Fear Campaign's fear campaign is all about cherry picking figures to support his argument and totally ignoring the totality of the package and industrial situation.
Why the constant reference to DFW-SYD? It is hardly an indicative sector to compare the old and new awards given it is not just the absolute longest sector length in Qantas but the lowest commercial sector in the entire world!!
He keeps postulating that the 787 may only be replacement type, so why not look at all the Asia sectors that it will replace the 330 on and use that in your comparison? SIN, BKK, CGK, NRT, HND, MNL, HKG, PVG. And not just the sectors we do now but the opportunity the aircraft provides to return to the many routes we abandon over the last decade (MEL/PER/CNS-NRT, ADL-SIN, SYD-BOM, etc, etc.) Qantas have made numerous statements of its greater intent to serve Asian destinations directly. During the crew dial-in briefings the Network Planning representatives have made clear that have many plans for new or resumed routes throughout Asia if only they had the airframes to do so.
Reducing night credits and overtime payments will clearly have an effect on ULH sectors but just because the aircraft is capable of these sectors is far from the assumption that that is ALL it will do.
So instead of looking at the longest sector on the planet or inventing new, even more far-fetched, possibilities (SYD-JFK) and imagining how hard done-by you'll be, look at the total picture of where the aircraft is likely to fly. I can't see that it will be any worse off than the A330 on any Asian sectors.
And if you truly feel that it will start flying all sorts of new ULH routes, (SYD-JFK/ORD/Sau Paulo, PER-FRT/CDG/ATH, etc.), then isn't that FANTASTIC!?! That means growth, promotions and pay-rises!
Why only focus on the worst case scenario?