EasyBleat.jet
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EasyBleat.jet
Good to see Stelios' dad forking out for a full page ad in the Telegraph today!
The gist was an open letter to Gordon Brown whingeing in advance that 'some' airlines might get govt subsidy in these difficult times.
Sits back, pauses & waits for the inevitable nonsense from the Guv...
The gist was an open letter to Gordon Brown whingeing in advance that 'some' airlines might get govt subsidy in these difficult times.
Sits back, pauses & waits for the inevitable nonsense from the Guv...
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overstress,
I read the letter with a certain amount of disbelief. Very typical of a man such as Stellios, to try to capitalise on the death of 6000+ people for his own business purposes - quite amazing. If the government do not help the airlines out at this time in the UK then there are going to be a serious quantity of job losses and not only in the airline industry.
I will think twice before flying EasyJet again and suggest that others should do likewise.
I read the letter with a certain amount of disbelief. Very typical of a man such as Stellios, to try to capitalise on the death of 6000+ people for his own business purposes - quite amazing. If the government do not help the airlines out at this time in the UK then there are going to be a serious quantity of job losses and not only in the airline industry.
I will think twice before flying EasyJet again and suggest that others should do likewise.
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Well, I won't disappoint you then, Overstress! 
Just been listening to Tim Jeans being interviewed by Edwina Currie on Radio 5. Very interesting, but what he forgets is that he's comparing apples with potatoes.
Regional low cost operators have a completely different economic/operational profile than long haul, full service ones - especially those that depend on the transatlantic market for a disproportionate percentage of their revenue.
If the US carriers are getting bailed out, then I'm all for government aid on the same terms for UK/EU airlines.
Enough nonsense?
Just been listening to Tim Jeans being interviewed by Edwina Currie on Radio 5. Very interesting, but what he forgets is that he's comparing apples with potatoes.
Regional low cost operators have a completely different economic/operational profile than long haul, full service ones - especially those that depend on the transatlantic market for a disproportionate percentage of their revenue.
If the US carriers are getting bailed out, then I'm all for government aid on the same terms for UK/EU airlines.
Enough nonsense?
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Not bad, Guv - only 34 mins to reply!! But I am glad that any Govt compensation would have your approval, I'm sure that the Board of BA and the mgt of VS will rest easier tonight!
Flapp: I too felt nauseated by the tone of the whole-page ad - are there no limits to the depths that this man will sink in his quest to state his market position?
Why should Easy be concerned if a long-haul transatlantic operator is in trouble?
Is Stelios hoping that BA go to the wall, so that the pax who would have flown BA First LHR-LAX will change his/her mind and fly EZY LTN-GLA instead?
Stelios is like the kid in the playground who snitches to the teacher when someone steals his lollipop.
Flapp: I too felt nauseated by the tone of the whole-page ad - are there no limits to the depths that this man will sink in his quest to state his market position?
Why should Easy be concerned if a long-haul transatlantic operator is in trouble?
Is Stelios hoping that BA go to the wall, so that the pax who would have flown BA First LHR-LAX will change his/her mind and fly EZY LTN-GLA instead?
Stelios is like the kid in the playground who snitches to the teacher when someone steals his lollipop.
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On a rare visit to the UK I was watching TV at my parents and there was this program about Easy and Luton (I guess UK board members can enlighten us on the name of the said program)..
What I found so enigmatic is that most of the pax were saying "they'd never fly easy again".. I was thinking (brain engages)... does the fat greek think of this as GOOD publicity?
[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: rustbucket732 ]
What I found so enigmatic is that most of the pax were saying "they'd never fly easy again".. I was thinking (brain engages)... does the fat greek think of this as GOOD publicity?
[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: rustbucket732 ]
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However, he has accepted the insurance deal from the Government.
All airlines will become effected by this one way or another sooner or later.
In one form or another all airlines depend on each other. Being smug is not on during times like this, coz the next it could be you.
13 Sept saw EasyJet cancel flights due to the extra security and their planes were running late. I was on the BCN and quite a few paxs rebooked with us to return to the UK. EasyJet can not handle the day to day delays, fog and snow at LTN.
EasyJet has a place in UK aviation but not as a UK major such as a BA, bmi, virgin replacement.
Most people I come across when they find out what I do for a living, all comment on that TV programme. They are all shocked and critical and find it hard to believe how rude and unhelpful the staff are, even if they are contract staff, joe public still see them as EasyJet. Usually ending with I`ll never fly with them. Saying that, he has much free publicity and everyone in the UK knows EasyJet.
Daddy`s wallet may run dry in times like this and as you have cut up your Barclaycard you have lost one form of credit!
[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: euroboy ]
All airlines will become effected by this one way or another sooner or later.
In one form or another all airlines depend on each other. Being smug is not on during times like this, coz the next it could be you.
13 Sept saw EasyJet cancel flights due to the extra security and their planes were running late. I was on the BCN and quite a few paxs rebooked with us to return to the UK. EasyJet can not handle the day to day delays, fog and snow at LTN.
EasyJet has a place in UK aviation but not as a UK major such as a BA, bmi, virgin replacement.
Most people I come across when they find out what I do for a living, all comment on that TV programme. They are all shocked and critical and find it hard to believe how rude and unhelpful the staff are, even if they are contract staff, joe public still see them as EasyJet. Usually ending with I`ll never fly with them. Saying that, he has much free publicity and everyone in the UK knows EasyJet.
Daddy`s wallet may run dry in times like this and as you have cut up your Barclaycard you have lost one form of credit!
[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: euroboy ]
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Its unfortunate that the bigger companys can get away with and be bailed out of BAD Management practices while those smaller companys get f*** -all in aid and yet still show profits after a time of severe avaition turmoil. I say good for easy and the Ryanairs of this world. Survival of the fittest and "clever-est" in these new world and Global enviroments.
Good luck to them all!
Good luck to them all!
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I tend to agree with the majority on this one. All the airlines will be affected by this terrible time, not just the Trans Atlantic carriers. I think that for Stelios or one of his representatives to place such an article/advertisement in the national paper should be treated with the contempt it deserves. Have they no sympathy or understanding. Stelios seems to forget at times that he of all people is probably top of the list for handouts! My deepest sympathy to all those faced with the loss of their jobs.
Oh, and just for interest we are booking some tickets for a business trip at present for which we have the choice of EZY or BA, in light of this we will confirm our booking with BA tomorrow.
Oh, and just for interest we are booking some tickets for a business trip at present for which we have the choice of EZY or BA, in light of this we will confirm our booking with BA tomorrow.
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From today's Sunday Times - seems like everything (no doubt including the US attacks) is the fault of Barclays!
Bank accused of airline dirty tricks
Robert Winnett, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
BARCLAYS bank has been accused of compiling a
dirty-tricks file on Stelios Haji- Ioannou and his easyGroup business empire.
Haji-Ioannou has written to Matthew Barrett, the chief executive of Barclays, asking to see any files it holds on his personal and financial affairs. He has been told the bank was provided with such information by a private detective agency.
The two companies have been involved in a bitter feud over the past two years, after Luton airport, in which a Barclays offshoot until recently owned a large stake, more than
quadrupled the landing fees paid by easyJet.
Tomorrow easyGroup will start a "rip up your Barclaycard" campaign to coincide with the launch of its new credit card.
Haji-Ioannou fears that Barclays may now be playing dirty in the feud to undermine his reputation, and therefore that of his companies. Someone, he says, may be briefing reporters and investment analysts, who make decisions about whether to recommend buying or selling shares in easyJet.
He has already been confronted by paparazzi and been questioned about his sexuality. One reporter asked him if he was gay, while another claimed he was dating Dannii Minogue.
He has also read details about his tax status in newspapers - he lives in Monaco for much of the year and does not technically earn an income, or pay tax, in Britain. Parts of
easyGroup are also registered in Jersey, a tax haven.
Haji-Ioannou banked with Barclays in Monaco, which prompted suspicions - but not evidence - about the source of the information on his private financial affairs.
Further questions have been raised about the safety training procedures for stewards and plans to increase the number of seats on its planes. Many of the allegations have proved
groundless and lawyers have been consulted.
Barclays strenuously denies that it has compiled a file on the founder of easyJet or is behind any of the allegations. Leigh
Bruce, the director of communications at the bank, said: "I find this an extraordinary allegation. We are only interested in
promoting Barclays bank and its products. We respect Stelios and believe he has got an excellent business acumen, but this is a publicity stunt."
The founder of the budget airline, who has diversified into hire cars, financial services and internet cafes, has asked the
bank to disclose any documents it may hold under the terms of the Data Protection Act. Under the law, Barclays has 40 days to reveal any information, both in electronic and paper
files, or else face an investigation from the data protection registrar.
Haji-Ioannou heard about the supposed file via a source. He was told it was compiled at Barclays' request by a firm of private detectives and that it contains details of an involuntary manslaughter charge brought against him by Italian authorities, his tax status, and information about pilot training.
"I have always been very open about myself and my firm. I have been told that Barclays commissioned a security firm to investigate me and I am now asking the bank, formally, to
say whether this is true. I keep an open mind and I await its response," he said.
EasyJet is well known for its aggressive campaigns against other companies. Over the past two years it has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds taking out full-page
newspaper adverts urging people to boycott Barclays. It has also attacked British Airways.
When buying a plane ticket, easyJet adds a "Barclays fat-cat charge" of £4.50 to cover the increased landing fee, which shows up as a separate charge on credit card statements.
Until last March, two investment units of Barclays owned a 65% stake in Luton airport. EasyJet claims that Barclays was behind the decision to increase the landing charge from
£1 to £5.50 this year.
Shortly after introducing the price rise, Barclays sold its Luton stake for £82m - more than five times the £15m it paid in August 1998.
This week Haji-Ioannou will tackle the bank head-on with the launch of a credit card. Its basic rate will be five percentage points cheaper than Barclaycard, the country's most popular credit card. EasyMoney, his latest venture, will also offer loans and other financial products in the coming months.
But Barclays said it was ready to take on all-comers, including easyMoney, and did not need to resort to underhand tactics. "It is a competitive market. We constantly try to improve what we do," said Bruce.
The dirty-tricks allegation comes at a time when Barclays is only just beginning to restore its tattered reputation. Eighteen
months ago it faced a public relations disaster after closing 171 branches on a single day.
It then announced a generous new pay scheme for its top directors, which could see Barrett pick up as much as £30m if performance meets certain criteria before 2003.
Corporate snooping is now big business. Detective agencies are often employed to trawl rubbish bins and call company executives posing as investment analysts to elicit sensitive information. Earlier this month Procter & Gamble agreed to pay Unilever $10m (£6.9m) after admitting it had used an
agency to obtain details of new shampoos from its competitor.
There is no evidence that Barclays used such tactics and Haji-Ioannou is unaware of being targeted in this way.
Robert Winnett, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
BARCLAYS bank has been accused of compiling a
dirty-tricks file on Stelios Haji- Ioannou and his easyGroup business empire.
Haji-Ioannou has written to Matthew Barrett, the chief executive of Barclays, asking to see any files it holds on his personal and financial affairs. He has been told the bank was provided with such information by a private detective agency.
The two companies have been involved in a bitter feud over the past two years, after Luton airport, in which a Barclays offshoot until recently owned a large stake, more than
quadrupled the landing fees paid by easyJet.
Tomorrow easyGroup will start a "rip up your Barclaycard" campaign to coincide with the launch of its new credit card.
Haji-Ioannou fears that Barclays may now be playing dirty in the feud to undermine his reputation, and therefore that of his companies. Someone, he says, may be briefing reporters and investment analysts, who make decisions about whether to recommend buying or selling shares in easyJet.
He has already been confronted by paparazzi and been questioned about his sexuality. One reporter asked him if he was gay, while another claimed he was dating Dannii Minogue.
He has also read details about his tax status in newspapers - he lives in Monaco for much of the year and does not technically earn an income, or pay tax, in Britain. Parts of
easyGroup are also registered in Jersey, a tax haven.
Haji-Ioannou banked with Barclays in Monaco, which prompted suspicions - but not evidence - about the source of the information on his private financial affairs.
Further questions have been raised about the safety training procedures for stewards and plans to increase the number of seats on its planes. Many of the allegations have proved
groundless and lawyers have been consulted.
Barclays strenuously denies that it has compiled a file on the founder of easyJet or is behind any of the allegations. Leigh
Bruce, the director of communications at the bank, said: "I find this an extraordinary allegation. We are only interested in
promoting Barclays bank and its products. We respect Stelios and believe he has got an excellent business acumen, but this is a publicity stunt."
The founder of the budget airline, who has diversified into hire cars, financial services and internet cafes, has asked the
bank to disclose any documents it may hold under the terms of the Data Protection Act. Under the law, Barclays has 40 days to reveal any information, both in electronic and paper
files, or else face an investigation from the data protection registrar.
Haji-Ioannou heard about the supposed file via a source. He was told it was compiled at Barclays' request by a firm of private detectives and that it contains details of an involuntary manslaughter charge brought against him by Italian authorities, his tax status, and information about pilot training.
"I have always been very open about myself and my firm. I have been told that Barclays commissioned a security firm to investigate me and I am now asking the bank, formally, to
say whether this is true. I keep an open mind and I await its response," he said.
EasyJet is well known for its aggressive campaigns against other companies. Over the past two years it has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds taking out full-page
newspaper adverts urging people to boycott Barclays. It has also attacked British Airways.
When buying a plane ticket, easyJet adds a "Barclays fat-cat charge" of £4.50 to cover the increased landing fee, which shows up as a separate charge on credit card statements.
Until last March, two investment units of Barclays owned a 65% stake in Luton airport. EasyJet claims that Barclays was behind the decision to increase the landing charge from
£1 to £5.50 this year.
Shortly after introducing the price rise, Barclays sold its Luton stake for £82m - more than five times the £15m it paid in August 1998.
This week Haji-Ioannou will tackle the bank head-on with the launch of a credit card. Its basic rate will be five percentage points cheaper than Barclaycard, the country's most popular credit card. EasyMoney, his latest venture, will also offer loans and other financial products in the coming months.
But Barclays said it was ready to take on all-comers, including easyMoney, and did not need to resort to underhand tactics. "It is a competitive market. We constantly try to improve what we do," said Bruce.
The dirty-tricks allegation comes at a time when Barclays is only just beginning to restore its tattered reputation. Eighteen
months ago it faced a public relations disaster after closing 171 branches on a single day.
It then announced a generous new pay scheme for its top directors, which could see Barrett pick up as much as £30m if performance meets certain criteria before 2003.
Corporate snooping is now big business. Detective agencies are often employed to trawl rubbish bins and call company executives posing as investment analysts to elicit sensitive information. Earlier this month Procter & Gamble agreed to pay Unilever $10m (£6.9m) after admitting it had used an
agency to obtain details of new shampoos from its competitor.
There is no evidence that Barclays used such tactics and Haji-Ioannou is unaware of being targeted in this way.
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No doubt about it Mr Easyjet has done a great job in building his airline - but why does he have to go banging on and on and on about BA - he hasnt done that badly out of the UK market - and if he is that good why doesnt he go off to Greece and show us how good he really is by opening up that market to a low cost operation or is it that he can only do well in an open market like the UK?
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Pretty childish behaviour by Stelios (and somewhat risky) - to launch an actual dirty tricks campaign in response to a rumoured one by Barclays, and indulge in general petulance because of dissatisfaction with charges at Luton.
I think my reputation would survive the rumour that I was dating Dannii Minogue though!
[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: Sick ]
Pretty childish behaviour by Stelios (and somewhat risky) - to launch an actual dirty tricks campaign in response to a rumoured one by Barclays, and indulge in general petulance because of dissatisfaction with charges at Luton.
I think my reputation would survive the rumour that I was dating Dannii Minogue though!
[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: Sick ]
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Northern Boy, I can say I feel dreadfull about anybody who's job is under threat from all this business - not just flight deck either, but the other 90% affected too.
There is no 'safe' job in aviation right this minute, but I just think it's a bit despicable the way some of the players have decided to operate with no anasthetic on a wound that's probably been festering for a while now.
And yes, Stelios' campaign probably could have been handled a little differently.....
There is no 'safe' job in aviation right this minute, but I just think it's a bit despicable the way some of the players have decided to operate with no anasthetic on a wound that's probably been festering for a while now.
And yes, Stelios' campaign probably could have been handled a little differently.....
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Dirty Harry , off on a "business" trip with BA are we? In other words , you're not paying for the ticket yourself , someone else is. You're adding (not) to shareholder value for your Company by paying more for the ticket than if you flew with easyJet unlike many businessmen who are waking up to the fact that they're being ripped off.
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and funding the coffers of an australian with bank accounts everywhere bar the UK.
Who is merely trying to capitalise from the present market. Lets face it, whatever you say about stelios, Edddington and co were axing thousands of jobs and calling for govt aid before the aerial from the top of the WTC had hit the ground.
Who is merely trying to capitalise from the present market. Lets face it, whatever you say about stelios, Edddington and co were axing thousands of jobs and calling for govt aid before the aerial from the top of the WTC had hit the ground.