Moncao - 7:48 am on Nov 15, 2007 (gmt 0)

"It's about time we get something back for our patience with Strassbourg."

You mean past enjoying the highest level of human rights in the world (within the EU), the absense of conditions for WW3 (GWB may change that by taking the location somewhere else of course), extra profit from open borders, not having to take the crumbs from someone else's table (ask the Dutch about that one after they were humiliated by the US after WW2), the chance to live and work where you want (within the EU), the ending of certain price hikes (how many Britis enjoy wine they buy in France?), etc., etc. Sure large organizations like the EU generate extra beaurocracy early on plus there are tons of crooks in the market that need to be slapped down, but it is slowly happening. I agree that there needs to be better clarity and even honesty amongst the air carriers, but that applies to other business too (take hotel wholesalers who state service charges are included yet not a penny ends up with the hotel staff as they are legall and morally entitled because what the agent is actually offering is the Net rate). And I will take a flight on a cheap no frills airline in the EU but not dream of doing the same in Asia; that is thanks to the EU Aviation Safety Commision. God bless the EU; I'd take a generic EU passport if it existed over a national one any day.