Al
Unfortunately you can still not see common sense and yes, you have criticised staff, you all but named one. By the way, how do you know who he/she was? Most pax wouldnt have a clue.
So far, you have criticised Airport Management and Airport Ground Staff, despite their best efforts. Curiously the same airline cancelled many other flights from around the Country. Criticism here is missing. The airline has done this through operational expediency leaving many upset. Yet none more so than yourself, who actually arrived home with only very minor discomfort and to the airport of your choice, denied to many. I think i'm correct in stating that NO major airport was unaffected by the weather conditions. If your flight had diverted, would you still have blamed LPL? would you have accepted that it was bad airport management or merely bad weather. How would you know. How do you know other airports have closed which could have remained open with more facilities/staff or better management etc. Or would you simply have just put it down to the weather conditions.
I am not in the industry nor was I at any airport during this period. However I am a very regular pax. I also appreciate hard work that (the majority of) staff undertake, and at this time in very adverse conditions in what is a low paid industry. I've no way of knowing, but it appears that the majority if not all of the staff arrived for work despite the conditions. Yet I do know that many in the emergency services were unable to cope. Perhaps that puts a bit more perspective on the situation that airports were experiencing.
You have also not critised Sky, BBC and the weather forecasting system for getting the weather forecast wrong. I appreciate that they are quite often wide of the mark in the Merseyside/Cheshire areas and yesterdays 'light rain' which turned into the areas heaviest snowfall for over 25 years is evidence of this. Again forecasting in this area is not straightforward so it is understandable.
Why can't you give a little and just appreciate the hard work by all concerned. A couple of work colleagues appear to have landed at a similar time to yourself, albeit not on the same flight. They had nothing but praise, despite the shortcomings, hence my own response.
Despite my sarcasm (by the way, sarcasm is not childish, but purile comments could be), the basic tenet remains the same. How much extra are you prepared to pay to provide the services that you demand? I have a feeling that the answer would be nothing. Perhaps there is an axe to grind.
My road was not gritted, but thats the weather. I dont have many local facilities, but then again I'm not prepared to pay for exhortionate rises in council tax. So for the odd inconvenience I can live with it. I am sure that airports undertake a cost/risk analysis of what they provide. I doubt what you want would be palatable to any airport on the cost element alone. Everything in this life can be improved - again how much are you willing to pay for it, particularly for such rare events.
Merry Christmas (or bah humbug if that is your preference)