Qantas mainline:Where to from here ?
In Letters to the Editor financial review (18.11.2009)was a lament from a Qantas Platinum Frequent Flyer.He explained his concerns about the shabby Qantas Cabins,the aging fleet and his disappointment with the beds on the A380.It was also pointed out that many of the faces he used to see in QF lounges he now saw in Emirates lounges.
The author conclude that Qantas was now seen as a second tier airline
The premium customers that Qantas lost during the WFC have come back but not back to Qantas
The mainline network has shrunk to its minimum and P/C seats are being removed from a number of routes.Joyce admits that Qantas got it wrong with the current configurations.Cost cutting has been ongoing for ten years.
The media has been giving qantas a hammering over its operational safety for over twelve months.
Morale amongst emlpoyees is non existant
If being the worlds best airline is your aim you need to spend money on the hard product.Emirates,Qatar,Etihad and Sing Air are perfect examples.They are perceived as premium carriers.Skytrax website is informative as to who is and who is not a premium airline
Where to for Qantas?
Will it end up being a second tier niche carrier at the bottom of the world.?
Or will it at some stage in the future begin to grow again?
At present the whole operation is under review and CR in some areas is being contemplated.The viablity of the CC off shore bases is under scrutiny as are the domestic bases.
The review should be completed some time early next year.
Roadshows will begin shortly to discuss the results of the recent Staff Engagement survey.
Alan Joyce has certainly got his hands full