Qantas Fleet Grounded 29/10

[QF WP]

Being it's 5pm in SYD/MEL noe and the FW hearing re-convened at 2pm, I would have thought we may have had a determination by now.

The longer it goes, the more long term brand damage to QF and the better VA get.

 

[munitalP]

Finally got through to QF customer service service a few minutes ago about my bookings. If anyone still thinks that they care about their frequent flyers well you would only need to have listened to that conversation for a couple of minutes to have your dreams shattered!

You are obviously angry at the airline at the moment and I feel for you, but since this happened yesterday, I have spoken with QF 2 times, once yesterday and once today. It took me approx 5 mins of random redials to get through (while eating breakfast), then a few seconds to be answered and solution found (admittedly I did offer the solution as the poor CS agent must have been receiving some cough today!). The new booking arrived by email within an hour. A change of flights from scheduled tonight MEL departure has me now via CBR using QF Link. I realise that this is a little different than going stateside (from which I returned on Thursday) but personally, for jetlag reasons alone, and for something as important as an award ceremony, I would have given myself at least a day's grace on arrival.

QF look after their frequent flyers very well - I can (and many others here) can contest to that.

As I said, I am sorry about you missing the presentations, it must really cut deep, but if there's >24 hours till it happens, SQ can get you there ex PER via TPE. I would be moving hell and highwater to be there if I was in the position you say.

 

[MatF]

Being it's 5pm in SYD/MEL noe and the FW hearing re-convened at 2pm, I would have thought we may have had a determination by now.

Hmmm, yes, I have no intention of heading to the airport at 5:30am tomorrow if QF definitely aren't back in the air, so I hope there's some kind of clear status communicated sometime tonight.

 

[BensAdventures]

Being it's 5pm in SYD/MEL noe and the FW hearing re-convened at 2pm, I would have thought we may have had a determination by now.

The longer it goes, the more long term brand damage to QF and the better VA get.

According to Sky News, QF present three witnesses and then the Unions cross examine them, then the Unions present numerous witnesses, and QF cross examines them. It took two hours for the first QF witness to be cross examined, so get ready for a long haul tonight.

 

[LiamR]

Being it's 5pm in SYD/MEL noe and the FW hearing re-convened at 2pm, I would have thought we may have had a determination by now.

The longer it goes, the more long term brand damage to QF and the better VA get.

I think it's about 15% complete. It'll be a long night.

 

[anat0l]

I think it's about 15% complete. It'll be a long night.

Flourless orange cake, handmade chocolates and sliced/fresh whole fruit shall be available throughout the night. Bottled water is also available. :mrgreen:


(Only a few people on this board will probably know what I'm referring specifically to...)

 

[thewinchester]

Being it's 5pm in SYD/MEL noe and the FW hearing re-convened at 2pm, I would have thought we may have had a determination by now.

The longer it goes, the more long term brand damage to QF and the better VA get.

You need to understand there are 16 different parties on the docket at this hearing. This includes QF, the three unions, ACTU, representatives for the Premiers of NSW, Vic and Qld, and legal counsel for at least one Federal Minister. And this is not withstanding the hearing is being conducted at the FWA offices in Sydney, but also video link participation from some of the aforementioned groups from three other capitals.

Just following the tweets from @latikambourke (Political and Social Media Journo for ABC) who's watching proceedings and giving blow by blow accounts, there's boatload of examination, cross-examination by any of the 16 odd parties present, and motions and counter-motions for everything from various documents, appearance of Alan Joyce, and so on.

Currently on the stand is a Qantas executive (not sure of their name at this stage), who's about to under more cross-examination.

Given all of that - I expect that the hearing, and the Judges deliberations will be going well into the night, and I agree the longer this goes on then the worse it becomes for all parties concerned as well as the aviation sector in general.

 

[drron]

Gotta love AMEX travel .... I just checked the VA website, and there are still seats available SYD-BNE tomorrow. *sigh*

Yes my son is flying SYD-WLG.Amex corporate travel rang to say his flight was cancelled.he had to tell them it was Jetconnect and hence OK.

 

[amaroo]

Bill Shorten has just entered FWA to show his support for the Union's! I know he's an ex ACTU President, but now he's Assistant Treasurer, surely trying to keep this issue apolitical from a Federal Government perspective would be preferred. I guess though this further proves why Labor was so unwilling to get involved.

Adam Bandt has also gone to FWA to support the protesters! Constituents of Melbourne, bow your heads!

The "Short" one never reached those dizzy heights of incompetence with the ACTU - pity, he's got it in him

Who's the other bloke you mentioned

 

[MatF]

Yes my son is flying SYD-WLG.Amex corporate travel rang to say his flight was cancelled.he had to tell them it was Jetconnect and hence OK.

Well at least they rang - they've never proactively notified me of any delay or cancellation. I very rarely hear directly from QF either, to be honest - still haven't been officially informed by anyone about this grounding.

 

[BensAdventures]

The "Short" one never reached those dizzy heights of incompetence with the ACTU - pity, he's got it in him

Who's the other bloke you mentioned

Sorry mate, National Secretary of the ACTU.... As for the other guy, I think we all wish we didn't know who he was!

 

[samiam]

I think it's about 15% complete. It'll be a long night.

My recent experience participating in a single Commissioner hearing at FWA (different industry) anticipated a duration of one day- it turned into 3 days, and that was only for two parties.

Much time is likely to be wasted on arguments regarding the admissibility of evidence and other incidental matters and, given the short notice nature of the hearing, it's likely that evidence in chief will have to be led, without reference to a witness statement which I understand can take longer.

I don't hold out a lot of hope for a speedy resolution through FWA, but I would dearly like to be proven wrong.

 

[RSD]

You are obviously angry at the airline at the moment and I feel for you, but since this happened yesterday, I have spoken with QF 2 times, once yesterday and once today. It took me approx 5 mins of random redials to get through (while eating breakfast), then a few seconds to be answered and solution found (admittedly I did offer the solution as the poor CS agent must have been receiving some cough today!). The new booking arrived by email within an hour. A change of flights from scheduled tonight MEL departure has me now via CBR using QF Link. I realise that this is a little different than going stateside (from which I returned on Thursday) but personally, for jetlag reasons alone, and for something as important as an award ceremony, I would have given myself at least a day's grace on arrival.

QF look after their frequent flyers very well - I can (and many others here) can contest to that.

As I said, I am sorry about you missing the presentations, it must really cut deep, but if there's >24 hours till it happens, SQ can get you there ex PER via TPE. I would be moving hell and highwater to be there if I was in the position you say.

I had to attend a wedding yesterday so unfortunately I couldn't leave any earlier. Because of the wedding I'm not in Perth either. I was polite to the customer service agent but it was evident that the care factor wasn't there. The award organisors have tried everything they can to get me there but have not been able to come up with a workable solution. Guess I'll just have to make sure I win the bloody thing again next year

 

[Flying mermaid]

No boss, it was the operations department. Which I thought, keeping up with current events, espically those in Aviation (Which is what their department's job is to do).

Then again, it's based in CBR so who knows if they have internet or not.

On a serious note, I think they didn't realise because SYD/CBR is still operating.

Of course we have internet - with the no of pollies and public servants here we have the best of everything.

SYD-CBR has a huge no of QantasLink so sort of OK, although the big jets are Qantas, so capacity will be a problem. Dr FM (aka the oldest Miss FM) is in BNE atm, but fortunately booked home on Qantaslink tomorrow - she has been caught in the volcano ash debacle twice and the snow that closed Heathrow last Christmas, so she was pleased not to be disrupted again.

 

[thewinchester]

Time to contribute some humour to the thread, and this comes from a fake twitter account (@AlanJoyceCEO) set up by an anonymous person sometime last night. Some of the tweets and jokes to date have been priceless.

A truckload of replies to people tweeting him, riffing on the Asian longhaul carrier and the payrise, but here's a selection of some;

What do you think the chior does when they're not singing? Have you seen our inflight food?

What you don't realise is that i've started an #OccupyQantasClub movement. It's really lonely in here at the moment though.

This FWA meeting is dragging on. Anyone know how to play flight control? I don't understand having all these planes in the air at once.

Just remember the etiquette for car pooling during this #Qantas grounding. Only the driver can fart at leisure. Everyone else holds on.

In discussions with Hayley Williams and B.o.B Katter regarding a potential cover of "Airplanes".

While we won't pay your care hire bills, remember to book with one of our approved partners so you can earn FF points! <link redacted>

My personal favourite however:

You people are brilliant. So many great offers of help. Scabs the lot of you. Come here and hug a happy CEO.

And all of this is on top of a poor American programmer who just happens to have the twitter handle @alanjoyce. The poor kid has been copping it left, right and centre - and it seems very reminiscent of what happened to that women last summer who had the twitter handle @theashes.

 

[PPW]

Don't forget about the terrible impact on decent, hardworking people, like me, who now will not be able to enjoy their planned hours tomorrow in the F Lounge in SYD.

On a serious note, it is detrimental for Qantas as I have cancelled $6,300 in flights, my SQ flights will remind me that life isn't bad on other airlines and I'll have an opportunity to try the SilverKris / KrisFlyer Gold lounge in SIN, thanks to my DJ WP status match:

Velocity Frequent Flyer Website > Global Lounge Access

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines owned and operated SilverKris lounges worldwide plus the KrisFlyer Gold Lounge in Changi Airport, Singapore

You and a guest on presentation of membership card and boarding pass for same day travel on Singapore Airlines

Though, BNE to SIN arrives in, and SIN to CKG departs from, T2 - so I probably won't enjoy the flagship Lounge in T3. Which lounge is better, the SilverKris or the KrisFlyer Gold - I have read that silver is better than gold?? Sorry for straying O/T.

Qantas really has made life hard (tongue, again, firmly in cheek - I do know there are many that are truly inconvenienced by this).

 

[amaroo]

My recent experience participating in a single Commissioner hearing at FWA (different industry) anticipated a duration of one day- it turned into 3 days, and that was only for two parties.

Much time is likely to be wasted on arguments regarding the admissibility of evidence and other incidental matters and, given the short notice nature of the hearing, it's likely that evidence in chief will have to be led, without reference to a witness statement which I understand can take longer.

I don't hold out a lot of hope for a speedy resolution through FWA, but I would dearly like to be proven wrong.

This is the same mob that has been investigating the Hon Mr Craig Thompson......I think it's been 3+ years & counting.

God help us :shock:

 

[QF WP]

For accom and incidental claims. See the QF page:

Qantas is also providing accommodation, meals and transfers for customers who are away from home. You can lodge your claim online (see 'Accommodation & Incidental Expenses').

 

[ReLoad]

Well I guess it had to happen, they have now pretty much fully eroded my WP status.

First it was loosing any time lounge access.
Then I lost my Neil Perry party pies.
Now I have lost access to a plane.

Bound to happen, its like the anti Moore's law. every 18 months the loses double.....

Could be worse, I have zero QF bookings at the minute!

 

[dfcatch]

Bill Shorten - was Secretary of the AWU.