Off Stand
QF is renowned for beng one of the most difficult airlines to deal with during recruitment. I have tried 5 times to get into Qantas both in the UK and in Australia. I have given up. I'm off to Virgin Atlantic.
The only thing I can suggest is calling them and speaking to a real person. There is a guy at QFUK called Con, he was really nice. Speaking to the people and explaining the importance of you finding out this info, should appeal to their human side. if not, I would call every week, until they finally got sick of me, and either gave me my job back, or told me what I wanted to know!
The law against bad references is a UK law. In Australia, companies are able to, and oftern do, give bad references. The employee has no recourse in the matter, however if it was completely untrue, may have grounds for defamation.
For others thinking about QFUK, from what I have learned from friends and the recruitment day, the salary seems fairly reasonable. You work a 4 on/3 off patern, and destinations are SIN, BKK & HKG. Career progression is very fast, when compared with QF mainline. You also get full industry benefits.
However if your dream is to fly long haul, and see the world, then maybe QFUK is not for you. The only options in the UK are BA and VS. BA requires years of service in S/H or LGW before you can move to L/H @ LHR. And everyone knows that the money at VS is pretty bad, but hey you get to see the world.
BAboy2005 If flying is what you plan to do for a very long time, then BA is an awesome opportunity. You will have to slog it out for several years, and work your way up to the top. This is no different to the majority of professions. But when you get there eventually, the world is yours. There IS a light at the end of the tunnel... BA flies to more destinations, than any other airline in the world!