...offloading passengers like this at the last minute surely has to say a lot about the professionalism of those at Virgin.
I think taking them says more... Maybe there were other options, maybe they identified that they didn't have a better overall outcome than removing two people. We don't know the outcome for these two people either.
As for last minute changes, I have been in the flight deck at the gate in BNE, not far from push back, as weather changes have been applied to SYD and we needed to call the refueller back to cover a TEMPO that had been upgraded from INTER. Do we pretend we didn't see it before dispatch? Our airline (like most I have no doubt) relly on the pilots containing costs at our end by managing fuel for a flight between what is LEGALLY required and that which is REASONABLY required. I would argue that Min Fuel to SYD (or DPS for that matter!) is not reasonable when experience tells you that there is any number of possabilities that will require you to have more - RWY change, TFC holding, speed control etc...
This descision of a fuel figure and ballancing of factors is all far from the awareness of most in the 60 to 40 minutes prior to push back (as it should be), and largely irrelevant in terms of effects on passenger uplift - EXCEPT when the flight is limiting. BNE - SYD in the 737 will never be (short of if there were FG all over the east coast maybe), but MEL/SYD/BNE/ADL - DPS and PER-HKT in the 737 often is. No question, the 737 is not ideal for these routes everyday of the week. The plannng departments try to be proactive by capping the flight with a reduced total passenger load from the outset based on anticipated fuel requirements, but with any late deteriorations in the WX requirements, when using this aircraft on this route, sometimes there are no alternatives when it comes down to kilograms at the final stages.
As to these two passengers, were they taken off and put straight onto another carrier? Where they compensated with $100's of dollars and free flights? Where they accomodated in hotels at no cost? Who knows, but these are common recovery techniques.
Was it necessarily better to send the flight with those 2 passangers but without 10 passegers luggage instead? Should they have offloaded the catering? No potable water to flush the toilets? Pick which headline you would rather read really...
I would have done the same thing as these two pilots.
Offloading passengers who have paid money to be sitting on your aircraft is naturally no fun, and doing so comes with a full awareness of what the implifications are for the passengers - be it Easter or not.
However making measured and timely descisions and operating within a myriad of legal, commercial and practical guidelines is what the job is all about. Day in, day out.
-Bring on the A330's!
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