Let us know your most outrageous thoughts on any topic about flying

[Max Samuels]

Tats aren't really an indicator of the same thing they used to be … used to be "I'm tough, really tough, you'd better not look at me sideways because there's an 80% chance I've got my Glock on me & your brains will be all over that wall" … now it's "I've been to Bali *vapid giggle*".
So I'd say you're a bit out of touch there, yeah.

I see what you're saying, but I still struggle to see tatts as "classy", right? Look at the image airlines try to generate for their product, and you don't really see tatts anywhere, right?

 

[Forg]

Segue … that potential FA guy was potentially working for QantasLink … what's the relationship between QantasLink and Qantas? I was under the (uninformed) impression that QantasLink was just branding for a bunch of "fly by night" (tee hee) little regional carriers that have partnered with Qantas & are getting the QantasLink branding on the 'planes as part of what's effectively a marketing exercise … ie. Qantas doesn't actually own any of the QantasLink operators … ?

I see what you're saying, but I still struggle to see tatts as "classy", right? Look at the image airlines try to generate for their product, and you don't really see tatts anywhere, right?

Hey I'm old too, the only result I get if I try & absorb the concept of a tat not being a rite-of-entry into Centrelink is that the owner of the tat is either a millennial who's trying to be as cool as Taylor Swift (or whatever they call Britney Spears these days) or they're a grunt going through a mid-life crisis & their poorly-informed opinion of what's cool is trying to look like a millennial who's trying to be as cool as whatever they call Britney Spears these days.

 

[Max Samuels]

Segue … that potential FA guy was potentially working for QantasLink … what's the relationship between QantasLink and Qantas? I was under the (uninformed) impression that QantasLink was just branding for a bunch of "fly by night" (tee hee) little regional carriers that have partnered with Qantas & are getting the QantasLink branding on the 'planes as part of what's effectively a marketing exercise … ie. Qantas doesn't actually own any of the QantasLink operators … ?

Interesting.... I do not know of such things. But regardless, a guy should get paid for training right?
And even if what you say is true, one could argue that Qantas' brand is tarnished if it is revealed it uses slave labour?

 

[Forg]

^ I waver between "that's just bad behaviour" and "that's just business" on such matters. What level of bad PR loses business that makes up for a reduction in costs?

Pinto fuel-tank anyone?

 

[Fergo747]

From the QF website....

QantasLink is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas Airways and Australia's largest regional airline. It operates around 2,000 flights each week to nearly 50 metropolitan and regional destinations across Australia. QantasLink is comprised of three different regional airlines - Airlink, Eastern Australia Airlines and Sunstate Airlines.

 

[Forg]

Ta, Fergo.

 

[p--and--t]

Interesting.... I do not know of such things. But regardless, a guy should get paid for training right?
And even if what you say is true, one could argue that Qantas' brand is tarnished if it is revealed it uses slave labour?

If you are going to be a champion in this matter, then perhaps take on law firm interns (sometimes many months allegedly), accountancy firm interns, retail shops, cafes and many many more that do this both legally and illegally.

In the case of Qantaslink, I believe the FWO would deem it appropriate as they are being provided real formalised training rather than come work for free for a fortnight and we might think about giving you a job.

 

[Fergo747]

If you are going to be a champion in this matter, then perhaps take on law firm interns (sometimes many months allegedly), accountancy firm interns, retail shops, cafes and many many more that do this both legally and illegally.

In the case of Qantaslink, I believe the FWO would deem it appropriate as they are being provided real formalised training rather than come work for free for a fortnight and we might think about giving you a job.

The unpaid internships in professional services / law etc are largely being stamped out and replaced with paid 'vacation' programs.

Regardless of this, the fair work site suggests that "If an employee has to do training as part of their job, they have to be paid the right pay for those hours worked." Welcome to the Fair Work Ombudsman website

One would think that to qualify as an FA and be able to work on an aircraft, the employee 'has to do training as part of their job' and therefore should be paid for those hours. Now, I'm sure that Qantas have deemed that these people are not employees and are being assessed for their suitability and therefore do not need to be paid. Legal, yes, ethical / morally correct, no.

 

[SOPOOR]

My outrageous comment

I think reward points should be like cash,

Ie reward bookings shouldnt be allowed to charge surcharges/taxes etc
They shouldn't expire
There should be no restrictions
Availability should be the same as a cash ticket
No devaluation

Youve spent your money to gain those points, the airline had already made a profit, so there is no argument any points earnt should expire or get devalued is just corporate greed

 

[cambriamarsh]

My outrageous comment

I think reward points should be like cash,

Ie reward bookings shouldnt be allowed to charge surcharges/taxes etc
They shouldn't expire
There should be no restrictions
Availability should be the same as a cash ticket
No devaluation

Youve spent your money to gain those points, the airline had already made a profit, so there is no argument any points earnt should expire or get devalued is just corporate greed

What you've described is largely the NZ program, except their points do expire. That is usually considered one of the worst in the world. NZ gives Airpoints dollars that are silent like cash.

The others effectively charge retail for Y and discount J and F. I prefer the non-NZ approach.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Max Samuels]

Pinto fuel-tank anyone?

Yeah I listened to a podcast on that recently..... OMG I had no idea what a debacle that was!

 

[ovtraveller]

The thing that tickles my fancy is the fact that a professed love of our national carrier is deemed to be outrageous and raises the suspicion that the author is a Qantas staff member. Nothing beats leaving a foreign country and being greeted by Qantas staff with a cheery gday. To be more controversial: the decision by LATAM to depart from the OW alliance, just when I have booked returns from Melb. to BA and I am 10 SC short to get to P. Hope they delay until after 2/2/2020! Enough whinging, love the forum, bring on the ludicrous!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The thing that tickles my fancy is the fact that a professed love of our national carrier is deemed to be outrageous and raises the suspicion that the author is a Qantas staff member. Nothing beats leaving a foreign country and being greeted by Qantas staff with a cheery gday. To be more controversial: the decision by LATAM to depart from the OW alliance, just when I have booked returns from Melb. to BA and I am 10 SC short to get to P. Hope they delay until after 2/2/2020! Enough whinging, love the forum, bring on the ludicrous!

Sure. But the chances of a ‘cheery gday’ is only around 50% when flying qantas. And the 50% where the crew don’t want to be there makes it a huge gamble

 

[Max Samuels]

Nothing beats leaving a foreign country and being greeted by Qantas staff with a cheery gday.

Tell that to the Veronicas.....

Interesting point though. Personally, I suffer from a cultural cringe (for which I am receiving therapy - part of which was going to a pub in Richmond and being forced to endure the football on Saturday - now I need therapy to get over that experience)... but I digress...

I know many people, who when they enter the QF club in a foreign port, feel totally at home being surrounded by all the Aussie accents and local newspapers (where they can read about the footy). I know other people that think its totally ridgy didge when the QF pilot gets on the PA and makes a joke about the cricket and gives updates on the score (about 3 people laugh at the joke). As for me? Not so keen. I prefer being greeted by a normal person with a normal voice using normal words. I don't like being called "mate". I don't like the salutation "g'day". It makes me feel like a cliche. However I'm not offended (obviously I am a free speech absolutist), it just doesn't warm the coughles of me heart and doesn't "add" anything to my experience....

 

[Forg]

^ As a very infrequent traveller, I definitely like seeing that big red kangaroo tail at some foreign airport or other when I've been OS for a month. It's like a piece of Home.

Irrelevant to me as to whether I'll be on a QF flight, I definitely have warmed coughles just seeing the 'plane.

I can't recall having seen Jetstar OS (apart from New Zealand - but then New Zealand feels closer to home for me than WA), and I've not seen Virgin Australia … but assume I'd have the same reaction with them.

 

[Max Samuels]

^ As a very infrequent traveller, I definitely like seeing that big red kangaroo tail at some foreign airport or other when I've been OS for a month. It's like a piece of Home.

Yeah I agree with that - but hopefully I am NOT flying them if there is also a CX,JL or EK aircraft heading home also!

 

[drron]

Tell that to the Veronicas.....

Interesting point though. Personally, I suffer from a cultural cringe (for which I am receiving therapy - part of which was going to a pub in Richmond and being forced to endure the football on Saturday - now I need therapy to get over that experience)... but I digress...

I know many people, who when they enter the QF club in a foreign port, feel totally at home being surrounded by all the Aussie accents and local newspapers (where they can read about the footy). I know other people that think its totally ridgy didge when the QF pilot gets on the PA and makes a joke about the cricket and gives updates on the score (about 3 people laugh at the joke). As for me? Not so keen. I prefer being greeted by a normal person with a normal voice using normal words. I don't like being called "mate". I don't like the salutation "g'day". It makes me feel like a cliche. However I'm not offended (obviously I am a free speech absolutist), it just doesn't warm the coughles of me heart and doesn't "add" anything to my experience....

Well you had better steer clear of me.I am hopeless at names so "mate'is commonly used by moi-didn't want to sound too Aussie.
In the US and UK I often utter g'day as it is what most expect me to say.

 

[pgsdiver]

This seems to be a quite QF-centric topic, but here goes my outrageous comment:

I'm starting to think SQ's Book-the-Cook is overrated.

 

[Max Samuels]

Well you had better steer clear of me.I am hopeless at names so "mate'is commonly used by moi-didn't want to sound too Aussie.
In the US and UK I often utter g'day as it is what most expect me to say.

Do you take your pet Kangaroo too

 

[drron]

I've only got a pet blue tongue.