Sounds like we have some real customer service oriented crews in here... I know we all take great pride in the fact that we drive big pieces of metal really fast at 38,000 feet but the reality is this is still a market driven job driven by CUSTOMERS. The pilots and flight attendants should be doing everything they can to accommodate those passengers to the best of their abilities, not just enough to keep your job. Put yourself into the passenger's shoes. 100 people would not have protested like that if they had been properly notified and made aware that there was nothing the crew could do. It was Ryanair after all. Is it unfair of me to presume the customer service was likely less than satisfactory? My company circulates letters all the time sent by passengers on terrible flights that were made comfortable by the professionalism and helpfulness of the crews involved. You are a pilot when the plane is in the air and a customer service rep when it's on the ground. If you don't believe that then make yourself comfortable wherever you're working now. You're not going to stand out in your next interview.