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Qantas: One Big Unhappy Family

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Qantas: One Big Unhappy Family

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Old 22nd Apr 2008, 01:58
  #21 (permalink)  
 
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'wellhung' ('hard' to type that) yr few words says it all about the airline industry as a whole as far as the workers are concerned!



CW
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Old 22nd Apr 2008, 02:13
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Worst engagement results in australian corporate history and you wonder why there hasn't been another survey for the last few years?????
The only hope is that tomorrow is a new day and geoff and all those who support his bs style of management are a day closer to retirement, or is that death?
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Old 22nd Apr 2008, 02:47
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they (qf) failed to publish the results of the last engagement survey as
the results were even worse. perhaps they should be called disengagement surveys
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Old 22nd Apr 2008, 02:59
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Qantas: One big unhappy family??

From what i have seen the techies all agree industry conditions are degrading.........and they will continue to diminish. They have been degrading for a long time and certainly Jetstar has had a lot to do with it although i don't blame the techies for accepting the "worst paid 320 job in the developed world". Its the price for living in the best place in the world.

The problem is QF mgmt's attitude summed up by the CP. "The conditions QF pilots work under are certainly among the industry's best".

QF pilots as a group are not unhappy.....more they are sick and tired of industry conditions being eroded and like everyone else is looking forward to a shake up at the top.

As previously stated by many others many times, it is the industry. An industry where air travel is now regarded an expectation and not a luxury. Where its all about the destination and the not the journey. Competitiveness has lead to Jetstar. Its introduction was surely a vision to lower the working conditions in OZ aviation.

So is QF one big unhappy family.......no. I would not give up my slot. Why would I. If I am unhappy heaven forbid some of you out there must be about to slit your wrist. In big families there are always problems. Engineers as a group are certainly facing challenges. I respect the engineers, they have balls. Perhaps others in the industry could take the lead of QF engineers and not coil over like a weak Jack Russell. The process is almost as important as the outcome.

To be honest i just question the motivation and intention of the thread. If the QF family is unhappy....it is a sad indicator of the industry and so why do bods try and point out its shortcomings when they have probably previously laid the path towards the industry's current state. Unhappy QF family.....maybe??? Unhappy industry family....Yes
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Old 22nd Apr 2008, 10:49
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As previously stated by many others many times, it is the industry. An industry where air travel is now regarded as an expectation and not a luxury.
Couldn't be a truer statement said.

The thong brigade expect all the benefits that comes with a legacy carrier (or what they think one offers) but with cheap air fares going to every destination with unlimited choice of departure times, oh, and no breakdowns.

Not possible without casualities, ie: employee morale, wages etc.
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Old 22nd Apr 2008, 13:43
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you could substitute CX in here and it would be correct.

Sad world we seem to live in.

UP THE WORKERS.
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Old 24th Apr 2008, 13:29
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Grrr Qantas......the experienced airline !

'Walked into QCC this morning to see this image blasting out on a monitor as the new ad campaign for QF.

What Marketing Toad dreampt this one up ?????

"The experienced airline"...............if you measure it in years -yep no problem = experienced. Experienced Engineers =yep, Techies ......mmm=Yep. Cabin Crew-mmmmmmm =nah ( Most left in the last 3 VR's since 2006)

BUT.........Mangement. Definitely NOT EXPERIENCED. Where do they consistently dredge these buffoons we have masquerading as "management" from?????
Qantas Management seem hellbent on ripping/slashing/burning any semblance of experience from this once renowned airline.

Experience was once a proud adjective to describe the people working for the Rat. But if Dixon and his team of marauders have their vision realised we would ALL be on AWA's /Casual contracts with wages on or just above the poverty line.

Our Qantas Experienced have told Dixon to: OFF !

Our "Experience".........is now either working in their own businesses OR working for the competition.

Qantas ..............the experienced airline
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Old 24th Apr 2008, 22:56
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The most disfunctional company.

The most aggressive management, hell bent on "developing" a business to destroy its business.

The problem starts at the top and flows down. The culture is intimidatory, management thin on experience. The emperor has no clothes and the falacy of his "strategy" will be exposed as the financial correction and mounting losses force airlines to focus on sustaining yield. Dixon doesn't care, is inept and ultimately gone. I wonder if the company will redirect assets into yield delivering ventures before this total preoccupation with cost alone destroys revenue that comes from premium product.

Any manager can manage in the greatest demographic bull market in history. Dixon will parachute out before the correction. What will follow will determine the future of the company. If the booster seat needing little fella gets it expect worse of the same!
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Old 25th Apr 2008, 06:05
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.........................If the booster seat needing little fella gets it expect worse of the same!

could it ever get any worse QFinsder?
Could anybody do a worse job than 'tricky dicky' to kill off what was once a well respected airline?

QF= Quickly Floundering



CW
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Old 25th Apr 2008, 23:45
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Check out the Ross Gittens article in the Business section of today's (Saturday) Sydney Morning Herald. Says it all.
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Old 25th Apr 2008, 23:50
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It certainly does.


http://business.smh.com.au/ceos-cash...l6.html?page=2
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 01:25
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This article describes what the workers have been feeling in the last few yrs as investor profits are more important than the people on the front line who are making that money. Saw on the tele a couple of nights ago about the ANZ bank had a drop in earnings for the first time in 10yrs. They ONLY made $164 billion
GD will look at this article and say so the workers hate me. Big deal I'm getting my cash. No wonder morale is crap and the pax are seeing it.
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 02:22
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Yadda Yadda Yadda

A wee rough patch for Qantas. So what? There are thousands of pilots out there who would give their right something-or-other to fly for Qantas, so why don't you ockers just keep your heads down and fly right?
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 03:10
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OK, so ....5 days and 26 independent contributors, not all with QF.

Hardly a sample of the QF workforce is it? Nothing has changed from my original post, except........

..... I heard a pretty good rumour recently that GD may well be leaving very, VERY soon.

This is one rumour I hope to be true!!
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 09:05
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American Airlines are in talks with Continental...Continental are in talks with United...Virgin Blue will break even (maybe a loss) for the second half of this financial year, Ryan Air and Easyjet signaling trouble ahead...

Writers on this forum are always saying how bad things are. Well here's the thing - they will never be perfect!

QF pilots and all the rest of the QF staff continue to be the best paid in the region. Yet despite these higher costs, the strategy in place by the QF Board continues to deliver the goods. Haven't heard QF coming out about profit downgrades (at least at time of writing).

Rather than air the grievance start airing the solutions.
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 09:12
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The solution : Wait for it............ PAY US PLEASE!!!
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 09:27
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Rumour vs Fantasy

Sure we all have "heard" GD is going......but WHEN and more importantly WHO will replace him.?

Surely, if you have a Google of the current Chairmans Job Profile-Rio Tinto, OK Tedi etc yadda yadda -one can surely presume that the next CEO will not be an Oprah, Tree Hugging, Greenie, Leftie-type.
But we'll be delivered a T-2 prototype clone of GD-rebadged.

Just a final anecdote on this.

A mate of mine who works in the same Building -A as GD..... observed a very interesting "situation" recently.

Picture this.....5.30 pm-knock off time. Lift going down full of weary exec's and support staff.
Stops at a floor for a pick up, doors open.......who is standing there-GD.

NOT ONE PERSON ACKNOWLEDGED HIM-ALL EYES DOWN!!!!

He shuffled in-eyes down as well and did not acknowledge anyone.
The tension in the lift was "palpable" !

Lift stops at the next floor down- his car park and he bolts !

Lift door closes again-not one person spoke.

Sad but true.

As has already being mentioned-I concede that he has placed QF in the most profitable position in our history.

Lets hear it for the Shareholders !!!!!!

BUT, at what cost ( to the thousands of once loyal foot soldiers who contributed)
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Old 26th Apr 2008, 09:43
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'stubby' although that would have been a most awful experience for the workers (not GD) I'm glad that he (GD) felt the same. GD might be a clever man (not sure who would think that tho) but he's as human as the rest of us. He feels pain, he feels uncomfy as in the above situation but where he is different from the real people out there is in the thought that he would NEVER have to worry about his future. Why? because he has feathered that future, that nest over the years from one thing, the one thing that he has screwed, the one thing that he now feels uncomfy with in a lift, YOU ! (You as in all of us). At the very least we have a consolation prize here, he's hurting!



CW
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Old 28th Apr 2008, 16:45
  #39 (permalink)  
 
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My 2 cents.

I am a QF techie and consider myself to be one of the very few who still take pride in my work, make an effort to chat to passengers and go the extra mile.

I am not saying that most people dont do their job safely and professionally but it is the NORM for people to deliberately go out of their way to avoid helping the company.

Fuel saving directives? Ignored or deliberately 'reversed' as a protest about GD management style.

Extending? why should I when the company screws us at every turn..

etc etc,

And I am barely managing to maintain my positive attitude in the face of a very obvious total disdain for staff by management at QF.

So I totally agree with the original sentiment. Staff are pissed.

I cant understand why management dont care that it is ruining a great airline.

But ruining it they are,
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Old 28th Apr 2008, 17:34
  #40 (permalink)  
Keg

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ejectx3, we're obviously on different fleets or flying in different directions because I disagree on virtually all of your points

....consider myself to be one of the very few who still take pride in my work....
Really? The guys I flew with to London in the last couple of days still take immense pride in their work. The guys I flew to London with a few weeks ago were the same. The guys a couple of weeks before that likewise. Careful on making a false generalisation

...make an effort to chat to passengers and go the extra mile.
Some people have the 'skills' to chat to passengers, some feel downright uncomfortable doing it and out of their depth. Often those that do feel uncomfortable are still highly professional operators. I've also seen them go the extra mile.

....but it is the NORM for people to deliberately go out of their way to avoid helping the company.
I've not seen people go out of their way to avoid helping the company- at least no more than I have seen at any other stage in the last 13 years.

Fuel saving directives? Ignored or deliberately 'reversed' as a protest about GD management style.
All evidence to the contrary with our discretionary fuel usage well down on what it used to be. I've only seen one order in the last 18 months that caused me to raise eyebrows- it ended up saving a diversion when an unforecast tempo rolled in. I see guys slowing down (when appropriate) to save the gas, being efficient, not ordering extra fuel unless they want it, etc. I see them more conscious of being responsible with the fuel than at any other time in the last 13 years in QF.

Extending? why should I when the company screws us at every turn..
I haven't heard of an aeroplane not departing recently because of a crew's refusal to extend. I know of two crews in recent weeks who have extended to keep the show on the road.

And I am barely managing to maintain my positive attitude in the face of a very obvious total disdain for staff by management at QF.

So I totally agree with the original sentiment. Staff are pissed.
There are a few things to 'whinge' about and I agree that we should but there isn't a whole lot to 'complain' about- yet. Most people I fly with can quite easily separate out and compartmentalise the raw feelings about the management of the airline and maintaining a positive attitude toward the operation. I would argue that despite the fact that QF crew (and I'm talking techies here) feel quite disengaged with the company, all evidence suggests that we are still overwhelmingly engaged with the actual operation of moving OUR passengers between point A and point B. Our crew may be quite pissed as you say but I'm yet to see this impact on core professionalism in any more than a bare handful of crew- about the same percentage that were unprofessional about a decade or so ago.

To sum that point up, I would suggest that the feeling of the crew is that we keep the show on the road despite the best efforts of management et al to bring it to a stop rather than us let it grind to a halt. Had many of our crew- tech and cabin- not worked as hard as we do then the airline would have ground to a halt long ago!

I cant understand why management dont care that it is ruining a great airline.

But ruining it they are,
I do agree that they are ruining a great airline- as the Qrewroom thread on MELs and fuel saving attest to. The decisions made by management ultimately impact on our ability to run an on time service as comfortably and efficiently as we can. This irritates our passengers and threatens the bottom line. In this respect I agree with your comments but I just don't see the level of unprofessionalism and disengagement with the operation that your comments indicate exist.
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