A HERO pilot who has flown for Qantas for 14 years predicts the possible death of the airline if it moves its business to Asia.
I know of a couple of more heroic ex naval carrier Captains who have heaps more experience and I'm supposed to listen to their predictions of an airline ops? Based on plain gut feel? That others had failed and Qantas will fail too?
"I feel very strongly for those young pilots, I feel they should have the same opportunity that I had."
Well, young lads today, can no longer have what aviation used to offer. Anyone seriously think that any airline management will even remotely consider a pilot's career in their planning is either delusional or pathetic.
When people get on the plane and they hear the Australian accent they say 'It's good to be home.' The crew say, "we've still got thousands of miles to go' and they reply 'it doesn't matter, we are on an Australian aeroplane, we are home.' It is so good to hear that."
That probably constitutes a small minority, judging from the growth achieved by foreign carriers like EK, CX, SQ etc. I know some of aussies who swore they will never take another Qantas flight if there's an alternative of the above mentioned carriers. Reasons? Cabin and ground service. And Qantas management is the one that should be blamed for the lack of services provided?
I feel sorry for the fact that there isn't a compelling and convincing argument so far from the pilot side. Do you seriously think that Qantas pilots's image is that strong that it holds an extra premium for AJ to sacrifice his big fat bonus?
Capt Woodward rightfully earned profound respect for what he had achieved previously. But to put him up for media for such sensational rebuttal without providing some supporting factual numbers, I'm afraid you hardly catch attention of most fence sitters. I do hope you folks can come up with something real soon, real quickly.
Don't bother trying to shoot the messenger, nor trying to call me a company stooge. I'm far from ever coming close to this part of the world apart from my regular layover with my even more inferior job but pays for what's left of my sad little remaining life.