Ansett Australian Global Rewards - Post your AN memories HERE

This is a thread to remember Ansett and the people that made it a great place to fly with as customers, or a great place to work as staff.

Please everyone feel free to contribute.

I'll start with memories of lovely staff, often bending over backwards to help. Of the crew of Charlie Zulu Oscar in Feb, 1996 flying ADL-MEL who invited me up front and let me stay for landing into home, during dusk, all because they saw I had a Boeing 777 tshirt on, and they liked it. I'll also remember a different crew of a 320 (Hotel Yankee Echo) MEL-PER, who while I was up front chatting with them let some kids up front, and played games with them showign them the cockpit and "shooting" with the buttoms on their joysticks ("just like Nintendo!") - this same crew then signed postcards and gave them to all the kids. Or the crew on AN International who very nicely let me pop into the front office flying HKG-SYD even though it was a check ride, and the check captain was nice enough to spend some time with me chatting. I'll remember friendly agents at MEL, SYD & BNE GW clubs who were always very nice to me, even though I was just getting in on my *G card and not a "real" member. Even to the ernest folks at SYD GW Club on 01Feb, who apologised several times to us for not being able to offer us full service, but wishing us well and taking the time to talk to us.

And lastly, to my ex-AN International friend, who always worked within the rules, but got me some very good fares and never complained with silly ticket requests (usually convoluted * RTW tickets) and even remembered personal touches like to organise me a window seat into MEL every time, or whatever.

I remember the staff of Ansett, who gave the spirit of Sir Reg form and always worked hard, even under trying circumstances (eg: the Easter 767 groundings, the period under administration, etc) and always made me feel welcome and safe on board an aircraft flying the Southern Cross and the "A".

Thank you.

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

This is heartwrenching, and my heart does go out to the employees. Pretty much everyone loved Ansett up until the Christmas debacle just a few months ago. To think of the Ansett empire just over a few months ago, and to see it now, is just terrible. My first ever flight was in 1988 on an Ansett 737-200 ADL-SYD. I also had the joy of flying on Ansett 727s, 737-300s, 767s and A320s. I always chose to fly with Ansett - the staff were out of this world, even up to my last flight with them on 01 Feb this year...there was still hope back then. Thank you a million times over for the great memories - I hope you guys get jobs at Qantas or Virgin Blue and show them what service really means. After all, you guys are the ones that had the service that shines. Absolutely! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I still remember my first AN flight back in 1996.

AN016 from MEL-SYD-OOL on an A320-211.

Smiling crew, lots of young kids, Japanese tourists all glowing with anticipation of a great escape to the sunny beaches of the Gold Coast. The finest livery in the sky was barely two years old, with that magnificent "A" Starmark proudly displayed on the tail. As I deboarded, I remember being invited into the cockpit to inspect the office end of the plane. A short turnaround, and took off from RWY16L and punched a hole in the sky as we winged our way to Cooly.

Back in 1998, on a MEL-PER sector, I was invited for my first jumpseat landing and visual approach onto RWY03.

I still have a good bottle of red from Business Class on my AN744 flight, offered to me as a gift by the crew for a tired PTV. I still remember the FAs who would not look down on you, instead, would bow down on their knees and speak to you at face level. I remember their fantastic service, and when they would pull out the cocktail tray prior to serving drinks without you knowing.

I remember all the cheers onboard VH-RME seconds after liftoff off RWY34 at SYD as Cathy Freeman won Gold in the 400m.

I only made just under 30 flights with Ansett over these few years, but at least I know I was able to savour the little known jewel of Australia's skies, Ansett International.

So I'll leave with a few slogans of better days gone past

"One of the World's Great Airlines"
"Service that Shines"
"Go your own way"
"Absolutely"
"Flying for Australia"
"The Spirit of Competition"

Cheers,

Justin

Ansett International memory: What other airline, what other place would welcome customers, specially international customers, aboard with "Welcome aboard, Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls" - right from the Captain. What a joy to return from random levels of service (in any cabin class) on UA or LH or some other, to a friendly smile, wave and lovely nature of AN's finest. The sort to make sure you were comfortable, or suggest where a free row was to curl up for the night. To offer extra icecream, and as Justin said, come to your seated level to talk with you, not _at_ you.

That proud livery, displayed in a fine picture on the AnsettSTARS page, and on the front page of today's MX rag... one to disappear from our skies, but not from our hearts.

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

My best Ansett memory has to come from October 1987 on approach to CNS after a flight from Sydney in a 727.

We were approved for a deviation from our approach for a couple of loops round green island so as that we could all get a good look before we landed. And true to form we did a complete clockwise lap of the island for the people on the right to see followed by 30 seconds of flying dead ahead followed by a left turn and a total lap of the island with the left wing dipped. I cant imagine this happening today - but it was 1987 afterall.

Another great memory was watching the sun rise behind VH-ANA in BNE on the 4th of June 01 as she taxied in from KIX before continuing onto SYD with me onboard strapped into 20K. If the darkside's domestic service could be one onehundreth as good as what the service was like on this sector then QF would have nothing but happy customers.

Whilst I only ever flew AN 13 times each and every experience was one which I will look back upon with a smile in the years to come.

Auf Wiedersehen Ansett ...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardMEL:
Ansett International memory: What other airline, what other place would welcome customers, specially international customers, aboard with "Welcome aboard, Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls" - right from the Captain. What a joy to return from random levels of service (in any cabin class) on UA or LH or some other, to a friendly smile, wave and lovely nature of AN's finest. The sort to make sure you were comfortable, or suggest where a free row was to curl up for the night. To offer extra icecream, and as Justin said, come to your seated level to talk with you, not _at_ you.

That proud livery, displayed in a fine picture on the AnsettSTARS page, and on the front page of today's MX rag... one to disappear from our skies, but not from our hearts.

</font>

I have heard many times on QF international flts the pax being addresses as Ladies & gentlemen boys & girls.
I have in years past enjoyed some great flights in Ansett first class. It was also on Ansett that I experienced the rudest flight attendant I have ever encountered!

Well 744 - Not all the people at AN were perfect of course, and I can say that I've had some good experiences on QF too (Although listening to Geoff Dixon's "sympathy" makes my blood run cold).

I'm glad that QF does the "boys and girls" thing too on flights. It's so sort of charming and aussie - makes you know you're on the way home http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

The first time I ever travelled business class, VH-CZE. If there's anything I will remember, it was that.

I never flew on the AN 767's, I now mourn the demise of the A320 from Australian skies.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardMEL:

I'm glad that QF does the "boys and girls" thing too on flights. It's so sort of charming and aussie - makes you know you're on the way home http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

</font>

Next thing we know, you'll be claiming pavlovas are an Australian invention as well http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Since you can hear "ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls" fairly often on Air New Zealand as well, perhaps the custom is better described as antipodean, rather than aussie. (And I wonder if both copied the custom from somewhere else).

BZZT! Any mention of anything NZ is NOT ALLOWED in this, of all, threads, in this, of all, forums!!!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

You are flying on a restricted L class fare here! That's L for Lurve http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

While on the other side of the court, this is certainly a very sad day for Australian avaiation and Australia in general.

I wish all the employees well and hope they find jobs quickly. They definitely did the best they could inspite of management and government f*ckups.



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QantasAllTheWay
OneWorld, All Around the World

All this nostalgia sent me in search of my log-book for some ANSETT flying stats :

I logged some 385,200 kms in 497.15 hrs on 153 flights (164 sectors) with ANSETT.

I have done around 28% of my total flying on ANSETT.

First 27/11/69 AN 029 BNE/SYD 727-77C VH-RMS

Last 11/12/01 AN 247 SYD/PER A320-211 VH-HYH.

Most logged aircraft was the A320 (64 flights) got 'em all except HYL.

Also did some 46 flights on 767s (flew RMG 11 times).

Was also fortunate to be invited up for 29 jump-seat landings, plus 3 complete flights in the jumpseat including a fog diversion where flight time was 6 hours.

Also had my longest trans-continental flight when RMG took over 6 hours one night battling headwinds SYD/PER.

Thanks for the memories, I'll miss you guys.

.

[This message has been edited by brianf (edited 03-01-2002).]

Did my two flights in the 1980's. The planes had 3 and 3 seating - still remember the left 3 were smoking and the right 3 were non-smoking. First and last time I saw the arrangement.

I just got in under the wire -- flying AN for my first and only roundtrip SYD-CNS-SYD -- during the first week of September, 2001. The flights were very pleasant with excellent service and the superb lounge at SYD was a welcome sight after a long redeye from the US.

My final memory of Ansett Australia will be from the media coverage I saw today - the images of so many loyal Ansett passengers who stuck with the airline right until the very end (I wish I could've been there!), the extraordinarily wonderful staff and their wakes around the country. The playing of the last post after AN152 from Perth...the last takeoff of an Airbus A320 Starmark-liveried passenger service in Australia...the images of tears and disbelief. But what touched me was Vanessa Amarossi singing "Shine" at one of the wakes, wearing an FA's Ansett hat (I wonder if anyone added "Absolutely!" into it!!) - her song will remind every Australian of Ansett, and she is still there with them even after their high-profile collapse. The reason I became interested in aviation and the airline industry was Ansett- I, like so many others, was astounded and warmed by the comraderie of everyone in the airline, and the genuine warmness the airline just pumped out everywhere almost all of the time. There were more than a few occasions when i had a lump in my throat today. In my mind I was on every last flight, at every wake...remembering better times. Vale Ansett Australia - One of the world's great airlines.

I happened to be the F/O on 152 PER - MEL.

I have never felt so emotional about anything before in my life.

Air Traffic Control in SYD allowed us to turn right after take off and do a lap of the city. Never seen this before.

Even QF crews were wishing us well over the radio. The QF a/c behind us wished us well and reminded us that Reg would be watching . Someone else jumped and said that Reg would be spinning in his grave.

The apron in PER had just as many red tractors as blue.

Pax were all full of praise.

My last landing in the Airbus was a greaser, thank god.

So was the skippers.

I now feel like my best friend has just died.

I feel so empty and sad.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardMEL:
And lastly, to my ex-AN International friend, who always worked within the rules, but got me some very good fares and never complained with silly ticket requests (usually convoluted * RTW tickets) and even remembered personal touches like to organise me a window seat into MEL every time, or whatever</font>

Ah yes, a true miracle worker. If only other airlines had someone like that performing ticket miracles! I add my thanks to him ...

At BNE GW some years ago, as I checked in I noticed that the coffee of the person behind the desk had long ago gone cold, as it was a very busy day. When I'd checked in and settled in, I bought her a fresh cup of coffee and took away her old cup. From that time on, almost every time I used the lounge, a fresh cup of coffee appeared for me as I sat down.

The valet car parking at BNE used to wash my car for free. I suspect that was just because the young guy doing the car movements, who owned a WRX, wanted to drive my HSV the couple of miles to the car wash and back!

One of the staff at MEL GW used to go to extraordinarylengths to get me on an earlier flight if mine was delayed, and nearly always came up with an upgrade as well. Before I could pull out an upgrade coupon, it was on the house.

As for jump seat rides into any city ... always got one if I asked for one.

I understand why Ansett's gone, but it's a great pity, and I'll miss it.

BTW, my helicopter used to be owned by Ansett! If I'm correct, it's the one that Reg Ansett used to commute across the bay each day.


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Craig

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">But what touched me was Vanessa Amarossi singing "Shine" at one of the wakes, wearing an FA's Ansett hat (I wonder if anyone added "Absolutely!" into it!!) - her song will remind every Australian of Ansett, and she is still there with them even after their high-profile collapse.</font>
Trentis This is even more poignant when you know the history of the Vanessa Amarossi song.
The original title was "Die". She wrote the song after her friend committed suicide.
Absolutely true

Hey Susie, I was thinking that during the first collapse in September - the words of Shine have so many meanings for Ansett - about the dying, but then the resurrection...and then the death again. But I had those exact same thoughts as you!