Qantas has always been like family

A news.com.au report says that while we’re happy to pick on Qantas’ faults we’ll punch the lights out of an outsider who criticises her.

We drone on about poor service and minimal leg room but admit to feelings of pride and relief when boarding a long way from home only to be greeted by a broad Australian accent.

And when the kids start singing I Still Call Australia Home……..!

Twenty years ago when Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man declared he would only take to the skies aboard a flying kangaroo, usually reserved Australian cinema-goers cheered.

That might make us cringe a little now, but it’s demonstrative of the thing about Qantas we hold most dear – its safety record.

Whatever you think of the quality of the food, the attitude of the flight attendants and the quagmire that is its frequent flier program – Qantas planes don’t fall out of the sky. And in the end that’s all that really matters.

The in-flight movies and well-stocked bar might make a long haul economy class flight slightly more bearable – but it’s the safe landing at the other end we’re really paying for, and what keeps us coming back.

But not even the soaring harmonies of adolescent choristers could drown out the niggling doubts many Qantas passengers must have at the moment.

Still in possession of the best safety record in the world, there’s no denying something fishy is going on at the airline.

Perhaps it’s just a terrible coincidence that in the past two weeks there’s been three emergencies on Qantas flights.

The first, involving a gaping hole in the fuselage, may well turn out to have been an unavoidable fluke (not very comforting at 30,000 feet).

The others, the products of leaking fluid and a landing gear door that failed, have Qantas crews nervous enough to seek reassurance from their bosses.

No matter what the explanation, it’s starting to look like union warnings over maintenance cost-cutting were more than just a political manoeuvre.

And now the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has set up a six-man team to investigate the airline’s safety and maintenance.

There’s something so reassuring about the silvering hair and competent demeanour of the experienced Qantas pilot — but in recent weeks they’ve had to prove their admirable qualities more often than is reasonable.

That love-hate relationship that keeps us booking and boarding Qantas flights even while bitching about the service is at risk of being pushed to breaking point.

A Report by The Mole from news.com.au