Morno - in brief.
1) Because it saves double crewing, but the same goes for AJ’s $24m and the gigantic bonus pool. I don’t know what the figure is now, but did you know a few years ago Neil Perry was getting $1.5m kpa from Qf? More importantly why and how have pilots been convinced they AREN’T worth their pay? Especially at $USD 0.64
2) 23.5 hours TOD and it burns some 8,000kgs an hour less fuel.
3) Because flying big jets over 24 hours doesn’t relate to flying Avro 504’s Winton- Longreach.
4) They won’t be buying aircraft right now unless I’m very much mistaken - look at the QAN.AX share price! AJ has only ever borrowed money before to boost the share price to increase his income! Giving AJ another 30% just because he asked for it keeps painting this picture that pilots simply don’t value their own contribution. I despise what AJ has done to Qantas, but I can’t blame him for asking for huge pay cuts when everyone seems so happy to give them as soon as he asks!
Acquiescing to such enormous workload increases without even hesitating is disingenuous at best. At worst it’s going to kill the Australian GA industry as well. Who would bother flying? $200kpa is achievable at various flying outfits from biz jets to LCC’s around the world - especially in $AUD after tax terms. You can always offer to do something for less, but that’s an extremely unusual position to take! Qantas has said their 1st, 2nd and 3rd position is to have current crews fly it. Surely the 1st, 2nd and 3rd position of crews is that at the VERY least they don’t give in immediately? Respect yourself - if you don’t, no one else will!
The vast majority of the money you give away will be paid in wages. It just won’t be paid to you. That’s absolute fact, because it’s always happened!! Do you think for ONE second that AJ (along with everyone else) won’t be giving themselves a massive bonus out of the money you’ve declined to take?
Sunfish (particularly in #1944) is 100% correct!