Passengers Should Demand Safety / Training
Having had both an airline and travel agency career, I have often been dismayed by passengers' obsession with the cheapest fare, but lack of concern as to how this translates into their safety and comfort. It should be their priority that Pilots, cabin crew and engineers are highly trained and constantly updated. Engineers should not have to bastardize car parts to (Hopefully) keep aircraft in the air.
To overcome fear of flying, decades of advertising has focused on the "normalness" of flight, as well as its speed. Airlines do not boast about their safety record - the "unsinkable ship" worry. But perhaps it is time responsible carriers considered running thought-provoking campaigns, such as:
"It costs us XXX Millions a year training the crews you put your lives in the hands of. We spent XX last year on maintenance and spare parts. We would rather do this than chop £10 off your fare. Care to join us at 35000 ft?"
If passengers could be persuaded to put (their own) safety ahead of being able to afford an extra trip, it might force those who are trying to push all their training costs off the balance sheet to re-think their business model.