What a p*ick?
Get over it Sunny old chap! Were it not for your eccentricity, we could probably have a worthwile discussion. I'm sorry, but are you really a complete Richard Cranium? You sure write like one.
Over the years, the Qantas decision-makers know what they were and are doing. They do things by and large very well subject to some union nasties, poor government policy and direction as well as some outrageous work practices. If airlines believed that the punters really wanted to go to Melbourne, why would they bring them to Sydney instead? Like it or not, and ignore the fact at your peril, but Sydney is the primary target on the radar of more than 90% of the visitors attracted to Australia. This view is shared by most airlines serving Australia. Ever heard of market forces, Sunny boy? Qantas follows market forces closely and if you care to look at route seat factors, you will see that on most routes they capably match capacity with demand.
Pray, Sunfish, can you tell us
(1) how many carriers serve Sydney versus Melbourne on direct overseas flights?
(2) how many direct flights are offered each week ex Melbourne and ex Sydney?
(3) have you ever looked at, let alone analyse, the aviation stats published by the Aust govt each month? If you did, you would know that in April 05, Melbourne attracted 20.0% of International movements and 20% of the SLF. Sydney attracted 43.8% of the movemnts and 46.2% of the SLF. Do these numbers tell you anything? As they include freighter movements, they margins would be wider in Sydney if we discounted the freighters.
(4) why did that bastion of the Melbourne establishment, the late but little lamented Ansett, base its International airline in Sydney and operate its Japan, Hong Kong and Indonesian flights direct from and to Sydney?
(5) when and how often have you been forced to travel internationally over Sydney instead of a direct Melbourne flight?
Sunny, you whining may have been justified a few years ago, but today it simply means that you are yesterday's man. Have a gripe against Dixon and his greed if you like but show a bit of judgement and less emotion about the majority of the good people who are Qantas. The poor buggers are just doing their best in the most difficult and, quite often, unhappiest of circumstances.