You would not have liked the response of passengers travelling to or from Port Lincoln about Qlink - dismal reliability on two separate days in last two weeks.
Credit where its due Overall they have performed very well
Have my doubts re current employment experience standards But Sunnies (Sunstate) / QantasLink have come a long way More than you can say about a heap of others
Even Daffy Duck ( one of the original pilots / chief pilot ) would have to admit that
The aircraft in WA are on the Sunstate AOC, the Pilots are on the Eastern seniority list, the Flight Attendants are on the Sunstate EBA. Network are doing the engineering in WA. Qantaslink consists of Sunstate Airlines, Eastern Australian Airlines and Airlink; Airlink contract out to Cobham to do the 717 flying under the qantaslink umbrella. QantasLink Executive Manager Narendra Kumar is also responsible for Jetconnect and Network
I'll happily stand corrected but pretty sure Jetconnect reports to the Group Executive Qantas Airline Operations. Which I don't think Narendra Kumar is.
So The Best Regional Airline was a three way tie between Cobham, Eastern and Sunstate, congratulations to all the staff at Cobham, Eastern and Sunstate!
I just had a quote that I floated to Rex ex Wynyard (yes Wynyard not bloody Burnie) to Melbourne and QF Link ex DPO for a footy weekend for 10 passengers. Over Friday on the 1620 or 1710 flight, back 1145 Sunday.
These are prime flights in the footy season so I wasn't hopeful on a good result.
Qantaslink came in a mere $150.00 per pasenger better and guess who got the business? The client locked and loaded tonight.
I find little or nothing to critisize them foir.
Contactable on a personal basis, nice aeroplanes and crew and flexibility if you screw up and need assistance.
I feel the award is well earned.
Rex is a very good operator too. Nothing at all wrong with the SF340 and the BWT staff were very helpful with finding an exit row for my 6'8" son's trip to Melbourne last Sunday. It is good to retain phone numbers that one held since the Ansett days!! They still work. He had a lovely flight.
Overall with full International connectivity, decent fares, good aeroplanes and great crew I will still never set foot on a low cost carrier ex LST unless someone has died and there is no other way out. Rex would be first choice after QF.
