Wacky,
A totally unfair post, there are plenty of experienced crews at flybe.
As remoak says, when the Q400 first started operating to Bergamo a route across the Alps was worked out which was perfectly safe and avoided Mont Blanc,and was used for all Q400 ops into Northen Italy. This was done by the previous fleet manager (who was an extremely experienced ex RAF pilot) with a little help from his training department, and agreed by the then FOI who was another extremely experienced ex RAF pilot among other things. Last time I looked the briefing for this was still included in the ops manual (part C) and the drift down information was available in the ops manual (part B).
Unfortunately, the current fleet manager (who it should be noted is ex bacon), and the current FOI (who is ex Brymon but I think he left before bacon happened) have now decreed that it is safe to route over the top of Mont Blanc. Plenty of Flybe crews are aware of this problem, and are also aware of the drift down capabilities of the Q400 as they have been flying it for a long time. Perhaps it is their experience in operating the aircraft over the Alps which allows them to do so, as they are aware that if you are over the top of Mont Blanc you cover a sufficient distance during the drift down to be clear of the significant high ground, and with knowledge of the previously published information you can make a safe decision, based on weather and wind speed/direction, as to whether you continue in the direction you were going or turn back North or South.
If the information is no longer included in the manuals then that is almost certainly due to the current fleet manager, who as we all know is ex Bacon, having been slotted into the job above several highly experienced Flybe pilots who applied for the post internally and weren't even considered in the final selection (and I wasn't one of them, by the way).
The other thing to remember in the Q400 v E145 over the Alps debate is that if you are operating into Milan, Bergamo, Turin or any of the other destinations in Northern Italy that flybe operate to you are going to be either climbing or descending over the mountains anyway, so for a lot of the time you will be avoiding weather in any aircraft.
Remoak - as an aside the drop down oxygen only increases the aircraft max operating altitude to 27,000 ft, as a result of which no operators ordered it and I was informed (but could be wrong) that Bombardier withdrew it as an option. The steep approach mod would really only be required for LCY operations which flybe decided not to continue, hence only a few aircraft were delivered to flybe with it fitted, and if you see one it will be placarded as inoperative (or used to be).