Plane Talking or Plane Biased?

[haydensydney]

I actually quite like his writing style. I read it for what it is - a blog. An angle on current aviation topics. If everyone online was writing the same thing from the same angle we wouldn't be half interested in reading would we? Having opinions spread across a wide spectrum of bias allows us, the readers, to make up our own minds and form our own views.

 

[oz_mark]

Baloney, Ben is one of the biggest Qantas bashers around. You only need to read the tone of his articles to see it.. So whilst I take his articles with a grain of salt, he is entitled to write them as such as it's an opinion piece as opposed to balanced article.

Unfortunately, balanced writing is not a hallmark of Australian journalism at the moment. In this case, though, it is clearly a blog where he gets to write as he sees fit (his articles in Crikey proper seem generally less provocative). One just has to read blogs (and newspapers such as The Australian) taking into account their biases.


On the plus side, his writing do cover a wide range of topics that I may not otherwise have been aware of.

 

[777]

I do not understand this anti-MBA thing. Is it really that bad to have professional managers running a multi-billion dollar company (airline)? Would things really be better if we let Ben Sandilands run the show?

Who knows. But the current lot have destroyed a LOT of value by any measure.

 

[ajca]

Who knows. But the current lot have destroyed a LOT of value by any measure.

'The current lot' have navigated Qantas through the worst financial crisis in a lifetime, while holding on to its status as the only major airline in the world with an investment-grade credit rating.

This is despite pretty serious structural challenges, e.g. having at least a 20% higher cost base than competitors because Australia is pretty much the most expensive place in the world to hire people and do business, being based in an 'end of the line' destination rather than a hub and therefore losing vast economies of scale that competitors in hub cities like Singapore and Dubai enjoy, and finally the airline industry having pretty much the worst economics of any industry in the history of mankind.*

Sure, Qantas's share price is a long way from its 2007 highs. But I would say the flying roo has done pretty well compared to its global counterparts - particularly those in the U.S., several of whom are now restructuring in bankruptcy protection...

So anyway, I would argue that being in the airline business during a global financial crisis is what destroyed the value in the share price, and it's a testament to QF management's skill that the company has held up so well.

* negative net returns to investors since the Wright Brothers first took flight, plus even Singapore Airlines and Cathay and even EMIRATES are finding it tough today

 

[777]

So anyway, I would argue that being in the airline business during a global financial crisis is what destroyed the value in the share price, and it's a testament to QF management's skill that the company has held up so well.

Well, that's one measure. I was actually thinking more in terms of brand value and how far Qantas has slipped on that front. But yes, the share price has tanked too as you point out.

 

[SteveJohnson]

In the past week we've seen two examples of Ben Sandilands running off with the tiniest rumour, treating it like it's a Big News Story and turning out to be completely wrong, to the point where QF has had to issue a statement correcting the gossip and speculation which he treats as 'reporting'.

First was the "Qantas to get 787s" blast which had not a shred of truth, The Australian and others ran items where Qantas came out and said it was bollocks. To their credit no respectable journalists touched the original 'story' with a ten foot pole. I've got RSS feeds for all of them and Australian Aviation, the SMH, The Australian, the AFR, AusBT, not of them gave it any credence although a few bloggers jumped on it and we even had a few here on AFF who said words to the effect of "Ben Sandilands said it so it must be true!".

Today he got smacked down again after an idiotic article pumping the equally idiotic line that Emirates was set to take a financial stake in Qantas. Bloomberg had the story and hyped it up a bit but Ben jumped on it and gave it his usual diving off the deep end treatment, so Qantas had to yet again issue a statement which he put on his website with QF explaining how it's simply not possible and Joyce has already ruled out such notions.

Yes Sandilands knows aviation and the industry but he strikes me as a cranky old bugger who will jump on any story to stir things up and justify his Crikey column and salary!

 

[pauly7]

In the past week we've seen two examples of Ben Sandilands running off with the tiniest rumour, treating it like it's a Big News Story and turning out to be completely wrong, to the point where QF has had to issue a statement correcting the gossip and speculation which he treats as 'reporting'.

First was the "Qantas to get 787s" blast which had not a shred of truth, The Australian and others ran items where Qantas came out and said it was bollocks. To their credit no respectable journalists touched the original 'story' with a ten foot pole. I've got RSS feeds for all of them and Australian Aviation, the SMH, The Australian, the AFR, AusBT, not of them gave it any credence although a few bloggers jumped on it and we even had a few here on AFF who said words to the effect of "Ben Sandilands said it so it must be true!".

Today he got smacked down again after an idiotic article pumping the equally idiotic line that Emirates was set to take a financial stake in Qantas. Bloomberg had the story and hyped it up a bit but Ben jumped on it and gave it his usual diving off the deep end treatment, so Qantas had to yet again issue a statement which he put on his website with QF explaining how it's simply not possible and Joyce has already ruled out such notions.

Yes Sandilands knows aviation and the industry but he strikes me as a cranky old bugger who will jump on any story to stir things up and justify his Crikey column and salary!

And still even 'learned' AFF members still fall for his 'stories'.....

 

[ChrisCunard]

I must admit, the reporting on the post share price plunge at plane talking has been very good.

 

[ChrisCunard]

'The current lot' have navigated Qantas through the worst financial crisis in a lifetime, while holding on to its status as the only major airline in the world with an investment-grade credit rating.

Latest reports suggest this may change soon.

 

[777]

You have to say his analysis of QF management looks better with each passing day.

 

[ChrisCunard]

Can't argue there!