Would $60, free drinks and movies convince you to ride one of these planes? (Flybe jet)

Flybe, a low-fare airline in Europe, is facing tough times meeting its passenger targets. They needed to deliver at least 15,000 passengers on a Dublin-Norwich route over the course of a year to receive a 280,000 pound ($550,000) rebate. Short by almost 200, the airline paid 172 “temps” 30-40 pounds (about $60) and gave them a free bar and in-flight entertainment to meet the goal. But it seems like they won’t be getting that rebate anyways…

Richard Jenner, the “managing director” of the English airport called Flybe’s actions “ludicrous” and stated that the target could only be met by regular fare-paying passengers. If Flybe’s paid passengers don’t count, they won’t just be out the thousands paid to these passengers, but the over half-million rebate they were trying to get!

Flybe Chief Commercial Officer stated that “the ludicrousness is on the Norwich side who in essence have tried to hold us to ransom, putting at risk routes into Norwich.” Flybe admitted that “”it probably sounds like an early April fool,” but is adamant that the temps should count.

What do you guys think? Do you care? Personally, I’d love to be paid to fly, though with the cramped seats on most budget airlines they’d have to pay me a pretty penny. Pretty desperate move by the airline. We would have loved to see how they hired the temps though. Did they publish in a local newspaper? Did people have to interview for the “position”?

[MSNBC News]

• Hoax: Derrie-Air, the airline that charges by the pound