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Qantas chief apologises to passengers as the airline works to improve its public image and resolve industrial disputes.
It is hard to meet someone who wasn't affected by the recent delays and cancellations on Qantas flights.
Business professionals, families and the odd holiday-maker travelling in and around the nation had a hard time making appointments or getting home.
And while many people were left stranded in last-minute hotel accommodation or strolling duty-free aisles, union and business leaders were thrashing out a workplace relations plan.
Last weekend (October 29) the airline shut down its operations, locking out tens of thousands of workers and grounding flights for 48 hours in an attempt to end months of industrial action.
The prime minister labelled the actions "extreme and irresponsible" and called for an apology by the airline to staff and passengers.
Chief executive officer Alan Joyce said of the lockout: "I do apologise to all the customers that were stranded but we had to bring it [industrial action] to a head."
The comments were made during today's hearing of the Senate committee on last weekend's actions.
With negotiations now continuing off the tarmac and in boardrooms it may be worth considering just why this stalemate won't subside.
Amid concerns for job security, as well as a long-running dispute over pay and conditions for airline staff, more than 4,000 workers held strikes in late September.
Emergency talks between the union and Qantas were later held at Fair Work Australia offices, but these too failed to resolve worker concerns for job security.
This in turn led to ongoing industrial action that has reportedly cost the airline dearly and it is still unknown whether the employment security of workers will improve.
The brand’s plans to restructure the company by expanding operations in Asia were announced earlier this year and widely regarded as the trigger for employee discontent.