When will Qantaslink become one?

[B A Lert]

When will unification begin? After more than a decade it seems that Eastern and Sunstate are operationally 'outside' the Qantas net even though they commercially identified as Qantas. This picture, from another web-site, showing an arrival from Hong Kong by QantasLink tells it all!

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2/zwgbenny/IMG_8249A600.jpg

Why do Eastern and Sunstate sill persist with using their names in their call-sign as 'Eastern' and 'Sunstate'? When NJS operate QantasLink flights, they use a Qantas call-sign. Why the difference?

[apacau]

I love conspiracy theories!

The flight was the first Transaero (Russian airline) flight to Sydney, which will operate every fortnight. Now why it used the Qantaslink logo, I don't know. Perhaps one of Eastern or Sunstate's unique IATA codes is also UN?

[Tidbinbilla]

FYI the Sunstate and Eastern codes are QF.

[B A Lert]

FYI the Sunstate and Eastern codes are QF.

You are half-right. If they are QF, why did SACL put the QantasLink logo against Transaero. Again, why do Eastern and Sunstate persist with their individual call-signs?

UN, in the previous century, used to be the two-letter code for Eastern. I here that some of the old fogies in the organisation have yet to catch up with the fact that they are part of Qantas and actually operate flights that have a Qantas commercial identity.

[JetRacer]

B A Lert wrote:

When NJS operate QantasLink flights, they use a Qantas call-sign.

No they don't. They use the aircraft callsign.... :hmm:

[tail wheel]

"UN" (http://www.pprune.org/forums/Transaero%20Airlines) is the two letter airline code for Transaero Airlines (http://www.transaero.com/).

I don't recall Eastern ever being allocated that two letter code by IATA.

Neither Sunstate nor Eastern appear to currently have a unique two letter airline code allocated.

[Icarus53]

I understand there is consideration being given to using QL callsigns, however just like consolidating AOCs, this is apparently not as easy as it might appear.

At the end of the day, SSA and EAA are still two separate companies, with separate employee groups on different contracts. The administrative effort to get all of it together is not insignificant.

The recent rumours are that the AOCs will remain separate for the foreseeable future, even though the company has gone to great lengths to consolidate procedures and documentation over the last year or two. Don't even get me started on the whole EAA pilots flying SSA aircraft at the moment!

There is talk of a consolidated pilot seniority list - not sure how long it will take to sort that out.

Anyway, the bottom line is that just because they trade as QantasLink and have a single identity for the customers, doesn't mean they are any more consolidated as companies. NJS serves as a prime example of this, nobody cares if they do things a bit differently because we all know they are not a Qantas company.

PS - although EAA and SSA flights appear as QF on the boards, they're EA and SSQ on the Flight Notes!

[B A Lert]

Sorry: I was confusing NJS with Impulse who from memory used a Qantas call-sign.

At the end of the day, SSA and EAA are still two separate companies, with separate employee groups on different contracts. The administrative effort to get all of it together is not insignificant.

This is a disgrace and a significant cost to Qantas shareholders. There are so many separate armies in the place it's a wonder there's any successful co-ordination between them. If QF can post record returns with inefficiencies of this magnitude, imagine what they might be if the armies merged and a lot of duplication and wasted effort was eliminated? It is time for a new and fresh management.

[tipsy2]

When TAA/Australian bought Eastern in the mid 80's (IIRC) the Eastern airline code was UN.

At about the same time Sunstate was bought from Bevan Whittaker and Southern (also somehow connected to Bevan) joined the TAA/Australian 'Group".

Bushies was purchased later and became ARAQ around the year that when mentioned raises the blood pressure and lowers the rationality of some PPRuNers ie towards the end of the 80's.

The code 'QN' rings a bell as possibly Sunnies as does VN for Southern,

As tailwheel says now "UN" is the two letter airline code for Transaero Airlines. just as TN is now the code for Air Tahiti Nui.

tipsy
I got a headache just remembering all this old stuff:8