Standbyils, don't be confused. Let us be frank.
While Aer Lingus pilots offered to work 1 month for free Aer Lingus management were scurrying around in the dark with Astraus planning a Union bust.
Astraues despite your protestations is a bottom feeder, we know it and you know it. Can't get a job anywhere else pay to join astraus and after paying for your type rating you can pay to log real flight hours on the line like a real airline pilot.
Astreaus are responsible for line operations and ops control on their flights. So not only are Astreuas crews CAT 1 only but their ops support staff can't read a TAF. If they can read a TAF then either 1. Astreus ops dispatched the aircraft hoping the WX would improve and the met men got it wrong or 2 they hoped their crew would push/bend a bit and get in. either way its either incompetence or cavalier.
The crews know well what they are up to. I empathize but they are still making choices. Its a long game and there are surprisingly few players.