Our members this week engage in a little friendly cross-fire to determine which airline is best for frequent travel in Australia. Our members traditionally fall within two camps: Qantas lovers and Qantas haters. A growing number of our members, however, now sit somewhere in that grey, fuzzy area in-between.

Some members feel that with Qantas travel you pay more and get less. The flights are usually more expensive, the frequent flyer program has some major flaws and Qantas appear to rely heavily upon consumer loyalty rather than providing an efficient, top-class service.

Many of our members refute the suggestion that Qantas does not offer value for money. One member states that in their experience the average cost of flying Qantas domestically in comparison to Virgin Blue only works out to be an $8.30 difference. A difference which our members feel is well worth its weight in lounge access, food and drink. In light of these figures many members feel that despite the growing number of carriers, they simply do not stack up in service or comfort and therefore the higher price ticket on Qantas is a justified necessity.

Further the frequent flyer program for frequent domestic travellers has a relatively high return rate and it has all the ‘trimmings’ one craves from an airline including an extensive network of lounges as well as perks for the high status flyer such as operational upgrades and seat choices.

Overall there is no winner in this debate, the best airline for travel in Australia can be determined only on the individuals’ perception of ‘value’.

Follow the discussion HERE.