Type of People in Departure Lounges

[azza_1992]

Hi everyone,

It just struck me the other day that even though I fly through Brisbane 8 or 9 times a year, I haven't been in the Qantas Pier for over 5 years.

Which got me thinking, is there a noticeable difference in the type of people in a Virgin Blue or Jetstar terminal and a Qantas terminal. The way I see it, most families and travellers in general will go for the airline with the lowest prices (DJ and JQ). So in the Qantas part of a terminal, are there noticeably more business travellers than at other airlines' departure lounges?

 

[sr81]

I wouldn't want to comment on any perceived socioeconomic disparity that may/may not exist in a comparison between DJ, JQ, QF, Tiger, Rex etc....

I am a business traveler but in my role I am usually in jeans and a polo. Not very business looking but I am on QF 90% of the time; the other 10% is broken up on DJ and JQ. I don't think that the old QF = business travel is true.

I don't think that you can judge the 'type of people'. Remember that primary school lesson - Never Judge a Book By Its Cover.

Now if you want to start ragging on those in the QP

 

[Evan]

sr81, more or less what i was going to say, i work in jeans and a polo top... also how i travel. But i do a lot of travel for work.
Its very difficult to tell who is traveling for work and who for fun sometimes.
E

 

[Travel Guru]

Ditto here, I work and travel in a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt...no suit for me, I use QF 90% of the time, the rest is on DJ.

I notice when I do fly out of Coolangatta instead of the usual BNE departure that you can definately spot a difference, which is obviously due to the higher number of tourists travelling through OOL, and probably why I prefer to fly out of BNE on QF despite living on the GC.

Having said that, as long as someone isn't overly talkative, doesn't have BO and there isn't a screaming kid nearby, I couldn't care who's sitting next to me...one thing I learnt working in retail travel on the Gold Coast is never judge a book by its cover....some of the wealthiest people on the Gold Coast get around in thongs and shorts, and you can cost yourself alot of money by have preconceived ideas about people based on their dress.

TG

 

[vt]

Same day travel and work I'd be in whatever dress code the client requires. That would mean suit or casual.

Travelling off days, I'll dress very comfortably for the destination. So this may mean shorts, t-shirt and thongs for warm locations like hong kong to trackie dax, jumper and runners for tokyo.

dress codes be damned, i'm melbourne through and through :mrgreen:

 

[coco50]

Looking at it from another angle - when the port is not a capital city, the analysis is often much easier. Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (henceforth known as BNK) is served by three airlines - JQ and DJ are mostly bringing holiday traffic and mainly to explore the fleshpots of Byron Bay. Their clientele dress accordingly. The return flights to SYD and MEL (in the case of JQ) are similar although on the JQ flights there are sometimes people travelling on business. Both JQ and DJ have only one flight a day - JQ operating A320s and DJ - 737 - 800s. Rex has four flight a day with the first and last flight catering for the needs of people who want to do business in SYD. ZL also have a higher fare sturcture. It's interesting in the QC in SYD T2 watching when the BNK flight is called and seeing what travellers leave the lounge - again, many holiday makers are not frequent flyers or mambers of the QC

 

[Mal]

If anyone had've seen me a few weeks ago when flying from NAN to BNE, you would have seen me in shorts, t-shirt and thongs. Very classy travelling gear - but I didn't have time to change into what I was really wanting to wear (and yep, i don't normally wear thongs or shorts when travelling).

You really can't look at someone and judge anything.

The other thing to consider is that sales do influence who flies on an airline, and that money doesn't buy class!

 

[Evan]

Still makes me wonder why people in vacations or non work trips still seem to think you need to get dressed up to sit in F, saw it the last few flights io was on, i fail to see whats wrong with just jeans and a polo or something like that, and shorts and thongs if i so felt like it and the destination it would be acceptable.

hehehe, your right money does not buy class, did i just say i would fly F in shorts and t-shirt ?

E

 

[NM]

Still makes me wonder why people in vacations or non work trips still seem to think you need to get dressed up to sit in F, saw it the last few flights io was on, i fail to see whats wrong with just jeans and a polo or something like that, and shorts and thongs if i so felt like it and the destination it would be acceptable.

nothing wrong with jeans, but for a long-haul flight I find Dockers are much more comfortable than jeans, especially if I am going want to sleep.

I also find a light cotton shirt more comfortable than a polo shirt, and I find a pocket on my shirt a real advantage for long-haul international flights so I can keep my passport, boarding passes, landing cards and a pen at easy reach.

I dress for what feels comfortable and practical for me, not for what others may think about me or my dress habits.

 

[anat0l]

This year, of all the QCs I am in the most, it's SYD T3 standard QC.

Looking around at the crowd, most people are dressed up in suits or office wear. Probably just come from work and ready to go home. Some of them are looking more casual with jeans and polo. Probably work as well, but you can probably guess with a 90% chance of success which ones are not coming from work by observing what they're drinking (or eating) and what they are talking about (and how they go about it - loudness, proportion of laughter etc.)

Rarely seen kids (seen some, usually surfing the internet on the workstations) or people in shorts / mini-skirts.

Last time I was in SYD T3 QC, the most unusual thing I saw was someone (not a kid) at a workstation playing World of Warcraft (either that or Warcraft III). :shock:

AKL QC: People tend to come in groups a lot more than QCs in OZ. At a marked number of times I literally was the only person in the AKL QC (Dom or Int) who was a 'single'.

When I was in AKL Int QC on Sat 28/06, there were at least two families in there (i.e. mum+dad+at least 2 kids). That's an unusual sighting, although the kids mostly just sat with their parents eating food and talking.

As for me, I would not be caught in shorts to save my life when travelling. Don't know why - just can't do it. Yet. Usually I'll be sporting jeans and a shirt - either polo or long sleeve. The latter + jeans is usually work clothes for me.

I haven't flown F before but on my recent NZ trip I had quite a bit of J travel; sitting in J the majority of people are still at least smart casual, even for night flights.

 

[Ikara]

and you can cost yourself alot of money by have preconceived ideas about people based on their dress.

TG

Yep!!!! Speaking from the experience of the observed, not the observer (it cost him a lot of money - a lot of money!)

JB

 

[drron]

Yes never judge a book by its cover.The richest fellow I ever met who surprisingly doesnt appear in any rich list appears to have not 2 pennies to rub together.He had been pulled up by the plod who were going to take his licence because he was demented.He bought me in part of his portfolio that he actively managed.Let us just say his holding of a bank share was well in excess of 10 million shares.No matter what bank you think of that made him rich.He regales in tales of people who have misjudged him.

 

[pauly7]

Yes never judge a book by its cover..

Couldn't agree more. Heaps of marketing, advertising and agency personnel wouldn't be caught dead in a suit but are on some SERIOUS coin. They usually look trendy though

The places I notice the most difference between QF and DJ/JQ terminals are the main hubs like MEL, SYD during the week, when the % of traditional suits on QF is far far far higher than the 'budget' terminals of DJ/JQ.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

I think who's travelling varies a lot by the time of day. Weekdays at 7:30am or so, and also at 5-6pm, it's business travellers. The fares at those times tend to be more expensive, and that's also when most business people have to travel.

During the middle of the day, and on weekends, there are more leisure travellers.

Whilst DJ might carry more leisure travellers as a % of their total load compared to QANTAS, I find that most people on a DJ flight at 7 or 7:30am would be people travelling for work.

 

[oz_mark]

Some mornings Perth is laden with the Khaki folk on the way to the mines as well!

 

[pauly7]

Some mornings Perth is laden with the Khaki folk on the way to the mines as well!

HAHA I know!! QF must be making a MINT out of those contracts!!

 

[Shano]

Half of my business travel is in high vis attire. Gotta love those flouro yellow shirts.....

The other half is either suit or business casual, depending on purpose of the trip.

Certainly what I wear when I travel has definitely taught me not to judge other people based on what they are wearing.

 

[Happy Dude]

Yes never judge a book by its cover.The richest fellow I ever met who surprisingly doesnt appear in any rich list appears to have not 2 pennies to rub together.He had been pulled up by the plod who were going to take his licence because he was demented.He bought me in part of his portfolio that he actively managed.Let us just say his holding of a bank share was well in excess of 10 million shares.No matter what bank you think of that made him rich.He regales in tales of people who have misjudged him.

I'm thinking Barings Bank? Maybe that was why he was acting demented?

More seriously, do wealthy people like that enjoy regaling tales of how they've been misjudged? Judge at your own peril of course but I reckon it could be a type of Munchausens Syndrome. I have a mate whose dad is wealthy and acts just the same. A rich grub is still a grub.

 

[coco50]

Still makes me wonder why people in vacations or non work trips still seem to think you need to get dressed up to sit in F, saw it the last few flights io was on, i fail to see whats wrong with just jeans and a polo or something like that, and shorts and thongs if i so felt like it and the destination it would be acceptable.

hehehe, your right money does not buy class, did i just say i would fly F in shorts and t-shirt ?

E

Can't see anything wrong with jeans and a T or polo shirt - after all this is the uniform of the baby boomers. You need to be comfortable when you fly.

 

[Mr Somerset]

Personally I think someone's actual behaviour is far more important than their attire. A git in a suit is still a git.