Pull the Other One

BBC executives would be unable to do their jobs if they were not allowed to fly business class, Alan Yentob, one of the corporation’s most senior directors has said.


The "creative" (and just what does he create?  Nowt much "creative on the Beeb nowadays, is there?) director, defended his claim for a business-class flight that cost licence fee payers £3 381, and said that bodies that review the BBC’s spending were stifling the corporation’s independence and creativity.

“I have been 40 years at the BBC and done quite a lot. I am quite a senior figure at the organisation. When I went to New York, immediately that I arrived I went to give a talk to an organisation. I was then filming in the afternoon. I then returned within about 24 hours to London to work straight away.

Now do you think I should have travelled economy to do that? Because I wouldn’t have been capable of doing the job. I am not quite capable of doing all those things at once.”

Aside from the not-so-creative, repeated use of "quite" (perhaps he was jet lagged?) and his general vagueness, I'm sure I could have given an outstanding interview if I had managed my time better.  How about I arranged my economy flight a day before hand and then took a reasonable room for the night to catch up on sleep before giving the interview?

That would have saved say, two and a half grand?

And as to feeling unable to go back to work on his return, what's wrong with delegating his work load if he's not so sharp after eight hours in the air?  It doesn't stack up, for me.  More at TTimes.