Customer led vaccine revolution

[luxury-lizard]

I'm hopping mad about the cause of the current Greater Sydney Covid outbreak and lockdown and now a Virgin flight attendant has tested positive.

So I'm trying to figure out how to start a customer led "revolution" - I plan to tell QF and other airlines that my selection criteria when looking for flights will be ones where they guarantee that all flight crew are vaccinated (at least first dose). I'll pay a higher price if required and adapt my schedule - now if everyone did this . . . could be interesting. In the first instance I'll use social media - let's get started - everyone on the bandwagon.

I do realise that many crew may not yet be eligible due to their age (and short supply of Phyzer) - but in the coming months this won't be the case and it will take time for this drive to get momentum.

Mods - I won't cross post this on the Virgin thread (due to posting rules) - maybe it could be moved to a more appropriate thread - but I thought this thread is very well read and wanted to get wheels on this idea.

 

[Hvr]

I reckon the CEOs of the respective airlines would be strongly encouraging their customer-facing staff to vaccinate ASAP. Maybe even trying to get their staff to the front of the queue?

And I also suggest that the airline's customer-facing staff would want to be vaccinated ASAP. They know the consequences of not working and may even be financially affected by not flying. A huge incentive to encourage vaccination amongst colleagues and customers.

 

[Franky]

I'm hopping mad about the cause of the current Greater Sydney Covid outbreak and lockdown and now a Virgin flight attendant has tested positive.

So I'm trying to figure out how to start a customer led "revolution" - I plan to tell QF and other airlines that my selection criteria when looking for flights will be ones where they guarantee that all flight crew are vaccinated (at least first dose). I'll pay a higher price if required and adapt my schedule - now if everyone did this . . . could be interesting. In the first instance I'll use social media - let's get started - everyone on the bandwagon.

I do realise that many crew may not yet be eligible due to their age (and short supply of Phyzer) - but in the coming months this won't be the case and it will take time for this drive to get momentum.

Mods - I won't cross post this on the Virgin thread (due to posting rules) - maybe it could be moved to a more appropriate thread - but I thought this thread is very well read and wanted to get wheels on this idea.

I totally understand your frustrations, however even if all air crew were fully vaccinated, from what I understand they are still liable to catch the infection, and thus also able to spread it.

 

[luxury-lizard]

I totally understand your frustrations, however even if all air crew were fully vaccinated, from what I understand they are still liable to catch the infection, and thus also able to spread it.

Yes but much less likely to do either. I also agree with @Hvr - but it should also be a marketing tool to their customers. Some staff will still be hesitant for whatever reason or just lackadaisical (you know "it's not a race")

 

[dylarr]

Frontline aircrew currently aren't eligible based on their profession alone. There would be a large amount of FA's (in the 16-39 cohort) who would jump at the opportunity to be vaccinated, but just aren't eligible right now.

COVID-19 vaccination program for people aged under 40

Learn more about eligibility for people aged under 40 in the COVID-19 vaccination program.

www.health.gov.au

Qantas / AJ have been lobbying for aircrew to be vaxxed.

Qantas pushed for domestic air crew to jump vaccine queue

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce personally pushed for domestic flight crew to be vaccinated in phase 1B alongside healthcare workers and the elderly.

www.afr.com

 

[nancypants]

The former mr pants managed to get his 2 doses of Pfizer recently in Victoria on account of being a transport worker. Imagine in Qantas eyes tech crew are less of a priority than cabin crew on account of being way less exposed to the general public, however

 

[Franky]

Yes but much less likely to do either. I also agree with @Hvr - but it should also be a marketing tool to their customers. Some staff will still be hesitant for whatever reason or just lackadaisical (you know "it's not a race")

Whatever, but with what’s going on in the country right now from coast to coast, it would all seem a little academic.

 

[jb747]

I'm hopping mad about the cause of the current Greater Sydney Covid outbreak and lockdown and now a Virgin flight attendant has tested positive.

So I'm trying to figure out how to start a customer led "revolution" - I plan to tell QF and other airlines that my selection criteria when looking for flights will be ones where they guarantee that all flight crew are vaccinated (at least first dose). I'll pay a higher price if required and adapt my schedule - now if everyone did this . . . could be interesting. In the first instance I'll use social media - let's get started - everyone on the bandwagon.

I do realise that many crew may not yet be eligible due to their age (and short supply of Phyzer) - but in the coming months this won't be the case and it will take time for this drive to get momentum.

Your comment would seem to imply that you think the Sydney outbreak came from QF crew. From the feedback I’ve heard, they were crew from the other side of the Pacific, who don’t carry passengers. Reporting with regard to crew is odd at best. For instance the female cabin crew who was in issue in Qld, had supposedly recently been to Portugal. So, you immediately know that she’s not flying for an Australian airline. What isn’t so obvious is why she in 14 day quarantine at all.

I’d expect that very few crew would be holding out on getting the vaccine. On the other hand, I think the crew should be equally entitled to expect that all of the passengers are also all vaccinated.

 

[nancypants]

Your comment would seem to imply that you think the Sydney outbreak came from QF crew. From the feedback I’ve heard, they were crew from the other side of the Pacific, who don’t carry passengers. Reporting with regard to crew is odd at best. For instance the female cabin crew who was in issue in Qld, had supposedly recently been to Portugal. So, you immediately know that she’s not flying for an Australian airline. What isn’t so obvious is why she in 14 day quarantine at all.

I’d expect that very few crew would be holding out on getting the vaccine. On the other hand, I think the crew should be equally entitled to expect that all of the passengers are also all vaccinated.

I think reading between the lines, the crew in qld was hifly operating the AUSSIE contract ie military. I was slightly freaked out when I saw a bunch of hifly crew in the Darwin terminal this time last year

 

[luxury-lizard]

Just to clarify - I did not in anyway think QF crew was in anyway involved in current outbreak. I also agree that any airline should have the right to require passengers to be vaccinated (once it's possible) and likewise passengers should expect crew to be vaccinated. I was thinking if passengers pushed the issue it would encourage more QF crew to get vaccinated - I see that most seem to think the real issue is front line airline staff are not considered essential so not given priority.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It's an interesting thought but it creates a bit of a class that I'm not entirely comfortable with. And what about those air crew who have a legitimate medical reason for not being vaccinated - would they be left to be at more risk, because you could be sure that your usual anti-vax people would be either avoiding said airline entirely, or certainly not paying any extra.

In any case it is something that would only be practicable to run on the golden triangle anyway, so then the question becomes what happens when you connect to a regional service?

The biggest and best focus now is for the nation to get cracking and get vaccinated. If we do that to the best of our abilities then every flight will be a vaccine revolution flight...and for no extra charge

 

[wandering_fred]

I will agree that some measure is needed to insure incoming flight crew (any level) are unlikely to spread the virus. While this would probably would not change things a whole lot in Australia because of the extremely low infection rates, the alternative to the vaccine is an antibody test.
People who have recovered may have higher levels than provided by the vaccines (can you say sinovax?), And some medications lower the effectiveness of the vaccines - but you are still vaccinated?

Is the pot stirred when wandering
Fred

 

[luxury-lizard]

Well - "no idea is a bad idea"; however, it seems this one was an exception to this rule.

 

[milehighclub]

Alliance airlines is the first of the airlines to require mandatory vaccination for its staff.

 

[Vic]

aside from being illegal for the company to disclose employee's personal medical information, this is a great idea.

 

[Basalt]

I totally understand your frustrations, however even if all air crew were fully vaccinated, from what I understand they are still liable to catch the infection, and thus also able to spread it.

Seriously reduced chance of spreading it. Say, hypothetically, there was a 10% chance of being infected when fully vaccinated and also a 10% chance of spreading it, then the actual chance of spreading it when fully vaccinated would be 10% of 10%, so 1% chance of spreading it when fully vaccinated (i.e. you only have a chance of spreading it if you catch it). Look, if it was 20% and 20% (no way that high, but let's pretend), the chance of spreading from a fully vaccinated staffer or passenger (a maxed vaxed pax ) would still only be 4%. At that spreading level, the virus is going to die out.

 

[Franky]

Seriously reduced chance of spreading it. Say, hypothetically, there was a 10% chance of being infected when fully vaccinated and also a 10% chance of spreading it, then the actual chance of spreading it when fully vaccinated would be 10% of 10%, so 1% chance of spreading it when fully vaccinated (i.e. you only have a chance of spreading it if you catch it). Look, if it was 20% and 20% (no way that high, but let's pretend), the chance of spreading from a fully vaccinated staffer or passenger (a maxed vaxed pax ) would still only be 4%. At that spreading level, the virus is going to die out.

Hmm - maths were never my strong suit, but I think I get what your'e on about...

 

[BD1959]

The core issue here is that the country as a whole is not nearly vaccinated to the level to which we should.

Regards,

BD

 

[jb747]

And what about those air crew who have a legitimate medical reason for not being vaccinated - would they be left to be at more risk, because you could be sure that your usual anti-vax people would be either avoiding said airline entirely, or certainly not paying any extra.

What legitimate medical reasons are there, that wouldn’t preclude flying as crew anyway?

 

[cwphoto]

Bad idea.