Sorry guys - I simply do not buy this. ROBMEDIUM, your views might go down well at a political rally of the disenfranchised, but do not really stand up to examination. A cursory glance at our share price today (which, incidentally has risen 60% in one year) will tell you that on the basis of the news that we are about to start allocated seating, has risen 14p. Love us or hate us, we are doing very well indeed - and long may that continue. Your tales of doom and disaster are frankly misplaced. People working on permanent contracts for easyJet are some of the most privileged people in the airline industry and if we were to open the doors to recruitment tomorrow, we would be swamped with applicants. As I have said many times, there are few better places to be other than a legacy carrier right now. We have job security and work for a company with a bright future and which has never failed to make a profit. We are about to announce the biggest ever profit in our history - dare I say we seem to be doing ok? The real glitch lies in the fact that we have many pilots on the shameful flexicrew contracts - and that is where tomorrow's battle lies.
Doug the Head - a very interesting argument, but I have to say somewhat vacuous. You are someone who loathes and despises every aspect of easyJet but cannot seem to name a single airline who would be better to work for, other than a legacy carrier. What your argument of declining condition fails to consider is that there are countless more jet jobs available today than existed 20 years ago - that is a direct result of the inroads made by the low cost carriers like ourselves. Furthermore, to say that the root of the problem lies in the over-supply of pilots is simply to pass the blame - what on earth can anyone do about the fact that many more people want to fly commercial aircraft than there are jobs to give them? That is not easyJet's fault, or indeed anyone other than the people who want to pursue a career in flying (as we all once did). What I have consistently observed is a total unwillingness by you and others like you to actually do anything to sort the problem out other than wring your hands like Private Fraser and announce, 'We're all doomed'. Your references to senior training captains would presumably include people like myself - you have no idea the efforts being made behind the scenes to try and sort out the mess we currently have. I have said all along that all BALPA have to do over flexicrew is send me the strike ballot and I will be there - that is yet to happen, although I dare to believe it will do very shortly. There are countless senior pilots at easyJet who have argued consistently with every single member of senior management they meet over the flexicrew issue, and the time has now come for action. Will you actually put your head above the parapet to do something when the time comes? That is the question Doug, so before you criticise everyone else, make sure you are willing to be there when push comes to shove. I can promise you I will be there alongside you if you are willing to step up to the plate beyond this forum.