Unions were quick to jump on the JB bandwagon in the early days, demanding QF rates to match QF service
You'd have to be more specific. Is this in reference to Pilots and/or Cabin Crew? I'll assume pilots given its a pilot forum.
What one of the unions had in their log of claims in 2011 and what was delivered and voted up was a vastly different thing. What was voted up and what exists today is also quite different today from 2011. I noted this line/tone in the Fin Review when ANZ pulled out last year. Something along the lines of "JB arrived and lavish hotels followed for the crew etc". The public would have loved that line! Good wind up.
I suspect this argument would be shut down fairly quickly with a hotel and crew food comparison QF vs VA. It is what it is but to hear that the pilots are living in the lap of luxury bleeding the company dry is a bit over the top.
I would suspect the increase in cost base
possibly...juuuuust possibly might be due to maybe one or two other factors.
Has the cost base risen? You bet.
Is it the same as QF? Possibly, and might worsen as their fleet evolves.
Is this due to pilots? Unlikely.
Pilots if anything have become more efficient over the last 7 years.
Anyway the topic is getting old, its not news anymore.