Vorsicht
I'm QF, I agree that QF recruiting don't have a monopoly on common sense, undoubtedly QF pilots have a spread of abilities like any other company, so I believe all Jetstar pilots should have been recruited to QF, then seconded to Jetstar if they wanted to go; after all, as an airline in the QF group, Jetstar is inextricably linked and synonymous with all those things the QF marketers love to sell. This 'separate airline' line rightly makes a mockery of the QF recruiting 'standard' in that when they find a pilot who will (or perhaps has to) do it for less, s/he suddenly meet the 'standard'. I say "ditch the navel-gazing etherial 'standard' and employ real, experienced, and qualified pilots to the Qantas group!" Having said that, I'd like to add that;
1. I reject the inference that we're inefficient! Most of my inefficiencies are driven by sales/marketing choices which send QF jets to far-flung places only 3 times per week... NOT due to my contract.
2. QF 737s can, and do, longer 'days' than Jetstar. With multi-sector short-hop days it's easier than for 7+ hour sectors and the similarly consumer-driven schedules in long-haul flying.
3. I aspire to a flying career, not a grinding roster routine which will take 5 years off my life if I try to keep it up for over 20 years. Why gloat about who can do more sectors/hours on back-to-back days without seeing your wife/kids/pets or sleeping in your own bed? and
4. Why gloat that you will do it for so much cheaper? I would have thought the better negotiating tactic would be to ask QF pilots (since most of you would know some and you appear to accept that their pay is higher) what their package is worth, and then undercut by say 5%, thereby STILL guaranteeing yourselves the jobs? THAT is what mystifies me, but hey, you've all got mortgages too.
Fly safe. I hope that, in time, we can all have reasonable access to ALL all jobs, and a chance ot take responsibility for & ownership of ALL the success and progression in the 'QF GROUP'. I hope that access will entail conditions for ALL pilots commensurate with a world-class airline, because we are all pilots who uphold the finest traditions of the Qantas 'brand' that management love to spruik about.
I encourage all Jetstar pilots to 're-value' UPWARDS your value and contribution to the QF group. It will help everyone, certainly not just mainline pilots, and not just yourselves. Think about it.
Cheers.