Long time listener, first time caller.
I think perhaps that an update's required in the "Breaking News":
History of Astraeus Airlines
Or have I missed something?
Many early posts on this thread seemed to big-up the AEU operation and especially its expansion - albeit at the expense of EI's own crews. Indeed, one poster in particular seems to champion the latter issue without shame whilst, at the same time asserting that AEU's pilots have a right to jobs. Call me old fashioned, but don't the people that hold those jobs already have first dibs on them?
Also, correspondents pleading in mitigation that AEU weren't the only show in town when it came to bidding for the AL contract merits a rethink. It says only one thing - AEU were the lowest bidders.
I can only assume that the EI crews that stand to be unemployed (effectively facing the same unemployment that AEU's have managed to avoid through their Company's "cuckoo" approach to creating job opportunities) are all single, have no debts and would actually welcome the opportunity to put their feet up - maybe watch a bit of daytime TV like Jeremy Kyle's show (if they can receive it in the South?). Maybe they could even appear on it only instead of "My father's my brother and we live with my sister-mother" as a topic for discussion, they could have "I forgave them for stealing my job - I realise it was market forces wot dunnit"
Finally - back to Astraeus' own website - can we expect to see a glowing testimonial from Aer Lingus' Management in due course? That begs a question: Was it a "Thanks, let's do lunch sometime - call my secretary" departure? Or was it a Sir Alan Sugar/Apprentice farewell?
Astraeus Airlines Testimonials