It’s been an interesting 2-3 decades watching from the sidelines as Qantas, led by the various Napoleans, each vying to have his or her photograph on the front page sitting astride the white horse (or red kangaroo), pointing a cavalcade of compliant troops towards the horizon, has triumphantly set off to march upon Moscow on yet another step to world conquest and is now desperately attempting to save and recover what it can, if anything, in a bitter, humbling retreat to Paris. The retreat comes as no surprise to many of those watching this tragedy unfold. The trail home is becoming a trail of cast-offs: weary soldiers, aircraft, material, business divisions and most importantly: public trust. (Employee trust was an early casualty on the way outbound.)
What does come as a surprise to me is the fact that Qantas (board, management, staff, everyone) still fails to identify and correct basic bad company practices. Qantas lost the plot when it put “safety first” in response to media and political expectations. It’s a feel good statement that has little to do with business practice and reality, and doesn’t translate into employee actions that improve company competitiveness. In reality, it stymies employee innovation and inventiveness with an attitude that resists change.
Qantas (and Jetstar to a lesser extent) continues to ignore the customer. I say Jetstar to “a lesser extent”, because Jetstar passengers don’t expect much and get exactly what they expect. The lack of realization by the board and senior management that they have one division that is meeting customer expectations, while the parent airline is mired in directionless confusion and bickering, defies understanding.
Qantas’ woes can be neatly summarized by the pyjama fiasco of a few years ago. The company’s lack of organizational capability was so horrendous that flights were delayed and passengers were getting off because with all the layers of management, with all the talk about safety first, with all the bluster about “service”, with the focus on union busting and protecting turf, not one person could find the time or inclination to do the basics, check inventory, and keep the cupboards stocked with $10 pairs of PJ’s. Nothing’s changed!
Service on flights remains at the mercy of chance. One flight will be fabulous, and the next flight over the same route will be one of the worst experiences of a customer’s airline travelling resume. It’s been that way for 25 years now and remains un-addressed. The “gifting” of routes to Emirates was incomprehensible. It’s not how you run an airline, or any business and expect to be around for long. I feel bad for the employees, both past and present, who have to put up with this.
Do not expect a bail out from the federal government. The elected leaders have a gorilla in the closet with a ballooning national debt and an economy at risk of a similar Napoleanic retreat at either end of the see-saw. Can’t remember the source, but heard on the radio the other day that Australia is now THE most expensive country in the world for manufacturing and goods cost 30% more to produce in Australia as equivalent items in the USA.
I think many onlookers have given up on Qantas. It’ll take a Herculean effort to turn the ship away from running aground. Unfortunately, there’s no will to change course. Everyone still onboard, including the commanding officers, has the nearest lifeboat in their peripheral vision and is trying to make sure he/she is in a position to:
a) not miss identifying the moment to make a charge for the lifeboat, and;
b) grab and retain a prime seat amongst a crowd of desperate people with the same thoughts.
Last edited by Lodown; 16th May 2014 at 17:08.