Hand Solo:
I apologise for taking so long to respond to your last reply but I have been away for a week.
GSS: You and I are in total agreement on this subject. There is no doubt in my mind that BA freight should be moved by BA crews in BA aircraft. I absolutely abhor the practice of flagging-out.
Sadly, now that the GSS aircraft are G-registered and operating on a UK AOC, I feel that you have as much chance of changing the situation as you would have in trying to push butter up a badger's a**sehole with a red hot needle.
I simply cannot understand why the combined might of the BACC and BALPA were incapable of stopping this unfortunate situation when the thing was still N-registered.
It must also be quite galling to you to see your ex-BA mates bury their ideals (if they ever had any) and go to work for such an organisation.
At least the rest of us out here can rest assured that your own high morals would never allow YOU to work for the likes of GSS and that we can be confident in the thought that you will retire from BA at the age of 55 and live happily on your pension in the countryside.
Ryanair: I realise that this subject is off-topic but you did ask me how I was getting on. Since last we spoke, I have had one Ryanair experience and it was not a particularly happy one. The flight left 90 minutes late due "late inbound which previously was delayed by fog in Germany". No doubt Ryanair's propensity to operate from non-CatII/III airfields had something to do with it. Fortunately, the delay didn't matter to me.
When the flight did happen it was good. The aircraft was a 738 and it was around 2/3rds full, clean and quite comfortable. On arrival, the baggage appeared promptly.
I counted 14 "suits" (potential business class punters) on the flight.
GO: Once again, I have since had one GO experience. The flight was full and pushed back on schedule. Sadly this promising start was not to last.
Within minutes of PRGU the two comedians in the front had changed the climate pertaining in the cabin from comfortable to that of Bahrain in the summer. It really was bad.
Layers of clothing were being shed all round, overhead punkah louvres were being opened to no effect and the ladies were frantically fanning themselves with safety cards.
I saw the senior girl make two calls to the flightdeck and finally she strode into the flightdeck to have a confrontation.
I could not help thinking that the Junior F/O's (for as such was he described by his boss on the PA) experience of climatic matters probably consisted of studying diagrams of air-conditioning packs and temperature controls in ground school.
If the young man in question was actually flying the aeroplane at the time and the guy in the left seat was responsible, then I apologise profusely. In which case, the man in the left seat has not had his hands on the controls on the other side of the cockpit for a very long time.
It could not have been a runaway pack for there was no evidence of the dreaded gray smoke.
On the credit side, I was totally mesmerised by the lovely young creature on the other side of the aisle. I have never witnessed so many layers of clothing being shed. Sadly, she stopped before it got really interesting or indecent.
Normality was restored after 20 minutes. The flight arrived on time and baggage delivery was prompt.
I was unable to count the "suits" for everyone was in a state of undress but I guess that they were between 15 and 20 (which you may well get back after this experience)!
Business Class: I have a slight feeling that you regard me as someone who seldom travels in business class. This is not so.
For example; I have travelled business class (return) across the pond 5 times in the last 2 years. One of those journeys was made on BA (744 westbound and 777 eastbound - I found the 744 sector more comfortable). The other 4 journeys were made on European carriers.
The service on all flights was pretty good and there was very little to choose between them. If pressed, I would have to say that the best experience I had was with the late-lamented Such A Bloody Experience Never Again - the service was excellent.
If I have to travel a long way I shall continue to insist upon business class but, despite the last two experiences with Ryan and GO, I relly don't think I would have done any better with the likes of BA in business class for relatively short flights.
This is the market that you have to try to recapture or get out of completely.