Qantas has put off free-drinks perk

Press, 29 September 1976, Page 1

Qantas has put off free-drinks perk

PA staff corres. Sydney Plans by the Australian airline, Qantas, to introduce free drinks and headsets in all classes on Tasman flights have been postponed. The new service was due to begin on Friday, but a spokesman confirmed in Sydney yesterday that the airline had failed to get permission to begin it. Qantas also wants to give free drinks and headsets on international flights to Japan, Mauritius, South Africa, and some European countries. The spokesman said rival

airlines that are not members of the International Air Transport Association provided the service on some routes. Difficulties in getting approval from some governments had prevented the service’s starting this week. Air New Zealand matches Singapore Airlines with the free drinks and headsets on its AucklandSingapore services.

Qantas last week announced a net operating loss of sAust7.2M last year. But its chairman (Sir Lenox Hewitt) said it had been making profits since April after a Federal Government clampdown on malpractices in the Australian market.

If the free-drinks plan goes ahead on Tasman routes, it will apply to all Qantas flights, including those using chartered Air New Zealand DCBs out of Wellington. The headsets service applies only to wide-bodied jets. Singapore Airlines is the only non-I.A.T.A. airline running passenger services across the Tasman, but that is in the course of flights between Auckland and Singapore on which Tasman passengers are not permitted. When announcing his air-

line’s intention to provide the new service earlier this year, Sir Lenox said that formal notice of withdrawal from the I.A.T.A. regulation requiring charges for alcoholic drinks and headsets in economy class had been filed