‘Feels like home until your bag goes missing’

afr.com:

Alan Joyce will be remembered as somebody who worked tirelessly to crush the spirit of Qantas employees, former long-haul flight attendant Mark Dean says.

“Working for the Flying Kangaroo was a privilege,” the now teacher said of a 35-year career with the airline that ended when he took a redundancy package in 2021.

“We were the spirit of Australia, and those weren’t just words. It was an actual feeling of trying to deliver the best product, the best service that an airline could give. But Qantas under Alan Joyce only saw profits and returns, not its staff and loyal customers.“

Mark Dean: “I realise companies have to make money but they shouldn’t do it at the expense of staff and service.” Brook Mitchell

Mr Joyce stepped down on Tuesday, two months before he was due to exit after 15 years as Qantas chief executive.

The abrupt departure came after the competition watchdog sued Qantas for allegedly selling bogus seats on thousands of flights that had already been cancelled. The launch of the case was a catalyst for an outpouring of public anger over perceived price gouging and poor service.

Mr Dean, 65, said Australians were right to be angry. “I realise companies have to make money but they shouldn’t do it at the expense of staff and service,” he said.

Mr Dean joined Qantas in 1986 and the job gave him a good salary, global travel, lifelong friends and even a future wife. “But in return we all gave 110 per cent for Qantas and our customers.”

Then came privatisation in the 1990s and, in the following decades, Qantas as a standalone commercial operation encountered financial difficulties. There were staff cuts, the outsourcing of services such as baggage handling and the elimination of some routes. Few businesses were hit