elektra - I think you might be just a tad misguided with some of your comments . Qantas has hardly "been buying big jets to feel big" especially with reference to ordering A380s. Perhaps you should go back & have a look at the other airlines that have ordered A380s - many of them are direct competitors to Qantas, and plan on operating these aircraft over the same routes in direct competition with Qantas. It would hardly make sense to idly sit by, flying older aircraft & thereby missing out on the gains in efficiencies to be made by operating a new, larger type with greatly increased payload at similar operating costs. That would not make sense economically, and is most likely the reason that Qantas have ordered these aircraft.
Given the current depressed state of the global aviation market, Qantas is steadily & cautiously taking advantage of the current situation to bolster its position in the market - that sounds like good business sense to me.
On another point - apparently it is acceptable for Virgin to 'cherry pick' routes etc (because "'Cherry Picking' is how you make money and build jobs..." ) but in the very same breath it is NOT ok for Qantas to (effectively) 'Cherry Pick' their pilots?
After all, while there is an oversupply of qualified pilots, Qantas have the right to do just that, in exactly the same way that the RAAF, Cathay, Singapore & every other airline around the world does.
At the end of the day, they set the standards & can pick & choose who they like. In some peoples eyes the grade may be 'artificially inflated' at QF, but relative to what - the virgin 'half hour/45 min get to know you' interview process? That is hardly the world standard, and relative to most other processes, seems to be relatively brief & shallow in depth...
In regards to your comments that 'ego driven expansion costs jobs' - how does this relate to Virgins proposed overseas expansion? I'm sure that having Virgin touted as Australia's 'true blue international airline' will do wonders for the major stakeholders when the shares are floated - let's hope it works out just as well for the rest of the employees.
I guess at the end of the day we'll just have to agree to disagree...