QF Ek Green Light
Clear to Land, that would never work as it would mean pilots would need to be promoted. Pilot career progression would come a distant second to leaving the SOs to stay behind and experience the delights of Zinc, whilst keeping the flare path lit in preparation for the pilots to return with stories of their travels to the west. And of how they were descended to 10000' with 160nm to go and told to reduce to 230kts!
The Don
The Don
Nunc est bibendum
Run the sector same as EK do to Aus/NZ, 2 x Capt and 2 x F/O. No need for S/O (was there ever a need!!) Relief crew Aus-DXB operate the sectors ex DXB whilst operating crew rtn to Aus following night. Relief crew rtn as augment day after their LHR-DXB. That would be the most efficient way to do it.
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How is that any more efficient than running two S/Os (who whilst well paid are still on significantly less than captains and F/Os) between Aus and DXB? The S/Os don't need to wait for the Captain and F/O to get back from LHR, they have their min slip and come back to Australia witha different crew. What am I missing?
EK however have certain trips that require a Capt and F/O to augment so they can operate the following morning on a shuttle etc.
DXB Perth would be perfect for an S/O, as are a few trips to Africa and Eastern Asia.....but we carry a 2nd F/O as I'm guessing the actual cost difference between an S/O and F/O probably wouldn't be that great when you factor in what is required to get guys to come to here in the first place.
Ops flexibility. The augment crew can operate the next days pattern whilst the other crew return. Net result-less HOTAC and a reserve crew available in case of sickness-what good is an S/O who can't occupy an operating seat. 2 x CA/FO =2 x crew. 1 x CA/FO + 2 xS/O's = 1 crew.
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Ops flexibility. The augment crew can operate the next days pattern whilst the other crew return. Net result-less HOTAC and a reserve crew available in case of sickness-what good is an S/O who can't occupy an operating seat. 2 x CA/FO =2 x crew. 1 x CA/FO + 2 xS/O's = 1 crew.
Management material right there folks!
On the grand Scale of things ( recency, etc) second officers are cheap. But overtime paid as well? That's For another thread!
Ducking due Incoming
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QF A380 Reconfiguration Program stopped!
Rumour has it that the reconfiguration of the QF A380 cabin layouts has been put on hold. Word on the street is that EK is not happy with our new design. Also heard that the 13th and 14th A380 QF has put on hold has now been brought fwd.... Anyone know anything about this?
Nunc est bibendum
Thanks haughtney1. Didn't think so. I still can't quite grasp what it is clear to land is getting at though with his comment that it's going to be more efficient to crew with two Captains and two F/Os rather than utilise S/Os. It doesn't really make a difference.
That still happens with two S/Os though. The Capt and F/O operate the 'next days pattern' whilst the S/Os return. The trip looks identical except that one Captain and one F/O position is replaced with two S/Os.
I see where you're going re sickness and so on however if an F/O goes sick under your regime there is still a service that is short of a crew member- either the shuttle or the return service.
I'll work an example. DXB-MEL-AKL-MEL-DXB. I don't know if it's a daily service but let's presume it is.. Four crew DXB-MEL. EK carry two Captains and two F/Os. QF would carry one captain, one F/O and two S/Os. When the aircraft gets to MEL, all crew have their rest. Augmenting Captain and F/O under the EK head off to do their AKL return whilst the A crew head back to DXB- presumably with the Captain and F/O who operated the MEL-AKL-MEL a couple of days earlier. Under the QF system, the A crew is instead two S/Os who head back to DXB with the Captain and F/O who operated MEL-AKL-MEL a couple of days earlier.
The augment crew can operate the next days pattern whilst the other crew return.
I see where you're going re sickness and so on however if an F/O goes sick under your regime there is still a service that is short of a crew member- either the shuttle or the return service.
I'll work an example. DXB-MEL-AKL-MEL-DXB. I don't know if it's a daily service but let's presume it is.. Four crew DXB-MEL. EK carry two Captains and two F/Os. QF would carry one captain, one F/O and two S/Os. When the aircraft gets to MEL, all crew have their rest. Augmenting Captain and F/O under the EK head off to do their AKL return whilst the A crew head back to DXB- presumably with the Captain and F/O who operated the MEL-AKL-MEL a couple of days earlier. Under the QF system, the A crew is instead two S/Os who head back to DXB with the Captain and F/O who operated MEL-AKL-MEL a couple of days earlier.
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The discussion on crewing numbers for the AUS-DXB-LHR services are interesting but academic.
Reliable information is that as soon a possible, QF will be pulling out of LHR. The reasons for this are as follows:
1. QF has two remaining morning slots at LHR. 0500 and 0600 respectively. Leasing these slots would be worth a motza in KPI's to the various managers involved.
2. EK currently runs 5 A380s per day to LHR and 2 per day to LGW. Ergo, no shortage of capacity to take over the QF flying.
3. As a subset of point 2, I understand that EK has offered QF seats on the above LHR / LGW services at approx 40% less then the current CASK. Whilst this is obviously predatory pricing, it again means more bonus related cash for everyone from "Lovebite" down to "Hailstone" and therefore is being enthusiastically trumpeted as a key pillar of 'saving' the QF international operation.
4. Because of curfew restrictions at SYD, the time that QF aircraft will arrive in DXB means a minimum of 4.5 hour transit for passengers going onwards to european destination. Without the need to fly onwards to LHR, these services can be re-timed.
Reliable information is that as soon a possible, QF will be pulling out of LHR. The reasons for this are as follows:
1. QF has two remaining morning slots at LHR. 0500 and 0600 respectively. Leasing these slots would be worth a motza in KPI's to the various managers involved.
2. EK currently runs 5 A380s per day to LHR and 2 per day to LGW. Ergo, no shortage of capacity to take over the QF flying.
3. As a subset of point 2, I understand that EK has offered QF seats on the above LHR / LGW services at approx 40% less then the current CASK. Whilst this is obviously predatory pricing, it again means more bonus related cash for everyone from "Lovebite" down to "Hailstone" and therefore is being enthusiastically trumpeted as a key pillar of 'saving' the QF international operation.
4. Because of curfew restrictions at SYD, the time that QF aircraft will arrive in DXB means a minimum of 4.5 hour transit for passengers going onwards to european destination. Without the need to fly onwards to LHR, these services can be re-timed.
What's not to be happy about? A few loos short? Far from ideal but hardly a major deal.
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EK currently runs 5 A380s per day to LHR and 2 per day to LGW. Ergo, no shortage of capacity to take over the QF flying.
I can see though that QF might think about selling the LHR slots....or at the very least, leasing them to EK.
Because of curfew restrictions at SYD, the time that QF aircraft will arrive in DXB means a minimum of 4.5 hour transit for passengers going onwards to european destination. Without the need to fly onwards to LHR, these services can be re-timed.
A quick check of EK's schedule shows that it's about a 2 hr transit on the SYD-LHR using EK413-001(Europe is only 1 hr ahead of the UK).
So the curfew argument holds no weight as QF1 is scheduled out of SYD at a bit after 5pm local time SYD.
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I understand the concern re the crewing issues above, great to read everyones views, something Mr Sims from the ACCC will not consider I guess as it is not his gig. Maintaining Aussie jobs seems to be a side issue no one will address... In this video Sims indeed gives the QF/EK tie up the thumbs up but a few days later casts doubt over the Virgin/Tiger takeover.... 
SQ have already announced an extra service to London once QF pulls out of Singapore in favour of Dubai. I doubt J* will have an easy time competing with this should Joyce replace the Qantas brand with J* to LHR via Singa's, for me the latter doesn't have the brand power.
I think Ben Sandilands explains the Virgin/Tiger issue better than I can here.
ACCC has doubts about Virgin and Tiger | Plane Talking
Business-class socialist | The Economist
British Airways: Care for a downgrade? | The Economist
Thanks for the link hotnhigh, it's a good read, an issue that appears to be where things are currently at with Qantas management, just replace the name Ayling with Joyce...
As I was working in the UK when the BA Go fly thing was happening, Ayling who instigated the LCC- Premium two brand strategy came unstuck and was unceremoniously dumped from his job, he managed to upset everyone who had anything to do with BA. Basically he destroyed the place. I compiled a pdf file on this part of BAs history for those interested, https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B85Q...NsM2VUSms/edit
It's a bit long... but covers most of the issues of that time.. For me, it's frightening to think that none of the big investors can see what Joyce is doing... he is doing a Robert Ayling, it's just the script has changed. I fear Joyce could do more terminal damage to Qantas (than Ayling did to BA) if he is allowed to continue for much longer, everyone I have spoken to over the this holiday period despise him unprompted by me. He is not a good face for Qantas, that I am now convinced of.
Basically we have until the 18th of January for someone to come up with a pretty good argument against the QF/EK tie up or Sims will cast it in stone for the next five years...
Pretty much where it is headed in my view as well...
SQ have already announced an extra service to London once QF pulls out of Singapore in favour of Dubai. I doubt J* will have an easy time competing with this should Joyce replace the Qantas brand with J* to LHR via Singa's, for me the latter doesn't have the brand power.
I think Ben Sandilands explains the Virgin/Tiger issue better than I can here.
ACCC has doubts about Virgin and Tiger | Plane Talking
by hotnhigh An interesting parallel perhaps?
Yet this youthful, left-leaning boss has hit BA like a whirlwind. Within weeks of his acceding to the throne in January 1996, management heads had rolled and a new structure was in place. By last autumn, he was unveiling his plan to cut £1 billion off BA's annual operating costs over three years. Service activities such as maintenance and catering would be outsourced, leaving only essential operations done in-house. That way BA could focus on running flights, filling them and serving customers in a streamlined “virtual airline”.
Where does this former airlines ceo's grand plan stand these days?
The same will be said of Joyce and Cliffords.
The same will be said of Joyce and Cliffords.
As I was working in the UK when the BA Go fly thing was happening, Ayling who instigated the LCC- Premium two brand strategy came unstuck and was unceremoniously dumped from his job, he managed to upset everyone who had anything to do with BA. Basically he destroyed the place. I compiled a pdf file on this part of BAs history for those interested, https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B85Q...NsM2VUSms/edit
It's a bit long... but covers most of the issues of that time.. For me, it's frightening to think that none of the big investors can see what Joyce is doing... he is doing a Robert Ayling, it's just the script has changed. I fear Joyce could do more terminal damage to Qantas (than Ayling did to BA) if he is allowed to continue for much longer, everyone I have spoken to over the this holiday period despise him unprompted by me. He is not a good face for Qantas, that I am now convinced of.
Basically we have until the 18th of January for someone to come up with a pretty good argument against the QF/EK tie up or Sims will cast it in stone for the next five years...
by busdriver007 Aer Lingus, Open Skies(British Airways) all bloody disasters as the passengers left in droves. Other point is they have been doing it with Atlas Air for years, e.g. Qantas flight numbers, wet leased crew....Remember Australia has only one airline that conforms with the Civil Aviation Navigation Act as Virgin is a majority foreign owned airline...The end is near. The Australian airline industry is f#%^&#ked.....How stupid are the Aussies! 2nd Jan 2013 21:00
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More to the puzzle:
Qantas is seeking lawyers in Dubai to set up a main operational/head office/admin support base in Dubai. When questioned as to whether it is just to 'implement the different functions of the partnership' the reply was...'no it's well beyond that...it's to set up an operational hub with high level strategic function possibly a head office'.
This is a snapshot of a conversation. Interesting stuff.
Qantas is seeking lawyers in Dubai to set up a main operational/head office/admin support base in Dubai. When questioned as to whether it is just to 'implement the different functions of the partnership' the reply was...'no it's well beyond that...it's to set up an operational hub with high level strategic function possibly a head office'.
This is a snapshot of a conversation. Interesting stuff.
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Actually SQ announced the fourth daily into LHR before the QF-EK tie up. It started in September as a 77W, but will become an A380 from Northern Summer when SQ will have 2 A380s leaving within 90mins of each other for SINLHR.
SQ also announced the 4th daily PER and MEL, while upgrading ADL to year round 12 weekly from July.
Unfortunately or fortunately, SQ's aggressive ramping up of capacity was the main reason that the ACCC didn't see the QF-EK alliance as harmful. If SQ as the largest foreign carrier into Australia said oh we can't compete and we'll cut services, the ACCC would have thought twice. However, SIA and Scoot and Silk Air will soon operate over 130 services a week into Australia, which would more than placate the ACCC.
SQ also announced the 4th daily PER and MEL, while upgrading ADL to year round 12 weekly from July.
Unfortunately or fortunately, SQ's aggressive ramping up of capacity was the main reason that the ACCC didn't see the QF-EK alliance as harmful. If SQ as the largest foreign carrier into Australia said oh we can't compete and we'll cut services, the ACCC would have thought twice. However, SIA and Scoot and Silk Air will soon operate over 130 services a week into Australia, which would more than placate the ACCC.
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Totally consistent with the history of decision making by this lot as there are only two options:
1.Make a decision, spend and then oops, change it.
2 Deciding and then not delivering anything.
No wonder the place is in chaos.
1.Make a decision, spend and then oops, change it.
2 Deciding and then not delivering anything.
No wonder the place is in chaos.