Qantas and public perception

[adsyj]

I took my lardarse to the beach this morning for a bit of fitness. Later over coffee with a handful of blokes I train with they all had strong opinions on Qantas and where it was headed.

I realise this is just a small sample of people and maybe my head has been in the sand a bit but I was surprised at the depth of feeling toward Qantas. The group was made up of a very senior retired banker, a solicitor, a real estate agent a fireman and me Qantas SO.

All of them were Qantas FF of various levels, all of them said they were jack of Qantas and were directing there business elsewhere. Reasons not in any order but as they saw it.

They prefer the VB and VA offering. A couple of them spoke very effusively about VA to LAX and prefer this service overall even compared to the A380. Just as an aside a AFP Air Security Officer I know raves about VA to LAX as well.

Domestically they prefer VB to Qantas and don't want to fly Jetstar on Qantas routes. In saying that the retired Banker felt that in his time Qantas and City Flyer with business class was world class.

They still retain faith in the Qantas safety record but surprisingly it is their wives who no longer feel safe on Qantas and as a result they are all flying VB Domestically and any of the other reputable airlines(there words not mine) internationally.

They had all heard of the looming industrial action by the LAMES and Pilots and have absolutely no understanding of the issues and recall only that pilots want a 26% pay increase and more free travel.

The banker did tell me a story that back in the late 80's early 90's he toured Qantas Jet Base where Qantas had a very strong and profitable business overhauling jet engines for various overseas customers including the Indonesian Airforce. His bank negotiated the letters of credit relating to this. Very profitable for Qantas and he just cannot understand why Qantas would retire a profit centre which offsets its own maintenance costs.

Anyway the point of all this is what sort of feedback if any is everyone else getting from family friends and anyone else who know you are with Qantas. Do you get the feeling the public have already given up on Qantas and either by ignorance or indifference don't care about the message we are trying to get out. Hopefully the action starting on Friday with PA messages to PAX will go some way in changing this.

In my case i think my feedback from my friends is more enlightening because they don't hold back.

Interested in what others have heard.

Cheers

[22k]

Just caught the news snippet on the headlines of channel 9 news:

"Qantas pilots taking industrial action on friday for better pay and conditions"

Funny because 10 mins earlier, they interviewed a QF pilot who explained the reason they are taking action which didnt mention pay or conditions.

He did point out the qantas pilots action website which i found pretty good. Its well written and certainly achieves a much better message than the poor old ginger beers playing the last post at their facilities :ooh:

Just wondering if its channel 9 not wanting to lose too many advertising dollars maybe?

[assasin8]

Very sad indeed!

It's taken a lifetime to establish Qantas' great safety reputation, yet so quickly destroyed by the current management clowns, as well as the previous ones!

Had a pax recently who made the following comment, as he disembarked: "Virgin are a bunch of clowns, but you guys make them look good!"

Says it all really... :{

Of course, it's the employees who will be left to pick up the pieces, while our senior managers and board members go and raid the coffers elsewhere! :mad:

[Propstop]

I have done several long haul QF flights recently and have had the same comments from the passengers I have been seated with or on the bus from intl to dom.
Regardless of the QF spin the punters ARE concerned about safety and this is what is driving them to the other carriers.
I have recently travelled DJ domestic and have certainly been surprised and very satisfied by the attitudes by all staff. JB is certainly a breath of fresh air.

[Bypass ratio]

I've been holding off in saying this for awhile but here goes:

As a young boy aspiring to be an airline pilot for Qantas, I did everything I thought was the right thing to do. I learnt to fly with a respectable organisation(financed by myself), first job was mustering in the bush, bankruns, night freight and finally a gig with a Qantas Regional on the Dash 8. Getting my command at the tender age of 26, I thought I was in the running for a position with mainline as a S/O. But no, every year a differen't excuse was written to me. Your on the hold file, your not competitive enough, the next stage is a medical and finally, Do not apply ever again. It was quite soul destroying to be treated like this when all I wanted to do was fly with my national carrier. I remember coming out of a simulator ride with one of your training Captains - initials R.G. I shook his hand and said I look forward to flying with you one day Rob. He turned around and said "You should address me as Captain". I then said to him that I was a Captain as well and that maybe you should refer to me as a Captain as well. I knew from that day onwards that I did not want to fly for Qantas. So anyway, here I am sitting in the left hand seat of my shiny new B777-300ER working for an organisation that values my worth and has 75+ flights/week to/from Australia. All I can say now is thank you Qantas for not employing me. I'm sure I'm not the only Australian you dealt a cruel blow to when I was a young aspiring pilot. It was you who made me decide to leave Australia and take my skills offshore. Your recruitment department also needs to hang there head in shame and should also take some of the blame for your current demise attributable to the years of nepotism.

The problem I see in trying to get your message out is that it is 10 years too late. You guys have had your head up your arse for so long that you couldn't even see it coming. The smart ones got out already, and although ridiculed are now laughing all the way to the bank. Although initially bitter towards Qantas, my taste buds are slightly sour. My feelings do go out towards those who will lose there jobs. My advice is to get out as soon as possible.

[Tempo]

"You should address me as Captain". I then said to him that I was a Captain as well and that maybe you should refer to me as a Captain as well. I knew from that day onwards that I did not want to fly for Qantas

Harden up princess.

[Sonny Hammond]

Tempo,

Harden up? Is that it? Is that the standard line nowadays?

Unless you've been on the end of the garbage dished up by the geriatrics at QF, reserve your opinion.

Bypass has hit the nail square on the head.

[chockchucker]

Link to the Qantas Pilot website..............


Qantas Pilots (http://qantaspilots.com.au/)



Probably wouldn't hurt for the ALAEA to follow suit to be honest.

[rudderless1]

That's a bit morbid Bypass, try not to be so general with your spray on the employees, many went through what you have, many have fought for a long time to protect conditions, and many innocent and/ or ignorant newcomers or selfish ones have sold out others for there own short term benefit when entering the industry.

Alas no one can deny now the writing is clearly on the wall for all to see
"Management is playing us all for there own benefit in both Jetstar and Qantas. Then Jetconnect or Jetstar Asia or whatever next"

Quit stabbing your fellow employees or aligned employees in the back, pass on all info to your associations, keep your unions honest, which keeps management honest (as close as possible) participate in maintaining conditions, cause you never know when you airline is next, Borgetti was around in QFs troubles as well. stop believing the crap from our biased media, it's generally misleading or a straight lie.

Virgin has it's industrial stress which in engineering were only overcome by unity.

[Bypass ratio]

"Qantas management wants to replace experienced Australian Qantas pilots with overseas alternatives. We need your help to stop it"
Quoted from there website....

What a fuc$en joke...!
I just rang there office in Sydney and asked to talk to someone in relation to there website claims. Now get this, the woman I spoke to doesn't even know about the Website. Talk about organisation......

The quote should read "Qantas wants to replace experienced Australian pilots with the ones they forced overseas because of nepotism"

Honestly Qantas, too little too late:ugh:

[Trent 972]

Bypass, really no offence intended, but perhaps nepotism wasn't the reason QF didn't take you on but rather how you consistently get your 'there' and 'their' mixed up. Small minded crap like that is considered in a QF application. Besides you've done well at EK, all the best to you.

ps. Quite a few QF pilots started off with 'bush mustering', including the AIPA president.
edit. Rampant nepotism acknowledged, but a great many of us had no connections prior to employment.

[Bypass ratio]

No it was definitely nepotism and I'm sure you know that. I don't recall having to write any essays during the recruitment process?? But, point noted. I've never understood why PPRuNe dosen't have a spell checker..!

[breakfastburrito]

but rather how you consistently get your 'there' and 'their' mixed up
I've never understood why PPRuNe dosen't have a spell checker..!
A spell check still wouldn't help you with that problem!! There are a few browsers that have a spell checkers built in (as you type in the window) - Google Chrome (http://http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fchrome%2F&ei=NvckTraHJYfQmAXe5tXcCQ&usg=AFQjCNFw-0GuxyuZwraQHrJ5tqsxgerAFQ&sig2=bT-TP91gcI2xDgwhU9PfJA) (which I am using right now) & firefox (http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mozilla.com%2F&ei=V_ckTrOsM-XcmAXHw_39CQ&usg=AFQjCNEzb2VBVZb7JK9elpGJYKg7P9Ft5A&sig2=Y8RkWiiJLL7Upc9k-xo8jw).

[Tempo]

Bypass,

Another humorous little rant. Seriously bloke, wipe the sand out of your eyes and relax a little. Furthermore, enjoy your 777 command in a company that "values your worth" and flies to Australia 75 times a week. :):):)

[adsyj]

Fair Dinkum you blokes are kidding.

Sorry to all the pilots that ever got knocked back by Qantas what do you want us to do about it.:ugh:

Thanks to those who have related anecdotes to the original question, if we can bypass bitter pilots who Qantas knocked back I think it will be interesting to see exactly where Joe Public view qantas today.

[34R]

Bypass,

Qantas does seem to have its fair share of odd bods that slipped through the recruiting cracks, and the process as a whole I found to be quite unpleasant. I know plenty of guys that are very switched on, yet were overlooked by some genius behind a desk. Most have gotten on with their lives, as have you, and hold no ill feeling towards anyone for the way their career has panned out.

I am sorry that describes your experience, however you seem to have done well for yourself and at the end of the day, I guess that is all that matters.
I must say though, you give the impression of someone sitting a world away, taking some delight in viewing the demise of a particular group of people, most of which, for whatever reason, jumped through the right hoops, ticked the right boxes and had a fair degree of luck fall their way to eventually land the job they always wanted

If taking delight in the misery of others is your thing, perhaps there was something in your psyche tests that indicated you weren't the right person for the job after all!
This may be our battle now, but I suspect it will be everybody's battle in time, and it is real for those of us that are affected. I have genuinely been heartened with the support I have been offered by other aviators, working for a variety of companies across the board.
Your issue appears to be with one individual and the recruitment department. Don't tar us all with the same brush, after all, if the rot continues you may be sharing your flight deck with the very people you hold responsible for your current position..... can't imagine that is going to be too much fun for you.

[DutchRoll]

Sheesh Bypass. I'm not justifying who got knocked back by QF recruitment or why, but an awful lot of us are here in QF mainline purely on our own merits, and with very little or no help from anyone. I know guys who got knocked back and I wondered what the interview board was smoking. I know one or two who got through and I wondered what the interview board was smoking! Stuff happens, the system is far from perfect, but you move on.

None of the above is justification for unleashing a general spray upon a group of your fellow Australians who are sincerely trying to save both their own jobs and the Aussie icon they work for from being carved up and distributed across the subcontinent.