When you look at what the passenger is subjected to on a modern flight, you start to have a better understanding of the situation. They are lured onto the flight by a low advertised fare, only to find that they have to pay extra for airport passenger duty, for fuel surcharges, for using their credit card, for checking in, for checking their baggage, for a choice of seat and for a pre booked meal. Once they have braved and endured the security gestapo, there's a mad rush to the aircraft to get a good seat (if they haven't booked one) and now they are in a cramped, noisy unpleasant environment decked out in bright colours and have to suffer a constant barrage of PAs telling them to buy the duty free and scratchcards. And if they didn't book the pre ordered meal, they have to pay through the nose for disgusting pap from the pay as you dine service. Couple this with the fact that they no longer have respect for authority, that they know their rights, have been told by the airline's CEO (who hates his staff) that the pilots flying his aircraft are just overpaid underworked glorified bus drivers, have a high sugar and additive diet and also have just rushed to the aircraft from the overpriced bar, it's hardly suprising that there are going to be tensions on board.
I left the UK some time ago and my memories of flying the British holiday maker are mostly a distant memory. However, in the last two years I had reminders while on visit when I took low cost flight and an IT flight. I was suprised at the behaviour of some of my fellow passengers. Most of them were from the shallow end of the gene pool and it wasn't pleasant being crammed into a 28" seat pitch environment with them. I now work in Asia and my passengers are very well behaved in comparison. We do have incidents, they are very rare. In the last seven years, I have only had to offload one passenger - he was an American.
Last edited by Dan Winterland; 25th Feb 2012 at 02:51.