I don't work for qantas. I work for a regional carrier but i do...

I don't work for qantas. I work for a regional carrier but i do have plenty of mates in the red rat so my sympathies are obvious. I do, however, work in management as well, and i see the darker side of management and the entities they deal with. Sadly, management gets priced gouged from all sides, mainly government GSE's. For example CASA charges us for them to regulate us - incredible as it seems but we have to send the purchase order before they will come. Air services is another GSE which made $50 mill profit yet the ATC delays especially into Syndey and, recently, Brisbane due to "traffic congestion" serverely disrupt services and profit margins. Last week we held for 40 mins into Brisbane due to traffic.Its just reduced services to make money and its a joke compared to traffic movements overseas.
The strong AUD should be helping cost imposts but parts distributors just raise prices to compensate and don't get me started on fuel and how the government gouges prices.

For a company like qantas the employee cost is less than 8% of the operating rate of each flight yet this is the soft underbelly that management focus on because they don't have the balls to stand up to government etc

and i could go on but its worth reading a nice thread titled "Life is precious". These professionals give so much hope and charity far above what others give yet they too have to continue to fight for wages and conditions for which I certainly think they entitled to. Despite this they still carry on doing what is inate in any health care professional - giving!!!!!

So when you in a position when you dealing with peoples lives on a daily basis then I dare say you will have a greater understanding of what the good side side of humanity is...and it isn't greed.

P.S. I would never, never own a share in any airline.

Strange that the motto of one of the most profitable airlines is employees first!
http://www.southwest.com/assets/pdfs/corporate-commitments/southwestcares.pdf