Very interesting read dbl. Thanks for the post. This article is...

Very interesting read dbl. Thanks for the post.

This article is about exactly what you and I have been saying all along, QAN will not be able to just set up in Asia and find a magic cure for their current woes. Numerous Asian carriers and LCC's are busting down the doors here (probably as the first move in a game of airline chess) and setting up competition for anything that QAN has plans for. As QAN management sit back and wallow in their money pits, real competition is emerging on the horizon and things will not be easy for RED Q or whatever they end up calling it. My argument all along has been that QAN management would be better off putting money into the QAN that most of us know and love, bring it back to life with a bang and really show the world what a quality airline it can be. To do this however, the QAN board and management would need to show some real leadership, vision, listen to those in the know (staff and passengers/customers) and make some radical changes to their management practices - management that has become an excellent example of "not what to do" or "world's worst management practices".

e.g. Like that CEO of Granada Bus Company (who gave away $15m to his staff) said the other day, "treat your staff well and the rewards will come back ten fold" or words to that effect anyway.

Sadly dbl, you and I seem to be in the minority in what we believe. The QAN PR machine has done a great job of running a campaign that paints the staff as evil, greedy humans that are solely responsible for the airline that QAN has become (an airline with nose diving SP, lousy relationship with staff and no dividend returns to investors). Truth is, outsourcing and slash and burn techniques have not worked, now they are clutching at straws and looking to Asia as the answer. Will it work? I highly doubt it, just another few hundred million down the drain IMO.

If we look at the company history, QAN has always performed at its best under CEO's who were decent and fair. Names like John Menadue, John Ward and maybe even Jimmy bow tie come to mind.

IMO, Mr Joyce and his mates are only there for the grab, if the Asia plan does not work out, no problems, they can move on. Different story for all of those who currently work for QAN, or those who might of (in the future) for that matter.

Anyway, the Asia gig will not be easy at all and QAN will really have to get it right from day 1. I personally do not believe they are up to the challenge. from my experience, they cannot even get Japanese newspapers organised consistently for the daily QF21 to Japan, (a flight that has not changed in years), how do they expect to be able to run an airline based in Asia???

Surfrat.