with Leo on most points he makes. Short haul has been changed byond all recognition, and those of you who think long haul wont change similarly should think again. Travel is no longer a luxury for the rich and famous. Its a commodiy. The times are a changing, lets embrace change and not let ourselves get taken over by blind emotion and resistance for the sake of resistance. For far too long Ireland, DUB/SNN/ORK and other regional airports have been ruined by the rot that is Government interference and neglect, and the unions are more than happy to play along with this. Lets not let it happen yet again, just like FR has 'stuck it to them" in Europe, EI now has the oppertunity to do the same on a worldwide scale.