Paging C152T!

[auld argonian]

Airline pays customers to fly
April 1, 2008 - 8:37AM
Source: ABC
Flybe has given the term low-fare airline an entirely new meaning: it is paying 172 people to fly back and forth across England and the Irish Sea to help it meet a target for passenger numbers at Norwich airport.

Flybe was narrowly falling short of a target to deliver at least 15,000 passengers on the Dublin-Norwich route in the 12 months ending on Monday, which meant it would have to forego a 280,000 pound ($608,000) rebate from the airport.

After the airport rejected a request for a partial rebate for almost hitting the target, Flybe hired 172 temps for 30-40 pounds each, plus a free bar and in-flight entertainment, though it admitted "it probably sounds like an early April fool".

But Richard Jenner, managing director of the airport in eastern England, called the British carrier's move "ludicrous" and said the target had to be met by regular fare-paying passengers.

"The ludicrousness is on the Norwich side who in essence have tried to hold us to ransom, putting at risk routes into Norwich," Flybe chief commercial officer Mike Rutter replied in a joint interview with Jenner on Irish public broadcaster RTE.

-Reuters


....now if there's any justice in this world, our Kilted Guy In The Sky, C152T, ought to get one of these slots!

Best

AA

[cacunn]

It sound like the old form over substance ploy. I've seen it many time as a US Government employee. You asked for 15,000 passenger we will give you 15,000 passengers - what do you mean they have to be alive, the undertaker didn't mind us borrowing them for the weekend.

[cessna152towser]

Yes, I saw this on our news today, it seems they paid actors to fly back and forth between Norwich and Dublin, also they flew some of their own staff from Exeter to Norwich and then from Norwich to Dublin but someone in the airport got suspicious recognising the same people getting on and off all the flights. Oh well I missed out on this one but can't complain after getting a Newcastle to Dublin return for £0.02p (four cents) last year!

[Dirk Skene]

Yes, I saw this on our news today, it seems they paid actors to fly back and forth between Norwich and Dublin, also they flew some of their own staff from Exeter to Norwich and then from Norwich to Dublin but someone in the airport got suspicious recognising the same people getting on and off all the flights. Oh well I missed out on this one but can't complain after getting a Newcastle to Dublin return for £0.02p (four cents) last year!

Now THAT is ludicrous.

[Rampant Lion]

Ummm. April Fools story?