If we are on the cusp of recovery from the recession, why is it that i keep getting new data that says BS?
- My neighbour works for a major oil company as a customer support/sales person. Well, she did till just before christmas, she's now getting seriously into the job hunting.
- Another mate was the Corporate affairs Manager for another major international corporation, he dealt with CSR and community support, he's looking for a job.
- Ther fays of first class travel appear to be over Qantas to dump most first-class seats
Under the scheme that could be announced within weeks, Qantas would retain first-class seats only on its London and Los Angeles flights, slashing the number of its first-class planes to 12 from 30, The Australian Financial Review said.That would leave exactly 168 first class seats on the entire QANTAS fleet, a little more than one 737-full. These seats are filled by people who take their own privileges seriously, whose backsides, apparently, are too delicate to endure the rigours of the lower classes. But they are either no longer traveling or their extra special comforts are no longer affordable or worth the money.
The paper, quoting a leaked reconfiguration plan, said the changes would mean that sumptuous first-class bed-seats would be stripped out of all the airline's Boeing 747-400s, leaving 14 first-class seats in just 12 Airbus A380 super jumbos.
If this was a short recession, why is QANTAS making long term decisions about its seating configuration, why aren't they preparing for a return to the good old days when companies paid for their special people to travel in special comfort?
Because QANTAS isn't stupid; it knows those days are not coming back any time soon and it is making adjustments. Apparently it is easier to change the seating comnfiguration on a string on multimillion dolalr machines than it is to get the rosy specs off the ears of the econimic nattering class.
I agree that "business class" flights are pretty sensitive indicators of corporate confidence. When you are cutting budgets, it's not too difficult to see that a $14 conference call can replace 10 pers. x (plane tickets + accommodation + travel allowance + 24 hours' worth of big-wig's time) = $16,000
But to be fair, I think you will find that changing a seating configuration is not a long term decision. There are actually some seating modules that can be "quick changed" in under an hour. More conventional modules take a few days, down to 48 hours for the 747-400, but it's not some irrevocable strategic decision, it's something you can do every time the plane is in maintenance.
Posted by: Roger | April 07, 2010 at 12:33 AM