Qantas does the right thing
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Qantas does the right thing
From the Herald-Sun, Melbourne tonight
Once again QF has done better than the right thing for some of its customers but one can only speculate if Jetstar would have done the same thing in similar circumstances - sometimes good old Charlie Q can and does surprise and delight. 
Alan has set Bruce a difficult and costly precedent should the parasites aka Jetstar venture to Europe.
In his lunchtime address to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce Association, Mr Joyce canvassed many issues and announced that Qantas would resume flights to Europe last night.He said the five days of cancelled services had left about 15,000 Qantas passengers stranded and that 2000 people had been placed in hotels and given meals and access to telephone services at the airline's expense.
Revealing that accommodation costs had run to about $700,000, he said rival carriers would not have offered the same service and most likely would have left people to sleep in airports or find and pay for accommodation.
He said Qantas underwrote the accommodation costs not covered by insurance.
Revealing that accommodation costs had run to about $700,000, he said rival carriers would not have offered the same service and most likely would have left people to sleep in airports or find and pay for accommodation.
He said Qantas underwrote the accommodation costs not covered by insurance.
Alan has set Bruce a difficult and costly precedent should the parasites aka Jetstar venture to Europe.
I am surprised QF management aren't paying themselves a bonus for limiting the cost damage of the whole ash event by their superior judgement of not letting the airline fly to anywhere in Europe.
Their foresight and lack of ambition for the national carrier took some time to pay off, but man can they stand tall now and say I told you so.
To think that after 5 days only 15000 people were stranded by the NATIONAL CARRIER is pitiful. No wonder the like of SQ, EK AND CX frequent as often as they do. EK are taking over 1100 seats per day out of Sydney alone, and just shy of 3300 seats from Australia per day. The demand must be there, why isn't the national carrier going after it?
Rather than being cashed up and looking into buying some foreign airline, shouldn't it be time they attempt to grow the QF business?
The Don
Their foresight and lack of ambition for the national carrier took some time to pay off, but man can they stand tall now and say I told you so.
To think that after 5 days only 15000 people were stranded by the NATIONAL CARRIER is pitiful. No wonder the like of SQ, EK AND CX frequent as often as they do. EK are taking over 1100 seats per day out of Sydney alone, and just shy of 3300 seats from Australia per day. The demand must be there, why isn't the national carrier going after it?
Rather than being cashed up and looking into buying some foreign airline, shouldn't it be time they attempt to grow the QF business?
The Don
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That was 15000 going to two destinations there Dom. QF did carry people to other parts of the world.
But you are right in that the continual erosion of market share has to be addressed and soon. When I first joined QF we had almost 50% of the market. Now the combined QF/JQ market share is less than half of that.
But you are right in that the continual erosion of market share has to be addressed and soon. When I first joined QF we had almost 50% of the market. Now the combined QF/JQ market share is less than half of that.
International travel mostly works on a 1 in 1 out system where if Qantas is allowed to fly out of Aus to the UK then a UK airline must be allowed to fly to Aus with the same number of seats, hence why when V Aus went to the US Delta came back.
These deals are negotiated at a political level where they come up with the seat numbers and these seat numbers need to be shared with every airline based in Aus wanting to compete on the route.
These deals are negotiated at a political level where they come up with the seat numbers and these seat numbers need to be shared with every airline based in Aus wanting to compete on the route.
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QF excellent passenger service
Yes timber,
It is about .. "QF excellent passenger service"
Did you even read the article you posted timber?
So, SQ, EK and other's are departing... So SQ, EK and other's all jump off a cliff, do you?
I have underlined the bit's you should read buddy.
QUOTE:
" ...consecutive Qantas announcements stating that the airline needed approval from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to depart.
Perhaps your snyde remark should have said, "Qantas is being held back by CASA"
"Qantas corporate affairs spokesman David Epstein said UK meteorological services had informed Qantas that a second volcanic cloud might be approaching Heathrow airspace.
Mr Epstein said Qantas operated under CASA policy no matter where it was flying in the world and had to consult the agency first.
"It's a safety first policy ... and it's very frustrating and we stand by it entirely," Mr Epstein said.
Or perhaps you could have said... "Qantas put's safety first, unlike other, profit chasing, ego driven, risk taking airlines in this world."
RANT OVER !
Did you even read the article you posted timber?
So, SQ, EK and other's are departing... So SQ, EK and other's all jump off a cliff, do you?
I have underlined the bit's you should read buddy.
QUOTE:
" ...consecutive Qantas announcements stating that the airline needed approval from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to depart.
Perhaps your snyde remark should have said, "Qantas is being held back by CASA"
"Qantas corporate affairs spokesman David Epstein said UK meteorological services had informed Qantas that a second volcanic cloud might be approaching Heathrow airspace.
Mr Epstein said Qantas operated under CASA policy no matter where it was flying in the world and had to consult the agency first.
"It's a safety first policy ... and it's very frustrating and we stand by it entirely," Mr Epstein said.
Or perhaps you could have said... "Qantas put's safety first, unlike other, profit chasing, ego driven, risk taking airlines in this world."
RANT OVER !
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Hello ROH111
Here is another quote from the spokesman.....
Qantas corporate affairs spokesman David Epstein said UK meteorological services had informed Qantas that a second volcanic cloud might be approaching Heathrow airspace.
Mr Epstein said Qantas operated under CASA policy no matter where it was flying in the world and had to consult the agency first.
"It's a safety first policy...and it's very frustrating and we stand by it entirely," Mr Epstein told AAP.
"Other countries have different regulatory systems and the fact is that we haven't lost a plane in the jet age and other countries have."
Especially the last bit gives a good insight in the mindset of the QF/CASA "axis of overconfidence".
Don't get me wrong, QF is a good airline with a very good record, but in this instance they are just overcooking it a bit.
Qantas corporate affairs spokesman David Epstein said UK meteorological services had informed Qantas that a second volcanic cloud might be approaching Heathrow airspace.
Mr Epstein said Qantas operated under CASA policy no matter where it was flying in the world and had to consult the agency first.
"It's a safety first policy...and it's very frustrating and we stand by it entirely," Mr Epstein told AAP.
"Other countries have different regulatory systems and the fact is that we haven't lost a plane in the jet age and other countries have."
Especially the last bit gives a good insight in the mindset of the QF/CASA "axis of overconfidence".
Don't get me wrong, QF is a good airline with a very good record, but in this instance they are just overcooking it a bit.
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decisions
Yes, that could certainly be a consideration for flights leaving Australia westbound, where there is a 20+ hour time lapse before "you get there".
It doesn't hold much ground for departures from Europe, and that is what the news paper article is about.
Any long haul airline flies routes that get close to volcano's all the time. Some are burping out ash at regular intervals, some prefer the bigger bangs from time to time and some are sleeping (but might wake up anytime).
After the airspace in the UK was opened there really was very little reason not to get going. I don't know for a fact that CASA was involved, but they shouldn't be in any other capacity than a facilitator. Modern airlines like Qantas, Lufthansa etc. really don't need regulators, and even less politicians to make operational decisions. The State (in this case CASA) should however be required to make any data, information and intelligence available to the operators to help them is assessing risks and planning operations.
To put it different. How can non-AOC-holders, like CASA or the politicians, take operational decisions for AOC holders? They are not competent to make such decisions by virtue of not having an AOC!
It doesn't hold much ground for departures from Europe, and that is what the news paper article is about.
Any long haul airline flies routes that get close to volcano's all the time. Some are burping out ash at regular intervals, some prefer the bigger bangs from time to time and some are sleeping (but might wake up anytime).
After the airspace in the UK was opened there really was very little reason not to get going. I don't know for a fact that CASA was involved, but they shouldn't be in any other capacity than a facilitator. Modern airlines like Qantas, Lufthansa etc. really don't need regulators, and even less politicians to make operational decisions. The State (in this case CASA) should however be required to make any data, information and intelligence available to the operators to help them is assessing risks and planning operations.
To put it different. How can non-AOC-holders, like CASA or the politicians, take operational decisions for AOC holders? They are not competent to make such decisions by virtue of not having an AOC!
Anyhow, the topic was about how WELL Qantas have treated their passengers in comparison to other airlines.
" accommodation costs had run to about $700,000, he said rival carriers would not have offered the same service and most likely would have left people to sleep in airports or find and pay for accommodation"
I am sure other airlines would need to hurry up and get moving to get passengers to their destinations as they have not provided for them.
Well done to Qantas for doing the right thing in a situation, which is well out of the control of anyone.
" accommodation costs had run to about $700,000, he said rival carriers would not have offered the same service and most likely would have left people to sleep in airports or find and pay for accommodation"
I am sure other airlines would need to hurry up and get moving to get passengers to their destinations as they have not provided for them.
Well done to Qantas for doing the right thing in a situation, which is well out of the control of anyone.
I'm still waiting for Jetstar to help out big brother with some supplementary services...and of course the subsequent headline in a media release:
Jetstar successfully commences Europe operations with 100% load factors
Jetstar successfully commences Europe operations with 100% load factors
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Modern airlines like Qantas, Lufthansa etc. really don't need regulators
Although since CASA is in Qantas' pocket what difference would it make.
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Volcanic Ash, Engines and Airframes
Timber, I notice your profile says you have an ATPL. I would have thought that you would understand why Qantas decided to stay put. Any ingestion of volcanic ash will harm not only engines, but also if heavy enough will erode windshield panes, remove paint, clog up air conditioning systems and generally play havoc with the aircraft as a whole. As far as the engines are concerned they do not like having crap left all over the compressors and, worse, the ash turning to glass like deposits on turbines. If Qantas chose to stay on the ground you can be sure they had very good reasons for so doing. I don't know, but I would think that CASA played no role in the decisions made by Qantas despite what was said about "consulting the agency first".
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From the perspective of someone who is in Europe. Air traffic is only just beggining to return to normal around FRA today. There had been no short haul flights at all except for some repositioning flights by LH and AB. LH only announced this morning CEDST that operations had returned ot normal schedules.
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Is it possible you guys are buying your own companies spin? QF missed the starter's gun and are now trying to make it look good. Statements like rival carriers would not have offered the same service and most likely would have left people to sleep in airports. is conjecture. No proof to support this statement but it sounds good. I suspect QF's rivals all provided the same service to their customers but lets not let that ruin a good press release.
Last edited by Flying Spag Monster; 22nd Apr 2010 at 17:36.
Think you will find that the EU has ruled a few years ago that all airlines flying to and from the EU must look after pax regardless of the cause of the disruption. This applies to non EU airlines as well. So it would seem that QF were not alone in the duty of care for their pax.
Might as well spin the situation if you can though. Some good press will never go astray.
The Don
Might as well spin the situation if you can though. Some good press will never go astray.
The Don
