the jetstar wonder

[AT463]

what will happen when jetstar starts up. who wil do the catering. Will it be by qantas or will it be done by a private company. Who will clean the planes. If it is no frills or the new u-beaut cheap airline, how come it looks good when they say it is only 89 dollars from brisbane to such and such. When you read underneath it only says one way and is by the internet. if you throw in the taxes and charges, then it makes you want to fly on an ordinary flight doesn't it.

[jasmin]

I agree with what you've said, though if you found out the full airfare for example from Brisbane to Sydney, one way is well over $300 ( full fare economy) so all airlines are doing it cheaper on many seats these days. The bus fare from Brisbane to Sydney is on average about $90 one way - sometimes more ( according to many bus company's websites) and it takes on average 12 hours. By plane it's only an hour - the general public have become used to low fares and have become accustomed to believe that $100 one way BNE SYD ( for example) is expensive........ There is always the bus ( now THAT'S no frills). Good point though. I'd prefer to get a similar fare on Qantas and get a snack and inflight entertainment if the fares aren't too different.

[qfmike737]

Well I definately know that in BNE Qantas are not doing the catering. The ex Ansett catering facility Alpha catering (formerly gate gourmet) will provide the snacks for Jetstar.

I guess the very idea of Jetstar is to allow Qantas to operate more cost effeciently and lure more customers into flying with lower operating costs. Frequent flyer points can burnt on jetstar allowing the airline to save money on frequent flyer points.

There will be less opportunity to say I'd fly Qantas i'm better off as I'm goign to get a meal and the inlight services for about the same price anyway. These exisiting services will soon become Jetstar. 1/3 of the domestic market to be jetstar Virginblue 1/3 of the market and Qantas to do 1/3.

All in all there wont be as much need for disposable economy meal boxes for domestic flights.

[Jet_Black_Monaro]

It is obvious to all that Jetstar is a back door way of getting lower wages and better productivity. And the travelling public will reap the benefits.

Jetstar will no doubt consume most QF routes over time and I would be very surprised if QF were doing much more than inter-capital flying in the long term.

This will allow QF to eliminate large sections of their workforce that are on comparatively much higher rates of pay and whose enterprise agreements offer far less productivity. There will just be no jobs there at QF for them any more.

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

It is obvious to all that Jetstar is a back door way of getting lower wages and better productivity. And the travelling public will reap the benefits

This will allow QF to eliminate large sections of their workforce that are on comparatively much higher rates of pay and whose enterprise agreements offer far less productivity. There will just be no jobs there at QF for them any more.

I dont think its a way to eliminate people that are already there.. its just a way to employ people at a lower wage... and in this case, the crew were all on a lower wage in a subsidary airline anyway so they just decided to use that as the new conditions. In terms of the staff working at jetstar, its not a lower wage, its exactly the same. It would only be lower if you were flying LH and resigned and reapplied for jetstar. get what i mean?

Jetstar shouldnt have that big an impact on QF except in the areas of future recruitment etc (ie if jetstar begins to take over SH flying.. but there will always be a need for a 2 class flight to some degree. they will prob just use them somewhere else as an expansion.
As far as i know there have been no jobs lost in the cabin crew departments.. the only ones i know of are some ground crew at regional airports.
I suppose if they re-negotiated the eba when it runs out they may take a pay cut but i cant see that happening and i certainly think that if it does happen, it wont be 100% because of jetstar.. companies will always look for a cheaper option or way to do things.

Gate Gourmet is doing the catering for Jetstar flights. The food they propose to sell looks quite good actually.

[ditzyboy]

AT463 -
The regular web fares are as low as $59! All fares INCLUDE taxes since early last year... There you go. Use what you will now save to buy yourself a clue Jetstar fares are MUCH cheaper than QF fares in each category. Business people who need flexible fares are winners too. The full fare is over $100 cheaper each way on Jetstar on MEL-HBA... Makes the little points you earn and one inch more legroom and a pathetic snack seem pointless really.

Lets face it - expecting FF points, a 3 course hot meal and IFE on a 50 minute domestic sector for $100 (or less) in these times is ludicrous! Just can't and won't happen in OZ anymore. Just like everywhere else in the world.

Did you know the cheapest one way fare you could get SYD-MEL in 1990 (prior to Compass - and then afterwards!) was full Y minus 5%? So you were looking at $190 ONE WAY. Take inflation into account and insurance, fuel prices and taxes etc and you get around $330 ish nowadays.... Yet we all fly one way for as little as $59 (and on Virgin / Jetstar full fare $200). In 1990 you could get a return for as little as $190 ($95 each way) but you had to book 21 days prior and stay a Sat night or three nights and the tix were not changeable or refundable under any circumstance. Again those prices don't take into account rising costs, taxes and inflation. And nowadays one can make changes to a cheap booking for $30 a pop.

I think it is pretty amazing that the airlines can make any money at all! The cost of air travel has dropped phenomenonly over the years yet the general public expect more and more by way of product. Seems crazy to me!

Having tasted some of what will be offered it is quite scrummy. Phase 1 of the catering (approx 3 months) will be quite simple compared to Phase 2 though phase 1 is on par with the Virgin Blue product (I think it is better). Customers can also use the money they save towards purchasing higher quality food on board and they now have a choice in what they eat.

We as Australians have safe reliable air travel available to us for CHEAPER than it has ever been. Lets embrace it and not whinge about what once was. Don't whinge about the frills we once had unless you are willing to pay the prices we once did! I don't think anyone is prepared to do that though.

Jetstar is necessary to sustain cheap air travel for Australians and will also ensure the success of a premium Qantas product domestically. Yeh Jetstar may take over more lesuire flying but Impulse has just lost Tassie and OOL overnights to Short Haul and ROK to Sunnies (that's a rumour I heard). So I don't see any lost opportunities for Short Haul FAs in the near future.

As for Impulse FAs - we are on the same award so we aren't losing out on any conditions and we are using the change to Jetstar to fight for more.

Re. Cleaning...

The aircraft will be prime cleaned (overnight cleaned) every four sectors or as required during the day. That is any vaccuming, vomit, spills or toilet mess will be done on a request basis by cleaning contractors. Cabin Crew will be responsable for crossing seatbelts on turn arounds and putting the safety cards at the front of the seat pockets. Rubbish collection will be done at Top of Descent. I can't wait to run through the cabin with a rubbish bag saying "Your trash, Sir?" as "You're trash Sir." :


*My Disclaimer* I think my last few posts on here totally opposed the whole Jetstar thing. I am still not really happy about this whole change but I am having an open mind and embracing it - doesn't mean I have to agree. My opinion doesn't matter to the QF board anyway. I hate the fact we are losing the bulk of our overnights by late 2004 as much as the next person but I guess we still all have jobs Just picking the good points of this change and running with them!

Still mouring the official loss of glamour in my career (and aviation as a whole) Good night, kids!

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

This is the most tragic operation ever seen.
I went for the interview God knows why in March only to be eliminated after the seminar along with several other ex F/A's.
I wrote and told them what a disgraceful way to treat experienced crew...got it off my chest anyway.

QF and their subsidiaries do this crap all the time!
Same deal with Australian in Nov 03, eight of us experienced snr int crew got no further than the seminar!!

I would be giving this Pornstar airline a big miss, the wages, conditions and bases are really poor....oh no overnights!!!

Gee you have a positive attitude!


Mabye you are experienced but so are hundreds of others out there without a job.. experience dosent count for alot these days and generally its the attitude you go in with that counts.

[ditzyboy]

My God! Do attitudes like that really exist, She's Great...?

That is hilarious! How will we at JQ cope without this person? Makes me wonder that person needed overnights so much?! Could no one bear him/her being at home all the time?

I am going to miss the 3 pound steaks in Rocky though And Kareoke at the Jungle Bar. And the Criterion. And Hooters Oh and there was The Stadium that was fun for dancing full on. Never forgot dancing with a local who was wearing a VB singlet. She kept saying "You're a Honey..." Her voice was more deep than mine so I screamed and ran! And there was an Army boy this one time... And a fireman. OK I will just stop now!

She's Great... I heard there was a room party with either Marines or a football team. Do you know anything?

[qfmike737]

Oh my god ditzy! how could you fly without your dosage of Jungle bar? or Criterion Steak???

Did you ever meet the guy at the Jungle bar that always wore Army pants and the leather arm band things?? Oh my god he was sooo funny he used to sing song likes 'hit me baby one more time' LOL

I've already talked to some BNE based crew and they said they'll miss the layovers in Mackay etc. I dont blame them.

[ShesGreatintheGalley]

ditzy it was marines and it sounds much worse than it was!
I am REALLY going to miss the overnights too.. i love them so much.. its like my home away from home in ROK and MKY and HBA!

I dont think i will be able to fly without my fortnightly dose of real beef from the beef capital! My wings might fall off! May have to offload myself!!

[Mr Seatback 2]

Having recently completed the start of the JetStar conversion training, I believe this 'ex int fa' as referred to earlier is a 'pit dweller'...what do you you think SGITG and Ditz?

Whoever posted this nonsense (since it was wisely deleted) obviously deserves the recognition they clearly invite through their bad attitude.

Just 'cause you've flown before does not make you the bee's knees at JetStar...around half of our airline have ex-fliers with us now, and they're all lovely. It was their attitude (GOOD attitude) that got them in, not some outdated expectation that just because you've flown before you automatically deserve a job elsewhere.

Ask yourself, whoever you are, why Australian rejected you also. Oh yes...the world's against you.

Wise up and think about it phantom poster.

As for the meat...I'm reallly going to miss my Queensland meat. Grrr.....

And as for you Ditz...I'm surprised you didn't take the VB singlet from her. How butch would it be if you wore that to next year's party? Remember - those ACON people will find you to make sure you're okay (just like they found me )...