Qantas asking for protection from Virgin
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Qantas asking for protection from Virgin
Amazing that Qantas CEO wants government to intervene to stop Virgin from competing with them. Like the car industry, another rent seeker wanting their poor management & overpaid staff subsidised by taxpayers.
#2
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Ridiculous that they don't think they can compete. Is he unable to cope in the big, bad world of air travel when he has a substantially captive market audience, or is he also not aware he owns JetStar?
#3
Join Date: Feb 2008
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I can understand the disadvantage that this puts Qantas at. The solution is obvious - free Qantas from the Qantas Sale Act (or similar name) and allow it to get money from whoever it wants. Having Qantas as a 'national carrier' does not seem relevant in this day and age.
Hamstringing Virgin in the same way Qantas is would be crazy.
Hamstringing Virgin in the same way Qantas is would be crazy.
#4
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Hypothetically; had Qantas asked to be freed from the Qantas Sale Act a year ago (prior to this debacle), do you think there would've been outcry from some of the Australian general public slamming Qantas for losing it's Australian "identity" (or so to speak)?
#5
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There were debates about the Qantas Sale Act around the time of the whole striking crew and QF grounding issue.
#7
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I thought that was one of the possible resolutions that Qantas did in fact ask for?
#8
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#10
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What rent seeking? Qantas has been a disaster as an investment since it floated. Compare it something like the CBA which floated around the same time. There's your rent seeker.
#11
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Seriously? There's just so much in this post that is entertainingly inaccurate and biased that I wouldn't know where to begin on it. But I do thank you for the chuckle.
#12
Join Date: Apr 2006
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However, does it currently hold any 'formal' national carrier status?
Note that I'm not talking about their natural prominence due to their larger market share, which wouldn't be something they would just pass on to VA anyway. I'm talking about any official status with tangible benefits, e.g. government guarantees, official subsidies, formalised preferential treatment etc.
I don't think it has such a formal status and gets any tangible benefits either. Happy to stand corrected.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: BA Silver, Velocity Gold
Posts: 329
Yes, Qantas is the largest and most prominent airline in Australia and it was previously owned by the Commonwealth government.
However, does it currently hold any 'formal' national carrier status?
Note that I'm not talking about their natural prominence due to their larger market share, which wouldn't be something they would just pass on to VA anyway. I'm talking about any official status with tangible benefits, e.g. government guarantees, official subsidies, formalised preferential treatment etc.
I don't think it has such a formal status and gets any tangible benefits either. Happy to stand corrected.
However, does it currently hold any 'formal' national carrier status?
Note that I'm not talking about their natural prominence due to their larger market share, which wouldn't be something they would just pass on to VA anyway. I'm talking about any official status with tangible benefits, e.g. government guarantees, official subsidies, formalised preferential treatment etc.
I don't think it has such a formal status and gets any tangible benefits either. Happy to stand corrected.
#14
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Dave
#15
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Australia (and NZ) are 1 of the few (stupid) governments that allow airlines to be up to 51% ~ 100% foreign owned & controlled. Just try starting a 100% (or 51%) Australian owned airline in the land of the free & paranoid (USA) or China or the middle east