Hooroo to Uluru - QF Mainline withdraws

[Capt Claret]

On Monday June 3rd, QF Mainline operated their last service into & out of The Rock. That evening the staff of QF AYQ and a whole bunch of friends had a Hooroo to Uluru gathering at the Lions Club.

It was a bittersweet evening, because almost all the staff are moving on to other locations, and my reading is that all would stay had their jobs stayed. It was obvious from the speeches that all the AYQ crew were a really tight-knit group, professional to the end, led by the indomitable PK.

One of the Check-in Chicks (KM) put together a wonderful photographic and video montage, available in the two YouTube links (15 mins total) below.

Good luck wherever you go guys, and I look forward to bumping into you on another apron, somewhere. :ok:

You Guys ROCK

8B_DgHjA8C0


HubGtviUL20

[Prince Niccolo M]

so does that mean 'scarelink' is gone as well?

who still goes there in anything big?

[The Green Goblin]

Jetstar just started the route this week :)

[Ken Borough]

More Mainline disappears to be taken over by Jetstar who we were told would not takeover Qantas routes! What a joke - WIHIH at a once very proud carrier? What is happening to the capacity generated as a result of not flying to AYQ?

Good luck to those cast adrift by this withdrawal. Was anyone present from Coward Street to say 'well done, thanks and good luck'?

[Tankengine]

All the previous pax that a US based luxury tour company that have always used Qantas will now move to Virgin instead and probably ANZ AKL- LAX to get to- from Aus as well.:ugh:

[Dlink13]

Yet another mainline route gifted to its sibling. What a joke!!! .When are people going to wake up to the smoke and mirrors surrounding the whole substandard JQ illusion.......

[Capt Claret]

so does that mean 'scarelink' is gone as well?

No, CNS-AYQ-ASP & ASP-AYQ-CNS daily

who still goes there in anything big?

QantasLink 717, Virgin EMB-190/737, J* A320.

[nitpicker330]

So, it's do as I say not what I do???

I was rudely told not to take any photos as we boarded our 717 ( no other Pax near us and we weren't holding up anyone )

Told it was dangerous while refueling even though the Aircraft wasn't being refueled!! :eek:

Seems they can take as many photos as they want.......( even photos of the refueling!! :D )

Anyway good luck to them....:)

[greybeard]

I took the second Jet into AYQ in 1981, Ansett F-28, they don't go any more either, life goes on.

:ok:

[ohallen]

Possibly in 1981 change was driven by better technology, better processes or even a competitive advantage.

Sadly the current change is mainly driven by corporate bonuses
and short term mentality. No one worries about driving down costs, but when this is a cannabilistic process not sure how valid it is for the overall good of the company, shareholders included and I certainly do not travel with them if I have a choice that is reasonable.

Then again I have been wrong before and will be again but I have stopped investing in these type of companies.

[Capt Fathom]

Very Short Sighted....

CEOs often hang on too long and turn the company into a private fiefdom.

Directors these days are often simply plucked from the chairman’s network of friends and former CEOs, and then when they get there are swamped in compliance. Any idea that they will get to determine the strategic direction of the business gets put aside while they tick boxes.

And in any case they usually manage the business for the short term, rather than the long term. That’s not always their fault: fund managers are focused on quarterly performance and put immense pressure on companies to do the same – to pay big dividends and maximise short-term terms, often at the expense of the future.

[Skystar320]

Is it only me or anyone else hearing rumours that a 737 or FK100 may be stopping at Uluru?

[RENURPP]

I guess with Qantas gone the camp ground will do a roaring trade.:8

[Capn Bloggs]

I took the second Jet into AYQ in 1981, Ansett F-28
or was that Airlines of Western Australia?! :)

[SOPS]

greybeard...I was on that jet with you, as you taught me ...no air too rough no something to tuff...keep the faith my old friend:ok:

[Gas Bags]

As much as I have spruced the need to change with the times......Bloody hell it is a sad time in this industry for many people. The ruthlessness exhibited by those very few people sitting at the top does astound me. I can only hope that QF did the right thing and compensated those affected. Perhaps J* will take some of you guys on. I did not see ned's ugly mug in there...hope he is ok!

[greybeard]

For Blogs,
Yes Perth based but in Ansett WA colours at that time

SOPS, good to see you are still agrivating the sky

:ok::ok:

[Skystar320]

oh that was when Airlines of Western Australia was going from pillar to post and expanding rapidly.

Awesome, wish they were still here - especially the FK28's

[PPRuNeUser0198]

The economics simply don't support Qantas, otherwise they would not exit.

Quite simple really...

It is a leisure destination...

[pull-up-terrain]

T-vasis

When I flew to Ayers Rock in 2012, both flying there and the way back business class was full of rich Asian and German tourists. I guess virgin Australia will be happy

[PPRuNeUser0198]

full of rich Asian and German tourists

The market needs to be sufficiently profitable all year round. Not seasonally.

Just because people are seated in JC, doesn't mean a great deal. Plenty of redemption traffic in JC these days.

An airline isn't going to exit a market unless it has been through a rigours validation process, including robust route analysis, schedule committees etc.

If the airline has exited, then it is for sound, economic reasons.

[Skystar320]

I remember on a yearly occurance doing Perth - Ayres Rock - Alice Spings - Cairns on the Ansett BAe 146's

Those were the days.

[Livs Hairdresser]

Hey T-Vasis,

Just because people are seated in JC, doesn't mean a great deal. Plenty of redemption traffic in JC these days.

Interesting. I'd thought that in these enlightened days of the segmented business model each part of the group had to pay its own way. If pax are redeeming FF points for seats on mainline services, shouldn't Qantas FF be paying mainline for them? How exactly does it make a difference to a route's profitability if JC is full of punter's burning points as opposed to paying cash?

If the airline has exited, then it is for sound, economic reasons.

Stop ... my sides are hurting!

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

As an aside, back in '87 when I got to Gove, I was told that there were only two places that B737's operated into without a Tower. One was Gove , which had the only RPT's (so they built the tower - just never ended up using it. Thanks's Dick! :ok:). The TAA/QF (maybe also Ansett) B737's that operated into Ayers Rock OCTA were all classed as charters, and so under the existing Regs, didn't require a tower. Both AD's were AFIZ's, a remote one in AYQ's case, out of Alice.

[topend3]

It could be that the QF service was unprofitable, I agree with the previous comments if it was profitable it wouldn't have got pulled. However, it might have been profitable just LESS profitable than JQ doing the route.

[Livs Hairdresser]

Maybe, but I doubt it if they were getting reasonable loads in J class.

The bit that concerns me is that the number of pax redeeming FF points has a direct impact on the profitability of a route, and decisions are being made based on this. Bear in mind that up until a few years ago QFF was seen as a liability. Then, flick of a switch, it is now the most profitable part of the group with mainline declining by a similar amount.

[Keg]

And you never hear of the 'liability' that the FF scheme carries in terms of all those points not yet redeemed. I wonder who carries that burden?

[porch monkey]

Rhetorical question, hey Keg?

[Eastwest Loco]

Hi all

FF points are owned by the "scheme" and actually have a monetary value to the Airline when redeemed. Participants including Airlines, car rental companies, Supermarkets Hotels etc. would pay into the scheme every time a card was used on a purchase through them.

My business franchisor has an arrangement with a Coles based loyalty program which I chose not to go with as it costs me when someone presents the card which means I have to increase service charges to the client to cover it.

I think you will find the QF FF scheme is a sub company or even now may be external.

Either way, the QF redeemed points are paid for at a given yield level to the FF organisation. The Airline then gets them back at least in part when they redemption is flown.

The yield may be below the regular lowest yield level, but tht is factored in over the class mix structure of the given flight. Therefore having available FF seats on a given service will effectively be mixed in with the "paying" classes to give the required yield, and overall naturally pushed up the averagfe of those paying fares.

I guess it is just more smoke and mirrors but the FF redemption seats do have a value to the airline so if you are pushed aside at the "drome when there is a problem because your seats are freebie, feel free to arc up. They ARE revenue seats not FOC.

This is given away on QF with the taxes applicable to a redemption booking compared to a regular booking. Discounting the credit card fee and taking the normal cheapest OPTDEAL fare MEL SYD MEL the Frantic Flapper taxes amount to $69.52 where on the paid fare they are $55.38.

This either indicates that the value to the Airline is above the value of the cheapest market fare as the GST component can be the only variable in the taxes or the Airline or FF department are milking it.

Interesting, no?:(

Either way, I guess we lose.

FF and other loyalty schemes are dangerous things if not properly run. When Pan Am first went totally tits up the number of points they were carrying on their frequent flyer scheme was so great that they would have had to operate every scheduled service fully booked with redemptions for 6 months to clear it.

For Airlines, FF schemes are like herpes - once you have them you can't get rid of them.:}

Best all

EWL

[Old 'Un]

EWL, thanks for that insider info. It clarifies for me how FF works. Very interesting the GST comparison. That seems to be a peephole into a system that confounds many.

All the best to those at the Rock who are affected by the withdrawal of the QF service. I hope the gods (no, not THOSE ones) smile upon you.

Le Vieux

[frangatang]

Tell me , if you travel as a pax with jetstar, is it de rigeur to wear a Ryanair overcoat, as you do over here, no matter how hot, to avoid taking a suitcase. Amazing how much you can carry with it loaded and the carryon bag.

[Eastwest Loco]

Well said Old "Un re the AYQ staff. I have lost 3 ports over my years in the industry and you feel you have let your team down. To that crew, regional staff who were flexible and could do anything can get job anywhere. When the ship goes doewn the good stuff floats and is picked up quickly. The hurt never leaves though.

I have outlived one of the bastards, the Fat Man, hope to outlive the Silver Bodgie and also Wally the Wog from TN days, after which my job is officially done.

As for the taxes on FF bookings it may indeed be a peephole into a very nice little earner for either the FF scheme or the scheme entity.

Maybe some of the media trolls who frequent here like herpes on a formerly fine dangly bit might like to follow this up:eek::eek:

I don't suppose that will happen as there is no Mrs Scrotum-Duckwarbeler who was stressesd as her miniature chiuahuah Bubbles was in the hold of the aeroplane and after the fog drama and zero flap landing it had been 10 minutes and Tarquin was still missing:ugh::ugh:

If any of them wanted a real story, I could deliver the dirt on what really goes on in Corporate travel with the slings to middle management and over chargeing. I have solid evidence but the media will never carry it as it will implicate major advertisers. Irf the Captain outside is plastic it is pretty certain the crew are synthetic and have been prograsmmed by the borg collective.

AAARGH:sad:

Best regards

EWL

[ao767]

Did a trip to the rock in the last week of the service and the staff told me Jetstar expected them to stay on and do their jobs for Jetstar terms & conditions obviously. The QF staff have all taken redeployment to other QF ports and Jetstar could not get anyone to live out there on the money they were offering so are currently flying staff out there and paying to put them up with meals & accommodation, true low cost airlines can't afford such costs! Nothing wrong with the loads anytime I've flown there, 80% or greater.

[pull-up-terrain]

Did a trip to the rock in the last week of the service and the staff told me Jetstar expected them to stay on and do their jobs for Jetstar terms & conditions obviously. The QF staff have all taken redeployment to other QF ports and Jetstar could not get anyone to live out there on the money they were offering so are currently flying staff out there and paying to put them up with meals & accommodation

Does not surprise me at all.

I may be wrong, I thought the qantas staff are also responsible for the 717's that fly in from cairns and Darwin so surely they would have to keep some staff. Again, I may be wrong, but doesn't qantas also take care of virgins 737 at Ayers Rock too?

[Capt Claret]

Ground handling at the Rock for QantasLink, Virgin & Jetstar by Oceania.

In starting this thread I had hoped to elicit posts along the lines of Farewell, goodluck, great YouTubes rather than a gum-fest on management incompetence and the usual Aussie whinging.

I tell ya, whinging Poms have got nothing on us lot. :(

[pull-up-terrain]

In starting this thread I had hoped to elicit posts along the lines of Farewell, goodluck, great YouTubes rather than a gum-fest on management incompetence and the usual Aussie whinging..

It's pprune, what else do you expect?

[pohm1]

I tell ya, whinging Poms have got nothing on us lot

Ah yes, us Poms are total amateurs in comparison to the regular 'fair dinkum Aussie.' :ok:

P1