Last week I had to go to the UK. As some of you know, I loathe and detest Ryanair. The last time I tried to fly with them they annoyed me so much so I decided not to get on the plane. Instead, I bought a whole new ticket on Aer Lingus, taking me to the new Southend Airport (really lovely and so efficient), which was out of my way but it was a matter of principle.
After that experience I decided I would never fly with Ryanair again, no matter what. It came as a huge relief. I never have to get anxious again as I approach the airport, wondering what they might object to this time. I understand all their rules but what bothers me is that they implement them randomly. I went to the UK overnight once, with a carry on, which was perfectly fine on the way out but was objected to on the way back and I had to pay to put it in the hold.
Anyway, enough about Ryanair, or Ryan Devil Air, as my sister calls it.
All this meant I needed to find an alternative. I fly often to the UK to see my aunt who lives in Bedford, so Ryanair was the obvious choice as they fly into Luton. I looked at Aer Lingus and decided to fly to Gatwick and take the direct train to Bedford. While this costs me a bit extra to fly and I have to pay more for the train and it takes a lot longer, my relief at not having to fly with Ryanair overwhelmed any qualms I had about the added expense.
This last trip served to convince me, if I wasn't already, that my choice was correct.
I happened to sit beside a young man who turned out to be a pilot with Aer Lingus. His name is Keith Holland and he's 24. We got talking and I told him about why I love Aer Lingus:
The staff are always friendly
You can carry a small piece of luggage AND a handbag on board.
The seats are wider
The seatbelts are longer
They don't blare the loudspeakers trying to sell you stuff all the time
The colours are soothing
They don't toot their horns to tell you how wonderful they are when you land
They don't land like darts out of the sky
Etc.
He was really pleased I felt the way I did and told me that he had wanted to be a pilot since he was four when his uncle, who worked for Qantas, showed him around a 747. He went through his pilot training in southern Spain and then applied for jobs all over the place. Ryanair offered him a job but, luckily, before he accepted he went to see Aer Lingus and got through all the rounds of interviews and they offered him a job. Talk about being lucky!
What I loved about talking to Keith was his enthusiasm for not only his job but the company. He sang the praises of the CEO, Christoph Mueller, who he said had brought really good changes to the company, creating, for example, a five year plan. He also spends time with the staff on the ground, listening to them and also finding out what he needs to know to do his job. I was delighted to hear this because I believe that the way staff on the ground level behave is everything to do with how the people at the top behave. The trickle down principle.
As well as that, it was lovely to meet someone who absolutely adores his job. He said he is never tired of going to work, looks forward to getting up at the crack of dawn and enjoys every moment of it.
I had a moment of envy that he knew since he was four that this was what he wanted to do and he managed to make it happen. I wished I had been that focused so young. It was inspiring to see his joy and enthusiasm and I expect he will continue on to a great career as a pilot.
