Qantas’ management will be spending their Christmas with considerably lighter heart! The airline has managed to pull off a truce deal with one of the three unions at the centre of the industrial clash.
Qantas Airways, Australia’s national airline, reached an agreement with the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), putting an end to a bitter ongoing dispute. The agreement includes a 3 per cent annual wage hike for the next three years in return of the ALAEA agreeing to the new work practises.
ALAEA represents 1600 licensed aircraft maintenance engineers.
Qantas has had a very troubled 2011 so far with the airline involved in a massive industrial dispute with different labour unions. In October, the airline decided to halt its operation, suspending every flight to and from Australia. This was done to counter ongoing strikes. Thousands of passengers were left stranded at airports not only in Australia but all over the world as international flights to Australia were cancelled. It sure wasn’t a good PR exercise, no wonder the airline tried to make amends by offering cheap flight tickets and other perks to affected travellers!
Qantas has plans to launch two other carriers in Asia - one of them is scheduled to be a budget carrier that will offer cheap flight tickets for air travel and other is planned to be a full-service airline.
While the airline has been successful in reaching an agreement with one of the warring parties, it is unable to break ice with unions representing ground staff and long haul pilots. The dispute is likely to go to binding arbitration next year.
Showing posts with label Qantas Airways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Qantas Airways. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Qantas, Unions Fail To Reach Agreement
The stage is set for the Fair Work Australia to wield its wand and take the pain away from Qantas Airways, unions and the travellers. That’s right! Qantas and the warring unions are unable to reach any peaceful accord within the stipulated timeframe and now the Australia's industrial umpire will flex its muscle and offer an obligatory settlement.
Late on Monday, negotiations between Qantas and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) were unable to bring forth any pleasant result. As a result ALAEA is forced to join pilots, baggage handlers and caterers in opting for a resolution to be determined by Fair Work Australia.
If industry insiders are to be believed then this is perhaps the best case scenario for Qantas Airways, an airline whose name perhaps comes to the mind first when people think of booking flights to Australia. No side can take industrial action while the arbitration is ongoing. The airline would be comforted that there can be no more travel disruptions, at least in the near future. In October, Qantas was forced to ground its entire fleet resulting trouble for domestic as well as international travellers on flights to and from Australia.
Following the episode, Qantas tried every trick in the book to attract travellers - be it offering cheap flight tickets or even free air tickets! While cheap flight tickets were offered in general, free tickets were provided to those affected by fleet grounding.
With peak holiday travel season coming up, it becomes all the more prudent for the airline to woo customers.
News Reference
Late on Monday, negotiations between Qantas and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) were unable to bring forth any pleasant result. As a result ALAEA is forced to join pilots, baggage handlers and caterers in opting for a resolution to be determined by Fair Work Australia.
If industry insiders are to be believed then this is perhaps the best case scenario for Qantas Airways, an airline whose name perhaps comes to the mind first when people think of booking flights to Australia. No side can take industrial action while the arbitration is ongoing. The airline would be comforted that there can be no more travel disruptions, at least in the near future. In October, Qantas was forced to ground its entire fleet resulting trouble for domestic as well as international travellers on flights to and from Australia.
Following the episode, Qantas tried every trick in the book to attract travellers - be it offering cheap flight tickets or even free air tickets! While cheap flight tickets were offered in general, free tickets were provided to those affected by fleet grounding.
With peak holiday travel season coming up, it becomes all the more prudent for the airline to woo customers.
News Reference
Monday, November 7, 2011
Qantas Airways Acts ‘Santa’, Give Out Free Flight Tickets
Christmas has come early for travellers who were left stranded by Qantas’ grounding late last month!
That’s right, after pain comes pleasure, and after travel disruptions come free air tickets! Well at least this is what Australia’s flag carrier believes in!
Forget free tickets, Qantas is normally miles away from even cheap flight tickets but the Australian airline knows that the last few months haven’t been exactly a good PR exercise for the company. Industrial action, delayed flights and then finally grounding of entire fleet is not what we call ‘brand building measures.’ Therefore the airline is all set to provide free flight tickets to the affected travellers. This is seen as the airline’s desperate bid to attract customers.
A free return economy flight within Australia or to New Zealand over a two-year period from Dec. 14 will be offered. While this announcement largely caters to regional travellers, a new announcement targeting overseas customers and frequent fliers is expected soon. It remains to be seen what ‘Santa Qantas’ brings for them. While free flights remain improbable, cheap flight tickets and other travel related incentives are expected.
Alan Joyce, Qantas Chief Executive Officer, said this is the airline’s way of saying “sorry”. It sure is an expensive ‘sorry’ as reports are doing the rounds that the move might cost Qantas as much as A$20 million.
Meanwhile, Qantas Airways met union members on Monday to start off the negotiation process. This was the first meeting of the two warring parties after the Australian carrier grounded its entire fleet.
That’s right, after pain comes pleasure, and after travel disruptions come free air tickets! Well at least this is what Australia’s flag carrier believes in!
Forget free tickets, Qantas is normally miles away from even cheap flight tickets but the Australian airline knows that the last few months haven’t been exactly a good PR exercise for the company. Industrial action, delayed flights and then finally grounding of entire fleet is not what we call ‘brand building measures.’ Therefore the airline is all set to provide free flight tickets to the affected travellers. This is seen as the airline’s desperate bid to attract customers.
A free return economy flight within Australia or to New Zealand over a two-year period from Dec. 14 will be offered. While this announcement largely caters to regional travellers, a new announcement targeting overseas customers and frequent fliers is expected soon. It remains to be seen what ‘Santa Qantas’ brings for them. While free flights remain improbable, cheap flight tickets and other travel related incentives are expected.
Alan Joyce, Qantas Chief Executive Officer, said this is the airline’s way of saying “sorry”. It sure is an expensive ‘sorry’ as reports are doing the rounds that the move might cost Qantas as much as A$20 million.
Meanwhile, Qantas Airways met union members on Monday to start off the negotiation process. This was the first meeting of the two warring parties after the Australian carrier grounded its entire fleet.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Normality Returns As Qantas Flights Take To the Sky
Qantas Airways says everything is normal! Yes, one of the world’s largest airlines that grounded each and every flight just two days ago says everything is normal.
The airline stated that its flight schedule was back to normal from Tuesday morning. It also said that the remaining backlog of travellers that ensued because of the fleet grounding is expected to be cleared up by afternoon.
Travellers around the world were left high and dry as the Australia’s flag carrier decided to put a halt to its operations on Saturday. Airports in Australia wore scenes of chaos as travellers pressed the panic button when they found that none of Qantas flight will take off. Those with cheap flight tickets with Qantas were perhaps most badly hit as budget travellers book much in advance with the airline that is not exactly known for offering cheap tickets on its flights.
Government interference and an Australian court ruling put an end to 48 hours of travel chaos.
On its part, it seems that Qantas Airways was fed up of the never-ending string of strikes that caused huge losses and huge embarrassment for the company in last few months. Unions representing pilots, aircraft mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers are engaged in a bitter dispute with the airline over off-shoring of jobs and other issues.
Qantas Airways hopes to turn the tide in its favour by attracting passengers by reducing airfares on its flights, as per reports.
The airline really needs to turn into a Santa if it wants its own Christmas holiday season to be a good one!
The airline stated that its flight schedule was back to normal from Tuesday morning. It also said that the remaining backlog of travellers that ensued because of the fleet grounding is expected to be cleared up by afternoon.
Travellers around the world were left high and dry as the Australia’s flag carrier decided to put a halt to its operations on Saturday. Airports in Australia wore scenes of chaos as travellers pressed the panic button when they found that none of Qantas flight will take off. Those with cheap flight tickets with Qantas were perhaps most badly hit as budget travellers book much in advance with the airline that is not exactly known for offering cheap tickets on its flights.
Government interference and an Australian court ruling put an end to 48 hours of travel chaos.
On its part, it seems that Qantas Airways was fed up of the never-ending string of strikes that caused huge losses and huge embarrassment for the company in last few months. Unions representing pilots, aircraft mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers are engaged in a bitter dispute with the airline over off-shoring of jobs and other issues.
Qantas Airways hopes to turn the tide in its favour by attracting passengers by reducing airfares on its flights, as per reports.
The airline really needs to turn into a Santa if it wants its own Christmas holiday season to be a good one!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Qantas Strikes: 10,000 Passengers to be Hit
The goings are getting tougher for Qantas Airways!
Australia’s flag carrier is forced to cancel as many as 70 flights as the airline’s ground staff go off work at different airports all over the country.
Flight cancellations are going to impact 10,000 passengers on Friday, as per Qantas Airways. Past few months have been tumultuous for the airline with some 70,000 passengers getting hit with a string of strikes that erupted in the period. Budget travellers who make advance bookings to net cheap flight tickets are the unhappiest lot as Qantas is not exactly known to roll out cheap flight tickets pretty often!
In the past few months, Qantas Airways has been struggling to keep different unions happy. Unions representing aircraft pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers have cast apprehensions regarding the airline’s plans to move jobs offshore. Better pay and work conditions are some issues raised by the unions. If one takes into account different strikes that have jolted the airline in past few months, then it is estimated that some 70,000 passengers have been affected by the flight delays and cancellations.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has urged the unions to be “more realistic” while putting their demands. He insisted the unions to think of the jobs they're endangering around the country. Alan Joyce also apologised to the travellers who have been impacted by the series of strikes.
Qantas is said to have lost A$68 million so far, with additional loss of A$15 million per week in revenues.
Australia’s flag carrier is forced to cancel as many as 70 flights as the airline’s ground staff go off work at different airports all over the country.
Flight cancellations are going to impact 10,000 passengers on Friday, as per Qantas Airways. Past few months have been tumultuous for the airline with some 70,000 passengers getting hit with a string of strikes that erupted in the period. Budget travellers who make advance bookings to net cheap flight tickets are the unhappiest lot as Qantas is not exactly known to roll out cheap flight tickets pretty often!
In the past few months, Qantas Airways has been struggling to keep different unions happy. Unions representing aircraft pilots, mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers have cast apprehensions regarding the airline’s plans to move jobs offshore. Better pay and work conditions are some issues raised by the unions. If one takes into account different strikes that have jolted the airline in past few months, then it is estimated that some 70,000 passengers have been affected by the flight delays and cancellations.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has urged the unions to be “more realistic” while putting their demands. He insisted the unions to think of the jobs they're endangering around the country. Alan Joyce also apologised to the travellers who have been impacted by the series of strikes.
Qantas is said to have lost A$68 million so far, with additional loss of A$15 million per week in revenues.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Shopping & Nightlife – Great Lures to Buy Flights to Hong Kong
The amazing splendour of uber modern Hong Kong International airport (HKG) is only a brief prologue to your long exciting tour of this mind boggling city-state. The aura emanating from the attractions of Hong Kong is so intense and alluring that often travellers end up extending their holidays. The magic of Hong Kong is extremely incredible and excessively nostalgic making any trip to this city-state highly rewarding.The best bit is that you are sure to get the value for travel money spent on flights to Hong Kong. Talking of flights to Hong Kong, check out Cathay Pacific from London Airports as it is the national carrier and is likely to offer highly competitive fares. British Airways and Qantas Airways are likely to show among airlines offering tickets on cheap flights to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has nothing to dismay its fans; shopping, eating out, night life, sightseeing and activities – there are unlimited possibilities. Talking of shopping, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Central shopping precincts offer wide variety for both extravagant five star travellers as well as shoe-string budget holiday makers booking tickets on cheap flights to Hong Kong. Wan Chai is a place for street-shopping while Central is ideal for extraordinary shopping and wine and dine moments. Take a trip to Causeway bay, a revered destination among travellers for high street shopping.
Get acquainted with new definition of nightlife at Central District, Lan Kwai Fong, Soho and Noho. Tour the exhilarating bars and clubs, bask into the spellbinding ambience and drink and eat with awesome people out there.