Twelve years ago RU/16 I was in QF. Nobody celebrated when Ansett got the chop, nobody, except the powers to be, it was destroyed by Abeles, Murdoch, Air NZ and the failings of some of its management including Joyce. No. QF is not a sacred cow, its more than that, its a Icon, its a whole history lesson, its a part of National Security, it has a war history, and it has been a comfort to many Australians around the world during a crisis, eg Bali and the Tsunami, Darwin and cyclone Tracy et al. Other than that it is just a airline. Virgin is a pommy outfit, a good outfit but a pommy outfit. It has never and will never be the National Carrier. It would be like fitting out the Wallabies in white jumpers with a lion on them, and calling them all Nigel. Yes you are correct, the ill choice of aircraft, poor management, the closing down of lucrative routes, taking away a career from staff and just offering contracts, vilifying of staff, the breakup of one if not the best engineering units in the world, and yet this same staff that you say have a sense of entitlement, are the same staff who despite having their heads kicked in regularly, thru loyalty and sheer bloody mindedness and determination to keep the company going, just keep on keeping on.