Qantas to operate evacuation flights from Lebanon via Cyprus to Sydney

[sudoer]

I read somewhere that one evacuation flight (QF?) had many spare seats.

SMH this morning possibly.

Australians in mass no-show for evacuation flight from Lebanon

The federal government estimates there are about 15,000 Australians in Lebanon. Some people have continued travelling there against DFAT advice.

www.smh.com.au

 

[leadman]

I've read a lot of comments here and mainly elsewhere about the 1/2 full flights, etc., and the line from To Kill a Mockingbird about being "in the other man's skin" doesn't miss the mark. Mrs Leadman is a Maronite Lebanese, and she has the nightly phone calls back home to the family in the north and its very sad. One family member is Australian and up there looking after his mum, dad, aunts and uncles, as amenities are failing (i.e. water supply, sewerage....). He just will not walk away from them; could you?

 

[Sprucegoose]

I read somewhere that one evacuation flight (QF?) had many spare seats.

Media is also reporting that some Australians continue travelling to Lebanon despite 'Smarttraveller' stating 'DO NOT TRAVEL'.

I am unsure how long the Australian taxpayer will tolerate this free shuttle service.

 

[Capricornus]

Just leave it to QR to ferry them here. Qantas pulling a few 787s out for days to run these will cause more issues impacting thousands.

Unless it’s super urgent, and local, if one doesn’t have the fleet to run such missions, leave it to the bigger boys. As it is, the QR flights have landed and gone back to the ME before the QF flight has even departed Cyprus.

Qatar have proven they can run these missions and have considerable experience doing so. I take my hat off to them.

If QF were to leave it to the “so called” big boys, the public this thread including would be up in arms waving “where is our national carrier?” and “National Carrier MIA” banners. Regardless of what QF does, QF can’t win, so the path chosen is rightly or wrongly to minimise bad publicity*.

*some earlier PR misstep’s notwithstanding

 

[justinbrett]

Couldn't agree more. QF clearly thinks it a PR stunt as QR is quietly also flying people back with no fanfare.,

Well turns out they were getting paid, so…

 

[downgraded]

Well turns out they were getting paid, so…

?

 

[justinbrett]

?

QR were operating the service for fee, not charity. Confirmed upthread.

 

[downgraded]

QR were operating the service for fee, not charity. Confirmed upthread.

Don't think anyone said anything to the contrary, just that they weren't making a fanfare out of it.

 

[p--and--t]

Don't think anyone said anything to the contrary, just that they weren't making a fanfare out of it.

They fulfilled a charter to/from destinations they normally fly and got paid for it.

What was there for them to claim a fanfare about?

 

[downgraded]

They fulfilled a charter to/from destinations they normally fly and got paid for it.

What was there for them to claim a fanfare about?

Exactly, but QF had managed 3 media releases so far for doing similar.

 

[p--and--t]

Exactly, but QF had managed 3 media releases so far for doing similar.

Staff donating time. QF donating flights when they are short of frames to places they don't normally fly, just maybe they had something to announce. Or maybe you just here to put them down for any reason you can drum up.

 

[justinbrett]

Exactly, but QF had managed 3 media releases so far for doing similar.

It wasn’t similar at all.

It’s actually quite unique - I’m not sure I recall the last time Qantas flew with ADF callsigns?

 

[Quickstatus]

Qantas flew with ADF callsigns

What call signs did they use. "Aussie"?

 

[justinbrett]

What call signs did they use. "Aussie"?

Yes.

 

[RooFlyer]

I wonder how QR was selected? Did they offer? Were they asked? Were any others asked/offered?

 

[justinbrett]

I wonder how QR was selected? Did they offer? Were they asked? Were any others asked/offered?

The article posted above details it.

Government put it out to tender and they selected based on price and flights offered.

 

[Sprucegoose]

If QF were to leave it to the “so called” big boys, the public this thread including would be up in arms waving “where is our national carrier?” and “National Carrier MIA” banners. Regardless of what QF does, QF can’t win, so the path chosen is rightly or wrongly to minimise bad publicity*.

*some earlier PR misstep’s notwithstanding

Let’s be cynical.

The Giovernement backed QF when QR first applied for additional flight slots - this is the quid pro quo.

This is how it works, it’s not formally administered, nor is entry to the Chairman's Lounge, where we have student members.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Well turns out they were getting paid, so…

I would expect every business providing a service to be compensated. Businesses are not charities, and it is unacceptable to expect them to operate without payment or at a loss.

 

[ANstar]

Didn't EK also operate a flight a few days ago?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

One thing that's missing so far (and perhaps we don't have any members travelling from Libanon back to Australia) are trip reports on the QF service. In particular, I'd be interested in looking at the service provided including meals and seats. Yes there were some reports that the QF flights went out mostly unfilled, but what does that mean for passenger comfort? Could passengers get executive economy level of seating where they could sleep across a row of seats? At the same time it's unclear what benefits QFF status holders got from these flights. For instance, what lounge did QFF Gold members have access to in Larnaca? What about Platinums on arrival to Sydney, could they use the QF lounge at domestic airport? Similarly it's unclear what the accrual of QFF status credits and points looks like.

I am unsure how long the Australian taxpayer will tolerate this free shuttle service.

They will tolerate it the way they tolerate a lot of government spending. The fact of the matter is, if you look at a government's spending you will find things which to you represent a waste of money and others that represent good value. Now, I can probably point to government spending which represents poor value to me but maybe good value to you (and vice versa). Living in a society means we have to tolerate government spending we may or may not agree with. What is key to remember is that it's the government's money and not tax payer's.

-RooFlyer88