Some thoughtful stuff from Ben. I read this while watching some tool on TV carrying on about how good it is for Qantas. Fckuk me.
Benefits of Qantas-Emirates deal ‘not great’ says ACCC, which reminds the airline industry it is there to preserve competition, not Qantas
And then
The ACCC has made a very significant decision in proposing to conditionally approve the Qantas Emirates business partnership in saying that a smaller Qantas can be outweighed by the competitive response of other foreign carriers.
Taken to its logical extension, the ACCC’s chairman Rod Sims is indicating in his statement and interviews today that the survival of Qantas is less important than the benefits of continued strong competition to consumers and the tourism industry.
It is also a clear reminder that the ACCC isn’t a Qantas preservation authority, but a competition and consumer authority constructed and empowered to maintain competition and compliance with the trade laws, and not to save national icons that fall on hard times through mismanagement or misfortune.
The decision also means that from April, when the Qantas-Emirates partnership starts, Qantas will exit the Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane to Europe routes in favour of trying to punt its customers into code-shared seats it will be allowed to sell on Emirates jets.
In QLD, SA and WA the Qantas slogan-You’re the reason we fly, might fairly become Qantas-we’re the reason you fly Emirates.
There is a bit about how Qantas isn't happy with all of the decision and wants to change it refusing to let it reduce capacity to New Zealand in cahoots with Emirates.
And more.
The deal fits in with the clear concern by Qantas management to reduce its exposure to the risks and capital expenditure needs of being a significant international full service carrier.
It makes Qantas smaller. The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, has issued a statement in which he says the ACCC decision “also provides Qantas the opportunity to invest in additional aircraft capacity and international services, especially to meet the growth in Asia but also its broader international network.”
He is either trying to be funny, or has been seriously mislead by his advisors.
The whole blast is here:
Qantas survival less important than competition: ACCC | Plane Talking