Some great comments, thoughts and examinations above.
One of the problems we face is that while professionalism and expereince costs money, that can only add to the ticket price to the end user and of course when faced with standing up for what is right or moral, or a cheap ticket for a stag weekend in an ex-eastern block country, the cheap ticket price will win out.
it is of course rather ironic that the cheap tickets are not such ceap tickets, yes they may be being sold for 9.99 (plus additional costs of course) but then there are subsidies being granted for three times that per ticket from the EU. (google: Ryanair Subsidies)
So that cheap ticket is not so cheap after all...
Of course I don't begrudge the likes of MOL for what he has done and is doing, all he is doing is playing the game by what is available. And of course once one carrier charges rock bottom prices, the rest have to cut everything to the bone to compete to retain, let alone gain market share.
We have many associations spread across europe that fight little fights for their subscriber base, BALPA being one of them, but each one individually has neither the resources, the size, or in some case the cajohnes or the money to fight sprawling EU insanity and inanity, and some associations will fight against each other where interests conflict.
like for example the situation where EU nations are starting to reign in the contractor situations and tax tourism. it's not because they give a flying fig for the contractors quality of life, its because now, the financial feces has hit the fan, they need to scrape in every penny they can.
Lets take the UK for example, in dealing with avaition matters that have ramification in the industry it could fall to the department of trade, the DOT or the DWP etc ..
we have no one single body of note that represents this industry to government. we can mention bob crowe all we like, but the reality is, the group he represents is a major contributor to the labour party.. he represents the party's paymasters, so policy and political influence will be driven forward to where they want.
Unfortunately until this industry is recognised for the large contributing part it plays to the national economy, trade, industry and so on, it will continually be overlooked and those who work in it face decreasing T&C's because its worth and value are neither recognised nor savagely fought for.