Still on the airline business, Lufthansa chairman, Juergen Weber, disclosed last week that he occasionally disguises himself as a member of aircraft crew in order to keep an eye on passengers and his employees.

"It is part of our philosophy that managers know what's happening down on the front," said Mr Weber who spends about half of his 80-hour working week "talking all around the world with employees and customers to see where weaknesses lie". But Mr Weber said he did not pretend to be just any old steward, but posed as the captain. "I sit on the emergency seat to watch customers," he said.