Sir, - I wish to strongly protest at my experience on a recent Dublin to Brussels trip. I was asked to be the Irish voice at a European session meeting, and this meant flying out on a 7.00 a.m. flight for an all-day session and then coming back in the evening. The cheapest flight was £565. This exorbitant cost was a standard fare and not business class. Breakfast consisted of some orange juice, two greasy sausages, a bit of black pudding, with a rasher and a roll. There was no menu choice. Most people nowadays don't take a fried breakfast and being faced with a greasy fry first thing in the morning is to my mind not reasonable today. On the way back the food was abysmal and I noted that the majority of people didn't eat it at all.
This flight is a combined Aer Lingus flight with Sabena. It is the only flight out in the morning to Brussels airport and I was left with no choice. While I was in the ordinary standard fare area, three quarters of the flight was business class and the entire flight was full.
Aer Lingus and Sabena are running a closed cartel, sharing planes at exorbitant seat prices. It is ironic that this poor value, closed cartel is operating into Brussels which is supposed to oversee open and fair competition in air travel so that prices can be brought down and thus generate more commerce. I think Irish business and national interests are being hindered by this cartel and its high prices. I feel this cannot and should not be tolerated any longer by either the Irish Government or Brussels. - Yours, etc., (Dr) J. Bernard Walsh
Consultant Physician, St James's Hospital, James's Street, Dublin 8.