411A
For all your experience you really have no idea whats happening in Europe right now so to stop you looking stupid it might be an idea to keep your anecdotes and smartass comments to yourself....Its not you that got home 2 hours late last night for a straightforward out and back
ITS SIMPLE......
Spanish ATC are using crews/aircraft/passengers as pawns in their little game of chess with the Spanish Government.
Theres very little point in discussing CTOT's, Levels, speeds operationally ATC in every nation will forever just play the "operational" card and trump whatever reasonable arguement you make....ATC conveniently forget that we've had flexibility regarding levels/CTOT-5+10/Direct routings for TEN YEARS even through the boom times of 2007/2008 when there was much more traffic about.
I got let go from AGP yesterday at CTOT -7, I then had to fly the full departure going 20 odd miles in the wrong direction and subsequently flew over every single waypoint on my flightplan zigzagging my way across the continent.
Now whilst grateful for the early release theres no consistency regarding making certain sectors at certain levels and according to flow regulations. SO the tower guy lets me goes early (Thanks) and when transferred to the guy downstairs make me fly 60 miles out of my way - wheres the efficiency in that?
We got asked to climb on un864 because of opposite direction traffic, I asked for direct mont d'aree if I would he declined so I did as well. I was bloody ashamed afterwards but its getting that stupid.
They're bullying the people that cant fight back, ironically if I thought their action would do any good I'd put up with it, they're wasting our time for no reason