Pericles, here's the good news:

Qantas shareholders and buyers are so so spitting chips that today the share price of Qantas had risen by 6% (About 2pm $1.63.
Once the Arbritration is imposed expect Qantas to become competitive with the overseas airlines, it's market share to go from the current 22% back to 80%, as it was before the 'open skies' policy, and it's share price will return to the $7 it was then.

Sarnian,

no no Qantas will be Australian based using labor on contracts reflecting international cost.
Qantas prices will be roughly the same as the other international carriers.

Tumblegum

no your attitude is foreign to top management and boards.

They think and act in positives.

It's more likely Joyce was told 'look you earn $1.8mil. If you can increase the share price of Qantas to this level(?) then we'll increase your pay to $5.0mil.

You know we can all save our jobs, we just have to forgo the temptation of seeking out the best deal and buy Australian products and services, manned by Australian staff.

It is we, who have helped to cause this by demanding cheaper flights and abandoning our so called national icon.

I challenge those who think Qantas is in the wrong, to fly Qantas and not seek the lowest fares.

Will our elite sporting teams still wear the logo of their sponsor, QANTAS, with pride?

Rehctub, today's West Australian quotes baggage handlers as
averaging 74k$, engineers averaging 147k$ and pilots on 250-400,
depending on the planes etc. Not a bad wicket for any of them.

What amazes me is that the union thugs think that they can preserve
Australian jobs by "bleeding Qantas slowly". These same people run
the ALP and the Govt. Do they understand nothing about business
at all? Have they learnt nothing in the last 30 years?

IMHO their sheer ignorance is destroying Australian jobs.

If Sheldon and his mates know better, well they are free to use
their huge influence and Qantas workers super fund money and buy
the airline, then show us how its done.

...I checked into your commonly quoted figures for baggage handlers Yabby. It is possible for a baggage handler to earn those figures IF prepared to work 52 weeks a year, 60 hours a week.

...The reality is, the job is so “punk” that the staff turnover is enormous, and is actually more like $22ph plus penalties; which makes it a pretty average job, and pay, for Australian conditions.
Not only are Australian pilots well paid, they are exceptionally well trained (thus the safest). Good value for the passenger I would think: Neither are they expected to fly by the seat of their pants in inferior machinery and under maintained, with their eye-balls hanging out from lack of sleep; also a positive!

...But I believe the inevitable must occur with Qantas though, and it must go the way of the world to Asia, or die a death of a thousand lashes in Australia