I am not privy to any contracts between airlines and handling agents but surely in them, there must be reference to a snow/deicing plan. In that contract there must be minimum service levels agreed and Im sure that no one would have agreed to the shambles we saw yesterday as being any sort of standard.
Cutting to the bone with a hope that nothing unusual happens may work most of the time but unless there is a change in this bargain basement mentality then this will occur again and again.
Bad service and poor
PR is bad enough but what worries me is that such a flight safety critical procedure (deicing) can be pruned so bare. Its only a matter of time before people are going to get hurt. This isnt just penny pinching its a breakdown of a safety management system. And that involves everyone.