East Coast franchise...

[rob237]

"A witty reader (he's not sent his name, fearing legal reprisals) sends in a wonderful fantasy in which Michael O'Leary of Ryanair buys our East Coast railway and runs it like his airline. The ticket prices will look like amazing bargains, say London to Edinburgh for £1."

"But these principles will apply: fee of £5 for internet booking, £5 for timetable inquiries, £5 for credit card payments, £20 for clicking the OK – pay button, admission charge to station, charge for compulsory on-board ticket inspection, £5 alighting fee, £10 penalty for not pre-ordering £5 alighting fee, and that's before we've started on the baggage charges and the £10 for those mini-carrier bags from the buffet if you want to get back to your seat (£7.50 compulsory reservation charge) without spilling coffee all over you. The company dismissed the £1 blowing-your-own-nose fee as pure speculation."

Simon Hoggart, The Guardian.

[Mickey]

Deleted

[JeffB]

There is a picture on the internet somewhere of a 91 and train done in Ryanair colours standing in Doncaster. Perhaps a sign of things to come. I will try and find it again.

JB

[Multiprinter]

Did you forget the bit that although you catch a train advertised to go to Edinburgh, you will actually be deposited at Holyhead and left to find your own way from there.

[giner]

^ LOL. That reminds me of a prominent poster in Leicester Square many years ago when the Concorde started London-New York flights. The slogan read: Breakfast in London, Lunch in New York. To which some wag had added: Baggage in Bangkok.

[52D]

giner in my experience you were most likrly to lose your luggage with KLM. still they were always good for a hundred dollars till your luggage caught you up.