Qantas & Virgin response to 2019/20 bushfires

[pauly7]

Qantas and Virgin have responded to the horrific AU bushfires:

QANTAS
- $1 million cash (no strings) to bushfire relief and recovery
- Free travel for fire fighters and equipment
- QF group airlines collecting passenger donations at airports
- QF loyalty encouraging people to convert points to bushfire donations
- QF US team working to get 100k face masks donated to be delivered to communities in next few days
- Hoping to contibute $3m in total


VIRGIN
- Matching employee donations capped at $250k (to Salvation Army)
- Affected passengers have rebooking fees waived
- 4 week paid leave for its staff who are actively fighting the fires in an emergency service
- Supporting requests for the movement of fire fighting related logistics and extra baggage allowances
- Discounted airfares to emergency organisations

Sources:

Virgin Australia offers bushfire support

The airline is also offering support for community organisations and charities requiring travel or logistics support. This includes supporting requests for cargo space and excess baggage allowances to help move equipment and material if required.

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the terrible bushfires in… | Qantas | 33 comments

Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the terrible bushfires in parts of Australia and those working so hard to fight them. Like many others, we want to help. Since bushfires started in September, we’ve been proud to carry fire fighters and equipment across the country at no charge. We...

www.linkedin.com

 

[pauly7]

Obviously we are welcoming all contributions from big corporates.

QF I expect this level of engagement and support. They have a strong history in supporting the community in times of crisis.

VA with the size of their domestic business should be doing more. It’s actually a little embarrassing and relies mostly on its employees doing the right thing (which I’m sure they will). Was PS unable to convince their foreign owners to release the purse strings a little more to support the community that support them?

 

[HS-TQE]

Obviously we are welcoming all contributions from big corporates.

QF I expect this level of engagement and support. They have a strong history in supporting the community in times of crisis.

VA with the size of their domestic business should be doing more. It’s actually a little embarrassing and relies mostly on its employees doing the right thing (which I’m sure they will). Was PS unable to convince their foreign owners to release the purse strings a little more to support the community that support them?

PS had said a while back in another article that "we're on our own" when it came to the foreign owners, all of them are hands-off (either by choice e.g SQ or due to debt problems of their own like EY and HNA).

Edit: I could see SQ donating to the AU bushfires on their own, but not on behalf of VA. The only SQ involvement outside of their stake in VA is the longstanding codeshare/FF partnership (which is due to expire at the end of Q3 2021, iirc).

 

[Must...Fly!]

Given the relative financial state and overall size of VA vs QF, there is nothing shameful about VA's response.

They're under no obligation to do anything.

 

[Mogul]

Both should be thanked for their contributions.

 

[jakeseven7]

Both should be thanked for their contributions.

Agreed, any contribution should be thanked!

I think VA's offering is a bit weak compared to other companies it's size and because its got strings attached linked to its employees donating it looks a bit miserable (in comparison)

Most other corporate are doing no strings cash donations - and smaller organisations have donated more than VA.

But as others have pointed out, VA are still losing money hand over fist so maybe they simply can't afford it.

 

[HS-TQE]

As I've tipped in my earlier post in this thread, VA's 20% shareholder: SQ, has made their contribution to the bushfire appeal on their own behalf.

Link to SQ's Facebook Post