737NG_Girl, Thanks for your answer on that one. It helps put things into perspective. I can only assume that for a full service airline (eg QF) the service can be achieved a lot faster as you are simply grabbing a tray from the cart and handing to each passenger. This compared to the variations you get from each passenger in the Virgin Blue scenario means the service must take you a lot longer.
In relation to a mid-duty sick scenario, doesn't that issue already exist for the 700's where there are already 4 crew? One goes sick and bam, the aircraft is grounded until they can pull in a reserve, find a relief crew if they at a regional or wait for another crew to be flown in and hope the original crew still have hours left to get home. The new 800 with 4 crew means that instead of having 144 really really happy pax there is now 180 pax.
The 'work smarter not harder' approach is fine in terms of improving the way crew perform their duties so that it makes it easier for them. But why did they wait for the change in crew numbers. Why wasn't this kind of thing being looked at before to help the crew out. Why does it always need to be a transaction: you give us something we give you something. I thought we were all working for the same company at the end of the day.