September 12-14 2001 - when Ansett came crashing down

[straitman]

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.

As we all know now, Yield Management needs to be almost instantaneous, yet at the time of its demise the Yield Management processes took six months. That certainly did not help them.

 

[SighMN]

I remember this awful time. Stupidly I told my partner to put all his *A miles into the Ansett program. We lost about 200,000 miles with Ansett. At least the employees got their pensions and things finally!

 

[Timtammi]

Who can forget that time? Life changing moments...

Anyway, I was one of those stranded passengers that Qantas had to help out. Was on holiday up on the Sunshine Coast and was due to fly back to MEL when they collapsed. Had to "endure" a few more days up there in the sunshine while I was waitlisted for a QF flight. They managed to get me on a flight about 2 days after I was supposed to fly back, had to drive to Brissy to get it of course. Missed a few extra days of work but boss at the time couldn't really complain .

Cheers

Timmi

 

[Warks]

Just a thought I had - wasn't Avis owned by Ansett in Australia at some stage? I can remember Bob Ansett at Budget always slagging off Avis on TV ads. Then there were Avis ads which said "anyone on a 'budget' can afford to drive Avis" which was something of a dig at him.
Or maybe I'm imagining it all.



Another thing that hasn't been mentioned. Some months before the end of Ansett some of the fleet was grounded because of cracks spotted in the planes (don't blame me if that's not accurate, that's what I saw on TV) which would have cost them a lot of confidence. At this stage we had Virgin Blue and Impulse operating (QF bought Impulse?) and they would have been cheering.

When Ansett 're-launched' they had a very lame TV ad campaign which asked the question "Are you with Ansett?" and various celebs (Michael Klim is the only one I remember) saying "Absolutely!"

At that time 'absolutely' was a very annoying way of saying 'yes' as I recall.

 

[UP4014]

When Ansett 're-launched' they had a very lame TV ad campaign which asked the question "Are you with Ansett?" and various celebs (Michael Klim is the only one I remember) saying "Absolutely!"

At that time 'absolutely' was a very annoying way of saying 'yes' as I recall.

It was terrible that ad, had the MD of Air NZ walking through the terminal (a lot like the current Virgin ad) collecting staff on the way saying how they backed Ansett "abolsolutely". What a crock that turned out to be.

Matt

 

[nlagalle]

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned. Some months before the end of Ansett some of the fleet was grounded because of cracks spotted in the planes (don't blame me if that's not accurate, that's what I saw on TV) which would have cost them a lot of confidence. At this stage we had Virgin Blue and Impulse operating (QF bought Impulse?) and they would have been cheering.

When Ansett 're-launched' they had a very lame TV ad campaign which asked the question "Are you with Ansett?" and various celebs (Michael Klim is the only one I remember) saying "Absolutely!"

At that time 'absolutely' was a very annoying way of saying 'yes' as I recall.

That was some of their 767 fleet which was grounded over xmas or Easter, I can't remember, but it happened at the worst time for them.

 

[UP4014]

That was some of their 767 fleet which was grounded over xmas or Easter, I can't remember, but it happened at the worst time for them.

I think some slides also weren't in working order.

 

[mannej]

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned. Some months before the end of Ansett some of the fleet was grounded because of cracks spotted in the planes (don't blame me if that's not accurate, that's what I saw on TV) which would have cost them a lot of confidence. At this stage we had Virgin Blue and Impulse operating (QF bought Impulse?) and they would have been cheering.

When Ansett 're-launched' they had a very lame TV ad campaign which asked the question "Are you with Ansett?" and various celebs (Michael Klim is the only one I remember) saying "Absolutely!"

At that time 'absolutely' was a very annoying way of saying 'yes' as I recall.

The cracks were in the 767's. It can be somewhat of a heated debate, which some people believing the cracks were a way of running AN into the ground from the top.

I do remember the John Hopoate adds, and now you mention I do remember the Absolutely adds.

 

[nlagalle]

It was terrible that ad, had the MD of Air NZ walking through the terminal (a lot like the current Virgin ad) collecting staff on the way saying how they backed Ansett "abolsolutely". What a crock that turned out to be.

Matt

here you all go!

Ansett Australia advert - Absolutely - YouTube

 

[oz_mark]

It was terrible that ad, had the MD of Air NZ walking through the terminal (a lot like the current Virgin ad) collecting staff on the way saying how they backed Ansett "abolsolutely". What a crock that turned out to be.

You mean Gary Toomey?

He's off running Airlines PNG these days.

 

[oz_mark]

That was some of their 767 fleet which was grounded over xmas or Easter, I can't remember, but it happened at the worst time for them.

Christmas 2000 and Easter 2001.

(CASA has a way with timing these things!)

 

[UP4014]

You mean Gary Toomey?

He's off running Airlines PNG these days.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. :mrgreen:

 

[serfty]

Those ads ... I seems to recall some of the 'celeb's AN got to do some of the ads as fanbois did not get paid ... or if they eventually did, then very late.

I remember Rexy [Hunt] subtly complaining about it

 

[Warks]

I just found the Absolutely ad on Youtube but then saw that it had already been posted here.

Wow, it shows what ten years does to fame and fortune for the 'celebs'. There were a few I didn't recognise at all, at least one was dead (Bernard King - he may have been dead in the ad ) and was that the Melbourne C9 newsreader as well?

There was also a Fast Forward type send up as I recall.

 

[Hvr]

I remember Rexy [Hunt] subtly complaining about it

I don't believe it. Rex Hunt being subtle is not something that I could ever imagine.:shock:

 

[tuapekastar]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. :mrgreen:

And he was ex-TN and/or QF. Close friend who worked for TN and QF, who is not the hating type, despised him, and said her opinion was a popular one within the company.