Day 53 - A Letter to LOT

Dear LOT,

First of all thank you for not being Lufthansa, in this day and age that is certainly a feather in your cap. Well done on that. But pleased don’t get too carried away.

The reason I am writing to you today is due to your failure to facilitate the departure of my flight to Prague on time this evening.

I believe you are celebrating your 85^th anniversary this year so far be it from me to tell you how to operate a flight as you have 85 years more experience than I do. But let me provide you with a checklist for future reference in the hope that the operational reasons you quoted for the late departure don’t happen again.

So here goes, to fly a plane you need –

• ·      a plane
• ·      fuel
• ·      ground staff
• ·      check in people
• ·      a pilot and crew.

Yes that’s right, while you slap your head at the mention of pilot and crew, I’ll sit here wondering how the hell you forgot. I presume the plane flies at the same time everyday, I presume that most nights you staff it, but tonight well it slipped your mind. I mean if it was the snacks or the cleaners I could understand, but the bloody pilot? Really?

I’ve heard announcements in airports asking if there is a doctor available but I’ve never heard one asking if there is anyone who can fly a plane. But there’s a first time for everything I suppose. The staggering man in a lopsided cap who slurred I can, I can fly a plane, along with the bearded, elderly heart-attack-waiting-to-happen who came by minutes later don’t exactly inspire confidence.

So as I say thank you for not being Lufthansa but please remember to staff your planes in the future.

Yours sincerely

Gareth