September 12-14 2001 - when Ansett came crashing down

[TiredOldFlyer]

I still have on my carry on a Golden Wing luggage tag. Sentimental I suppose.

 

[kpc]

I still have on my carry on a Golden Wing luggage tag. Sentimental I suppose.

I stiill have my life Golden Wing membership card!

 

[Mrmaxwell]

A lot of my childhood DOM flying was done on Ansett so like many here I have only fond memories.

One thing I do remember was how fast DJ moved into Ansett terminals and took over, almost becoming Australia's defacto second airline overnight. The fall of Ansett was a massive win for both QF and DJ, probably more so for DJ who were trying to muscle with the duopoly of Ansett & Qantas. DJ didn't stay in their tin shed terminals for too long after this.

 

[TheStudent]

My last time flying with Ansett was when I was just a small child in early 2001?? Anyways all of my domestic flying (not that much really, but a bit) had been with Ansett. However on the last flight (SYD - MEL) the fight had been cancelled, and was the last one out of Sydney. However the Ansett staff were nice enough to book my family on a BA international flight stopping through on its way to Melbourne, allowing us to get home that night (Although very late for me!). Have to wonder if you would get that kind of service today.

 

[dfcatch]

I stiill have my life Golden Wing membership card!

This was the only reason I hesitated to buy lifetime QP membership....something held me back.

By the time I realized that lifetime QP was a good buy - they removed it

 

[serfty]

...

One thing I do remember was how fast DJ moved into Ansett terminals and took over, almost becoming Australia's defacto second airline overnight. ...

How Fast? Overnight?

IIRC, it took some time - maybe a year and possibly much more ...

 

[markis10]

This was the only reason I hesitated to buy lifetime QP membership....something held me back.

By the time I realized that lifetime QP was a good buy - they removed it

Thats the problem with Lifetime memberships, you are locked into a lifetime of enhancements.

 

[serfty]

...

One thing I do remember was how fast DJ moved into Ansett terminals and took over, almost becoming Australia's defacto second airline overnight. ...

How Fast? Overnight?

IIRC, it took some time - maybe a year and possibly more ...

I have checked this; DJ began operating from MEL T3 in late August 2002, some 50 weeks after AN's demise:

• News and Press Releases | Virgin Australia - Virgin Blue Moved By Passenger Support [Aug 28th 2002]

It was Mid December 2002 when DJ moved from the SYD Express terminal to T2, 15 months later:

• News and Press Releases | Virgin Australia - Virgin Blue Relocates Into New Home [Dec 16th 2002]

Neither of those could be considered appropriate to being described by "One thing I do remember was how fast DJ moved into Ansett terminals and took over ... overnight.".

However, they did in reality "becom[e][-]ing][/-] Australia's defacto second airline [almost] overnight".

 

[ben7k]

Ben Sandilands in his Plane Talking blog at Crikey has written a four part series that details some of the back room dealings that were going on at the time of the Ansett collapse. Some enlightening reading to say the least.

My post count isn't high enough to post a link, but go to blogs dot crikey dot com dot au slash planetalkingand and click the link on the right hand side of the screen.

My memory is of the line up of ex Ansett aircraft parked down near the hangars at Melbourne airport, a scene recently repeated during the Tiger grounding.

Also until very recently there was an Ansett sign on the bridge from the train station at Brisbane domestic. Only in the last year has it been replaced by a Virgin sign.

 

[harvyk]

Ben Sandilands in his Plane Talking blog at Crikey has written a four part series that details some of the back room dealings that were going on at the time of the Ansett collapse. Some enlightening reading to say the least.

My post count isn't high enough to post a link, but go to blogs dot crikey dot com dot au slash planetalkingand and click the link on the right hand side of the screen.

My memory is of the line up of ex Ansett aircraft parked down near the hangars at Melbourne airport, a scene recently repeated during the Tiger grounding.

Also until very recently there was an Ansett sign on the bridge from the train station at Brisbane domestic. Only in the last year has it been replaced by a Virgin sign.

I'm assuming this is the link you are referring to -> 9-11 and Ansett, twin disasters that hurt forever | Plane Talking

 

[Stephen65]

I was very involved in the Ansett administration in a professional capacity and I attended the first large meeting of creditors which IIRC was held at Jeff's Shed in Melbourne. I remember some Ansett FF members getting up to ask about what was going to happen to their points - in a few cases there were members with millions of points - and them getting a pretty hostile reception from the union representatives present!

 

[Maca44]

I recall that year very well. Split with the wife in February, realised I had 204K Ansett points and needed a break as anyone would after a marriage break up, so in May booked a return F class award ticket with Ansett SYD-SFO-SEA for August 2001. Flew with Ansett code share United (which in F everything is good, even UA). I wanted to be away 4 weeks but could only get award seat on UA with such short booking time (code share etc) for a 3 week holiday...not a problem. At the end of my trip I was staying with friends in Ellensburg (about 90mins east of Seattle) and was supposed to fly back to SYD on 9/11 (Tuesday in the USA), and we know what happened that day. Anyway, with the air space closed down in the US I contacted UA, explained they would have heaps of problems and suggested it might be better for them if I was booked on a flight the following Tuesday. However, during that time AN went belly up, but as my flights have already been ticketed they still flew me home F Class on UA.

I have friends who worked for AN, and during recent discussions they said they had received most of their benefits so that's one good thing. The other side is a great airline hit the dust. I was Life Member with the Golden Wings club, and in my view their lounges were far superior to QF. Likewise, I still have the leather wallet the GW club gave to Life Members. With all the events around that week it was a sad time for everyone.

 

[Vinny]

I often wonder to myself if AN hadn't folded, QF would be forced to be a more consistent airline in terms of customer service. The only thing consistent about QF is their inconsistency. Until now for the last ten years they have only had no frills competition. Bring it on!

They advertise themselves as a premium airline but with no similar competition since 2001 there has been no one nipping at their heals to make them lift their game. Perhaps the new VA will fill this void.

I remember as a kid when the surf was no good, going to my local airport, OOL and watching the AN and TN flights leaving for the same destinations within ten minutes of each other and watching the EW milkrun planes on their way.

 

[pauly7]

I think there is a bit of a danger here of romanticizing the past through rose tinted glasses and only remembering the good stuff... also AN (just) missed all the cost cutting forced upon players by a changing competitive set. If they had survived they be a very different AN I'm sure.

I was quite young but I do remember them being a bit unreliable with their older fleet, couple of annoying diversions. I do remember the lollies they gave the kids though... they'd be hung for that these days!!!

 

[oz_mark]

I think there is a bit of a danger here of romanticizing the past through rose tinted glasses and only remembering the good stuff... also AN (just) missed all the cost cutting forced upon players by a changing competitive set. If they had survived they be a very different AN I'm sure.

Actually, I am of the view that a large part of their problems were their inability to change to the changing competition. By all accounts, their yield management, for example, wasn't up to scratch.

 

[drron]

And people do seem to have forgotten the old phrase-"Chance it with ansett".

 

[Major]

The fares were also unbelievable. In the early and mid eighties my company was paying between $1000 and $1100 for me in Y, SYD- PER return on AN.

 

[markis10]

The fares were also unbelievable. In the early and mid eighties my company was paying between $1000 and $1100 for me in Y, SYD- PER return on AN.

That could be said for TAA as well, both had the same fares because the industry was regulated. People speak of the Platinum shadow here, how many of us remember the "competitor" shadow of the regulated industry days where both airlines had flights departing the same time for almost all routes.

Actually, I am of the view that a large part of their problems were their inability to change to the changing competition. By all accounts, their yield management, for example, wasn't up to scratch.

Thats a valid point, however its clear to me that the rot started with TNT and their loss of attention to all their businesses, look where TNT is today (its part of Dutch Post), ironically a competitor Toll has stepped in to take its place and also play in airlines for a time with DJ.

It was this lack of focus (in fairness from both owners although TNT was the more active one) that saw fleet issues in 2000 come to a head, with a lack of capital injection. The last real order being in the mid 80s as a launch customer for the A320-200 (they certainly got that one right even if its early incidents gave rise to the "chance it with ansett" and "deathstar" monikers.)

 

[whughes3]

A colleague of mine did quite a bit of consulting/contracting work for Ansett before they went under; he describes them as the "most bloated, bureaucratic organization" he has ever encountered! (And he's ex-Public Service himself). He reckons it is amazing they lasted as long as they did.

 

[Justchecking]

Prior to Ansetts collapse I had never flown qantas, QF were for overseas trips.....:shock: wow what a reversal now with QFi under threat of being packed away.