Pericles and Individual;
If airlines are to survive there will have to be a rethink by unions,
customers and shareholders.

I have just read that world conventional oil production is declining at
4.5% a year according to the International Energy Agency.
For conventional oil read cheap oil.
As the world mix of cheap and expensive changes all airlines are being
screwed.
I can see a time when aircraft will not leave until they are filled.
There will not be a timetable, you just roll up and when there is a
planefull waiting you board and off you go.

I note that QANTAS's fuel bill has risen 456% since 2000 and yet
seat/kms has only risen 71% in that time.

They can expect a similar fuel price rise in the next five years but
I doubt they will get a 71% rise in seat/kms.

How do you propose they should deal with this ?

The govemant needs to require quantas take it a way from its profitearing managers. How is it expected to compeat moss affectively with the likes of Emilyrates Air, Singapoor airlines, Malasha Airliens all them govemant owned and funded.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Government-owned_airlines

You are right of course Karlx, if the government owned airlines are
being subsidised then perhaps the government can put a tariff under WTO
anti dumping rules, onto those airlines fares.

Perhaps not as I assume that QANTAS would already have thought of that.

Whatever, where do our priorities lie ?
Please rearrange in priority order;

Airlines
Railways
Roads
Schools
Hospitals
Disability Services
Defence
Agricultural science
etc etc etc

How do you fancy Joe Hockey's job ?

all them govemant owned and funded.
KarlX,
You forgot the people there because they're Govt funded & kept also, many under not so flash conditions.

You know what the real problem is ?

YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY !