Whither Qantas?

Nick Bryant's Australia blog on the BBC website has a very insightful post about the state of Qantas, which puts in words something I've been pondering for the last few weeks: When did Qantas go astray? (I reckon it was at this point, myself: when it entered into the domestic market and was privatised shortly thereafter. That's two big changes too close together.)

My own experience with Qantas this year left me feeling that something had changed in the company's culture. Prior to this year, my opinion was of an airline that treated passengers like they were nieces and nephews--friendly, in other words, but this was in the early 1990s.

After this past April, the impression I received is that the employees are overworked, underpaid, and the company's desire to maintain its market share without raising costs has created such a bizarre clash of systems (to the point that its own subsidiary operates on a different baggage handling system than the parent) that it barely functions.

Since renationalisation is highly unlikely, the question is when can Qantas get a management that appeases shareholders and customers, gets maintenance done locally and effectively, keeps waste low--but isn't afraid to spend when necessary, and doesn't pillage salaries of frontline workers? That might sound like a lot, but I don't think it's a pipe dream.

Otherwise, I say break it up.