Qantanomics, the Airline that stopped a nation.

What a week in the Australian Airline Industry. On Saturday 29th October, I got a text message from my National Project Manager.

Qantas has shut down the Australian Air Travel Market, 68000 people affected, no stranded and the message from my political masters is “Good Luck”. They have other staff to worry about. It was the people who were sitting on aircraft and asked to disembark before taking off and the passengers who were in mid flight and turfed into Hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong who I felt for. In the latter, some were asked to share with fellow passengers.

But this was the intro to another battle, the industrial relations at the heart of the matter. The unions involved had promised 12 months of rolling stoppages in the ilk of “death by a thousand cuts” and this was something that the “Spirit of Australia” and the Irish CEO was not going to stand for, understandably. I could not help but think it was timed around the Melbourne Cup because it would effect less domestic business travelers and the “race that stops a nation” is sponsored by a competitor.

I noticed that the Airline Pilot’s union is back in the Federal Court trying to extract an exemption to wear the red ties (their a militant bunch) or something to that effect.  Alan, if a group of professionals want to protest by wearing red ties and you see this as the threat to your business model, I suggest you drink less coffee in the mornings!

What a storm in a tea cup – well I was not affected!  By Tuesday all was back to normal and the million hours of coverage was, well History.  We are flying again but for how much longer is anyone’s guess.  What I found all very oddwas the 250 odd people affected by the A380 landing in Dubai due to an engine problem.  This was a few days  after Qantas was up and flying again.  I thought they had thousands of stranded customers but two after normal resumption of service, a air frame that carries 450 people only had 258 passengers.  With a 55% loading, remind me again exactly how many people were stranded but the shutdown?

Qantas Club belly

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the Qantas Club Lounge is Canberra was akin to a tip.  I had not been back in since then and but today, wow, what a transformation.  It is so clean, you can eat from the floor. No dirty coffee machines, mountains of dirty plates and a general trashiness that is was.  But all this cleanliness has come at a price. I stood at the bar for 5 minuets waiting for a drink.  The manager walked past and asked if I wanted anything.  I had to refrain in my comments!  She obviously has a new directive: clean, clean, clean and do not worry about the service.  Ah well, maybe next week will make for a better balance!