Madam, - Chris John's London Briefing (Irish Times, June 30th) highlights Aer Lingus over-booking policy, and the calamitous mess that is the BAA monopoly-owned Heathrow Airport.
Ryanair has a policy of not over-booking any of its flights, so if you've paid Ryanair for the seat, the seat is yours.
London's three main airports (Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick) were privatised as an anti-competitive BAA monopoly. Privatisation is not the cause of what Chris Johns describes as "Heathrow gridlock", but a lack of competition is. The Aer Rianta monopoly is testament to this - third-world, third-rate facilities at Aer Rianta's Dublin airport - where no competition or choice currently exists. - Yours, etc.,
PAUL FITZSIMMONS, Head of Communications, Ryanair, Dublin Airport.