Thanks for posting that.

I suppose Mike could have used a different image to make his point than a hypothetical future contract, with this one looming. This is even more true in the sense that our company and the company's survival will go hand-in-hand, so this would not represent one side getting the upper hand at the negotiating table.

It's true that our airlines are facing a clear problem, the solution to which is not evident yet. It's also pretty clear that labor concessions will not be the solution, because it will only exacerbate the differences in service. Facing the ME carriers will require a highly motivated workforce, high levels of service, innovative thinking by management, and some serious joint lobbying. Their advantages are geographic (especially vs. European and Asian carriers), regulatory (backing of their government), and financial (backing of their government, our own government, and aircraft manufacturers).

As such, I think Mike is right that 2019 will be yet another fight for survival by the airlines, but I don't think it will have anything to do with any contract. Qantas employees could give, and give, and give until they bleed, but it will not overcome the advantages enjoyed by the ME carriers.

All in all, forward thinking on Mike's topic (maybe too forward, really), but marginal choice to use the "C2019" image. Not much to see here in terms of C2015, however.