I watched Lateline. I was a little disappointed with some of the missed opportunities, but my wife thought he was great. He certainly did not come across as a militant evil unionist and did get good points across.
FWIW I was told by someone I trust that there ARE some management capts on the 380 earning over $500. I was staggered, no they certainly would never be the ones locked out, but it seems it is true.
When you consider relative salaries, I think one point is often missed. Qantas salaries from the -400 down are on par with the rest of the world. The 380 seems a bit higher, but remember the $AUD has 'never' been this high. If anything untoward happens in China, it is highly likely the $AU will fall quickly to its historical norms of .65c - .85c. That would adjust the pay scales considerably - as it would fuel.