I had to book a flight yesterday.
There were two options. Ryanair offered better times and a lower (very slightly) price than Easyjet. But Easyjet will fly and I do not know Ryanair will.
I am flying Easyjet. I have confidence in their unionised staff. I do not have confidence that Ryanair have the confidence of their staff.
It was a simple decision. I bought a unionised staff and I won't be the only one doing so.
Ryanair might like to take note.
So might others who copy their employment policies.
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I haven’t flown anywhere for quite a few years, but I found Easyjet a better ‘customer experience’ than Ryanair.
I hadn’t made the unionisation link, but certainly happy staff make for a better (and likely more profitable) company.
Thatcher smashed the unions in the UK. We now have a weak manufacturing sector with low productivity and low wages.
Germany has strong and modern trade unions that work in partnership with employers. They have a strong manufacturing sector with high productivity and high wages.
Not saying it’s the only causal factor but hey. Thatcher got what she wanted I suppose. Low wage economy for most with the financial sector free to do as they please.
I support unionised airlines too. I fly BA, it costs a fortune but at least I know the unions have been well entrenched for a long time and effectively control the airline which gives rise to the higher costs to welcomely pay for them. Budget airlines starting from scratch were able to clamp down on staff perks and salaries from day one in a way flag carriers couldn’t.
Easyjet are filling some of their slots with wet-leased planes from a Latvian-based outfit called SmartLynx.
Their crews, although “offering the same level of service” as Easyjet, are not EJ employees but supplied by SmartLynx, along with the aircraft (hence, I suppose, the unsavoury term “wet leasing”).
Whether or not they are unionised is anyone’s guess, but somehow I doubt it.
The main investors are, I believe, registered in Delaware, that notoriously high-tax jurisdiction. Not.
Having been informed of this change in aircraft and crew, via the small print in an email from EJ, wit no option to change the flight if you don’t like the idea of flying on an ex-Soviet republic non-standard airline, it’s tempting to re-book with BA, and write off the difference.
At least BA tell you before you book, when their flights are provided by Vueling – a budget Spanish airline, who when carrying my son last year, performed a terrifying aborted flight, mid take-off, due to suspected bird-strike, and then crashed the wing tip of the replacement flight, on landing, into a shed alongside the taxiway. This was before losing his girlfriend’s luggage for a week.
Anyway, Bon Voyage and Happy Landings!!
I hear type rated pilots from Eastern Europe are in favour with Ryanair, and willing to work for lower wages.
Some pilots are dissatisfied with the EU about this, Ryanair seem to have bases around Europe.
Some are happy that they can get to European destinations as part of the job.
Shipping has suffered from this kind of practice.
Richard, as a trade unionist I am shamed but lesson learned.
O’Leary’s response about his pilots was straight out of the libertarian text book – claiming that they were just self interested and that they were less important than they actually are. how many times do we see this in business these days – the undermining of worker’s skill and importance to the operation?
Someone should have pointed out to O’Leary that the reason why he has had to cancel flights is because the pilots are not there. So they must be pretty crucial to the operation after all eh!
The situation in America is even worse pilot wise – I’ve heard of pilots being paid less than $22K per year and qualifying for food stamps or/and taking second jobs. Apparently the carriers in the USA take advantage of the fact that pilots love to fly.
The East European influence is very real. My brother is a long distance lorry driver and tells me that hauliers like Willie Betz employ a lot of EE drivers so cheaply that they put two drivers in one cab (sometimes without even a sleeper cab) to keep the lorry on the road back and forth for peanuts.