As a former Gold FF (I don't travel much anymore) and 30 year customer of Q I will still fly Q if it gives me the best routing (which it normally does) and I will pay a 20% or 30% premium over other airlines , if Q becomes say Philippine Airlines disguised as a Kangaroo that willingness to pay a premium disappears.
I think the bean counters and bankers are assuming the revenue line stays the same when they punch in the revised cost structures moving significant chunks of operational costs off shore into their financial models , my gut feel is a business which is going to be worth less not more from a pure financial perspective.
It would be interesting to see how the loss of Platinum and Gold FF has impacted income over the next 6 months , how much money just walked out the door ? Are the numbers of Platinum and Gold FF publically reported anywhere in Qantas annual reports ? This is something that the existing management will want NOT to report. Anyone on the inside able to leak these figures ?
Also for a 'private company' there's a lot of blurring between a private company and 'an essential service' and getting the government involved when it suits them , I think the whole ownership and future of Qantas needs to be reviewed , maybe the government needs to buy back 51% (at current share prices it's cheap) and put some staff representation on the board. To lose a NATIONAL ASSET like the Qantas Jet Base and the skills and training it provides would be a disaster long term for short term gain after the financial locusts have made their windfall profit and moved on. Ex Qantas engineers are highly sort after overseas so the skills and training are recognised by the market.
With regards to baggage handling and other services which HAVE TO BE IN OZ , how are they going to reduce costs on that ? Bring in slave workers from Khazakhstan after outsourcing to a private company ? Everyone looks down on the baggage handlers but the quickest way to have an angry customer is for their bags not to turn up within 15 to 20 mins after the flight arrives, an important part of the customer satisfaction chain.
I have never before been involved in these worker vs management discussions but the arrogance of the grounding and the unequal playing field being used against people I went to school with , learnt to fly with etc who are well intentioned average Aussies pisses me off.
Also if there has been deception , back room deals and other foul play by management these issues need to be investigated and the players exposed to the process of law and not swept under the carpet. Joyce is a willing but disposable hand puppet who will be gone once his mission is done , who is really pulling the strings ?
ps . I would much rather fly on a 777 than an A330 , why did they buy those 'fly by HAL' aircraft ?
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Last edited by aseanaero; 6th Nov 2011 at 07:54.