speedbirdhouse

"Have heard that the B743 SYD-BOM-SYD flights will become A333 ops with a tech stop at DRW on the outbound sector, possibly as early as JAN06."


More international flying leached to the domestics??

Bad Adventures

That all makes sense Rollz

QF is losing buckets on the Mumbai run using these weight restricted 747-300 rust buckets. By a tech stop in DRW I gather you mean a refueling stop as the A330-300 does not have the range either. It will be interesting to see, whichever crew does the run whether they will be slipping in DRW, otherwise it's a huge tour of duty. With the QF15/QF16 going and the QF29/QF30 going up to daily, those nice long slips the LHR base crew has been getting in SIN & HKG will be history, what a lovely base that will be to fly out of then! The cancellation of those A330 SYD-MEL-HKG flights will free up aircraft for the additional Shanghai service and the new 3 times weekly Beijing services. The additional JNB service which starts in DEC and is going through Perth for the 1st 3 months is going to be done by 747-300 aircraft. Once that goes to a direct service in FEB 2006 I wonder what's going to happen with the 747-300's then? Over to Australian Airlines maybe or should I say Jetstar international as they will soon be known. Anyway definitely interesting times and thanks for the update.

Enema Bandit's Dad

I heard they may be looking at setting a base up in Mumbai.

Captain.Q

....everywhere else on the planet.

qfcsm

And that will be for cultural reasons.... of course!
QF management must think the world is full of dummies!

Hey it's cool when I get those sales calls from India and they say "I am calling from India. Would you like to buy..." and that's where I cut them off and say "NO THANKS. I only buy from companies that don't sell off their jobs to cheap overseas markets. Take me off your database immediately. GOODBYE." Works a treat!

Wish we could do the same onbaord....

Jet_Black_Monaro

Whilst you may not be prepared to buy from a company with overseas employees, it's clear you are quite prepared to work for one.

You should try and stand by your convictions. Why don't you go into QF and asked them to remove YOU from their database?

From the posts you make, I am sure they would be more than happy to oblige you.

Don Esson

Why do so many whinge and whine when we see some of the conditions enjoyed by certain cabin crew?

The following is copied from a web-site that sets out certain of the conditions enjoyed by Qantas Long-Haul flight attendants.

"Qantas Long Haul cabin crew enjoy the following conditions to just name a few: -

* Salaries substantially above the community average for working 22.85 hours per week.
* 6 weeks annual leave per year.
* A preferential bid system.
* A Pay Equalisation Agreement that protects salaries whilst on Reserve.
* A Slipping Formula that guarantees rest provisions whilst upline.
* First Class hotel accommodation whilst on duty.
* A Meal Allowance system that is amongst the best in the world.
* Redundancy arrangements that are far beyond legislated requirements.
* Maternity Leave provisions and Part Time employment access beyond what most employees in Australia enjoy."

That they should be so fortunate, yet they dare to constantly complain. Oh to work for an average of just 22.85 hours a week , or a bit over 4 hours a day based on a five day week, and get six weeks annual leave, not to mention quite long breaks at various cities around the world at their employers expense!

Time to get a grip of yourselves before the world realises just how fortunate and molly-coddled you really are.

jettlager

Hiya Don,

you might be interested to hear that QF longhaul pilots do the same [averaged out] number of hours work a week and in many cases even less.

Do you know why? I'll tell you.

Its because of the unique circumstances pertaining to our LONGHAUL FLYING occupations.

Would you be happy to see aircrew paying for and finding their own accomodation when overseas.

You my dear friend ought to be the one to, "get a grip".

Don Esson

Jetlagger -neither a need nor requirement to get personal but I will say that you appear to not understand.

What I posted had nothing at all to do with pilots. It's not relevant to them in any way. Furthermore, pilots are not vocally critical about their conditions as, if they were, I and many others would say the same about them as I have said about carping flight attendants. Who said any crew has to pay for his or her accommodation? Most workers would settle for a three star hotel let alone a five star! But.....are you a worker?

Here we have proof that the FAAA implies that life is pretty good as a Longhaul flight attendant. From what the union has said, I'd have to agree. If it's not that good, get out and see how things are in the 'real world' - no one is asking you or any of your colleagues to work in your sheltered workshop under conditions that you find unacceptable. Most workers I know would find Qantas's flight attendant conditions and lifestyles something they could only dream about much less achieve. Get real.

Qwannas

What are you TALKING about?

Don, have you ever tried to get some decent sleep on min rest in a three star hotel? I have! It’s difficult to pin point exactly what it was that made it almost impossible to sleep - perhaps it was the noise coming from the band at the pub next door, the fact that the air conditioner sounded like a metroliner taxiing in, or that it just didn’t work properly and the room wouldn’t cool below 30 degrees, could have even been the stench of cigarettes coming from my pillows/blankets .

You’re foolish to come on here and make comments like this.

Being a FA is a difficult job and asking for a nice place to rest while you are away from your home (making profit for your company) isn’t a big ask.

Captain.Q

20 years of Intercontinental flying reduces life expectancy on an average of about 10 years.Exposure to cosmic radiation causes chromosomal damage and increases markedly the likelihood of certain cancers developing..particularly in women.Female Flight Attendants find it more difficult to fall pregnant and have a higher rate of miscarriage than the general population.
Qantas pays on average $US35/night across the network for its crew accommodation
Very few crew complain about wages and conditions.What they do complain about is management,particularly at Qantas.Indifferent intimidating threatening and generally incompetent.Talk to your average frequent flyer about QF management.
When was the last time you worked 23 hours straight?Missed christmas,your childs birthday,wedding anniversary.The burden this places on CC partners is enormous.
CC wages reflect this unusual life.
After years of travel so called five star hotel accomodation becomes just another room...a place to shower and sleep.
Mr.Esson walk a mile in someone elses moccassins before you are critical of them

qcc2

mr. esson take note of captain q remarks. there are many other issues not mentioned. its unfortunate the faaa has gone to this lentgh to peddle their pathetic lines. crew upline do not appriciate it as discussed at this mornings brekky.
bring on the next election

qcc2

remember the pilots have their own little chatroom via the pilots union website where they can discuss all aspects of their current eba negotiations (as usual they wait until everbody elses eba are done) and other ongoing issues. this chatroom was proposed to the faaa, but they are not interested.
wonder why?

gigs

don im not even long haul and i think you, as old sir joh would say is,wrong wrong wrong. maybe you should try working 4 or what ever hours a day it is at from say 0100 am to 0500 am then stay in a 3 star hotel and then get some room service oh! sorry not available to bad you didnt have time to eat on your duty.get some sleep oh! bit noisey is it. go for a walk,no! the streets are not safe outside in this city.cool just have a drink at 12 noon when the bar is open sorry you dont like to wait or like the bar with the young girls your working with but,would they their folks and or partners like them to stay in these unsafe conditions?

jesski

I'm not totally agreeing, because alot of you say, yes i cannot judge your job until i have worked it myself.
But seriously? You make it sound like the worst job in the world! Yeah some of the conditions certainly aren't favourable, but no job is ever going to be perfect. Yes u do have the rights to fight for better conditions but reading these threads just makes some of you seem downright ungrateful. Think back to your old jobs... surely its better than working 40hrs a week behind a checkout....
If its not, go do that then.

VH-Cheer Up

With apologies to Greg (Coudabeen) Champion:

Guru Bob says "Walk a mile in someone's shoes before you criticise them".

"That way, when you do criticise them, you're one mile away. And you've got their shoes".

qfcsm

For the record:

Yep, generally speaking it's a good well paid job!
That's why we want to keep it – GET IT!
If QF management gets its way it will be a checkout job (no disrespect to the checkout guys who do a great job).

So please stop all the crap about “if you don’t like it, leave” because we do like it. And we will fight to keep it and the conditions that go with it.

Finale:
QF management are terrorists who have set about trying to destroy our way of work. We will never give in to the QF management terrorists.
I will stay here and do just enough to keep my job - no more no less.
Above and beyond is well and truly over and out!

speedbirdhouse

Hear, hear on all accounts QFCSM.

I am another who will not succumb or deliver above the absolute minimum required to keep my job.

Qantas management are greedy corporate thugs of the worst kind.

The "visitors" bully, theaten and intimidate in their dealings with cabin crew and as a long time employee I have never seen our work environment so poisonous.

The company and it's employees deserve so much better.

RaverFlaver

With regards to hotel accommodation,

At AO we stay in 3*, 4* and a 5* hotel. Have never had any troubles with regard to noise, unsafe areas or the above mentioned....Funnily enough the 5* hotel has the worst beds I have ever come across, and the 3* hotel has the best! Go figure!Not too sure what hotels they have been putting you guys in previously, but I'm guessing they are the same ones we stay in now!

Over paid. No.

Underpaid. No.

Easy work. Yes.

Compared to the standard office job with 8 hour days......I'll take the flying anyday. A 7 hour flight with a 2 hour break on a night flight. Hardly greulling work for the money we get.

Just my perspective.

Have a great day.

RaverFlaver

speedbirdhouse

AO crew fly single economy class, North-South for 7 hours at a stretch.

QF crew fly 3 class, East-West for 14+ hours at a stretch.

AO crew experience little in the way of time zone differences.

QF crew experience time zone differences of up to 12 hours.

The ONLY hotel QF crew have an issue with is the one in downtown LA [ crackville ]

The hotel is great however the area is unsafe.