QF has been positioned for a takeover of its European routes by EK, and perhaps the whole lot.
Once QF passengers get an eyeful of the service on EK, who will want to get on an old QF plane with slack attendants and bad service?
They will take EK all the way, I know I would.
Even first on QF is only about as good as business on the big players like SIA or EK.
QF will bleed on those routes until EK make an offer that they can't refuse.
QF may have the Pacific routes but, will that sustain them ? I don't think so as that is only about 25% of profits .
It was told to me some time ago that, QF means nothing to the top management other than a ' brand that is worth about $60mill, and there are some assets'.
They have trashed the brand, reducing the value to who knows what and most of the planes aren't worth much now. What is left?
EK could take over all of the European routes from them and QF could try and make it as a boutique Pacific carrier or pretend to codeshare and give the lot to EK.
Could they continue as a complying company and not operate any planes? I don't know but, I'll bet the QF management know.
Why would EK want to buy out QF? Probably only worth the traffic to them but, remember that the Middle East has all the oil and they don't pay anything like what those outside pay.
Fixed world oil pricing, sure!
Aircraft leasing rates ......... no need to lease there.
Think they are profitable?
Global air domination with access to cheap fuel and new planes by the 3 carriers in the ME.
Tell me I am dreaming.
An EK buy out of QF would leave the Orange star to be operated by another company and continue supplying lots of income for the old QF guard through leasing planes from them, maybe with the "little one" doing very well out of it and bolting. Later Jetstar could also be sold off as a tidy corporate masterstroke.
Lets face it QF has always been struggling as an end of line carrier and it has now been run into the ground. If it was a race horse, they would be putting up the curtain around it about now.
Just my uneducated opinion.