but to have a cheap shot at a profession and the professionals within this profession...well the public are not stupid, far from it, and they will not fly with an airline where the CEO is coming up with this crap.
I disagree. Whether we call them stupid or otherwise, the public have proven to date that they will fly with Ryanair simply because (on the face of it at least, until you get to the end of the purchasing process) it is cheap to do so. The guy at the top knows that, and has based his entire model on this theory, largely successfully, if woefully inadequate in the professionalism in the press department. However we all know that the snide comments, whilst they make him look even cheaper than he really is, are simply a publicity machine's engine purring on all cylinders. Call it what you like, it works, and they make millions at it. Sad indictment on today's traveller, but can he really be blamed for the fact that he pandas to the whim of his customer, more News of the World than FT?