Upgrade Priority. Staff vs. Paying Passenger

[LiamR]

This is simply flat out not the case.

In my..gee oh I don't know 200+ BNE-SYD-BNE flights I request upgrades using points, declined only to see biz full of staff.

No matter what the QF rulebook says - how you describe it DOES NOT happen in real life.

What really happens is staff wait for the last moment to board (if their current ticket is in Y) - then see their buddy at the counter to get a new BP. Looking after your own and all that - which is fine and I understand it and think it's fine -- but **** there's no reason anyone should believe there's a 'customer before staff' policy. There is NOT!

I was under the impression this was the norm until QF introduced points upgrades right up until boarding. Since then all QF staff travellers on Domestic are seated in Economy until T-15, at which point they can be upgraded to Business, pending available seats.

My problem with Qantas Staff Travel (for Domestic) is that staff seem to get preferential treatment over paying passengers in J.

 

[cwphoto]

If half of the critics here went through or understood the drama that is involved travelling on Qantas Staff you would probably say its all too hard for the remote chance of a J seat.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I am entitled to book Staff Travel as a minor of a retired Staff-Member - but the loadings are so tight these days that I never bother taking the risk.

Worse still if you are in an overseas port trying to get home.

 

[cwphoto]

My problem with Qantas Staff Travel (for Domestic) is that staff seem to get preferential treatment over paying passengers in J.

How do you know they are staff?

 

[medhead]

How do you know they are staff?

• They have the qantas branded staff issued carry on luggage.
• The CSM has a great chat to them, brings them special drinks from upfront if they happen to be in row 4.
• They say words like, I probably should have worn my uniform and the CSM replies that it is ok and it was just good they realised they were staff.
• They stop and have another little chat with the CSM while disembarking is in progress, hence holding up all the other passengers.
• They don't get the platinum greeting while in row 4 but do get the special drinks.

It is surprising easy to spot staff if you know the signs.....:shock:

 

[LiamR]

How do you know they are staff?

• They have the qantas branded staff issued carry on luggage.
• The CSM has a great chat to them, brings them special drinks from upfront if they happen to be in row 4.
• They say words like, I probably should have worn my uniform and the CSM replies that it is ok and it was just good they realised they wee staff.
• They stop and have another little chat with the CSM while disembarking is in progress, hence holding up all the other passengers.
• They don't get the platinum greeting while in row 4 but do get the special drinks.

It is surprising easy to spot staff if you know the signs.....:shock:

It's very easy, adding to above.

- Expert flyer seat maps go from completely empty cabin to full cabin at T-15
- A group of J Pax boarding at the last minute, who seem to make light conversation
- Talking to passengers in a casual tone.

When I use to fly Qantas a lot we use to say there was two cabins on QF Domestic. Economy Class and Staff Travel Class.

 

[medhead]

A couple more

• They discuss their roster with the crew
• they get on board and exclaim, repeatedly "I can't believe they put us in business"
• they tell the crew and all the passengers around that they just finished their initial training and they can't believe they got put in business

 

[DAC1]

So if I were to spend thousands at the companies at which some critics here work for yet don't get the same benefits as the staff at that company am I going to complain?

Get over it, Qantas don't care.

 

[Kefci2000]

Half of them are in uniform and the other half you recognise having served you in international J class!!!!

had same experience Sydney-Mel when over half J were crew from my HKG-SYDNEY flight

 

[DAC1]

I was under the impression this was the norm until QF introduced points upgrades right up until boarding. Since then all QF staff travellers on Domestic are seated in Economy until T-15, at which point they can be upgraded to Business, pending available seats.

My problem with Qantas Staff Travel (for Domestic) is that staff seem to get preferential treatment over paying passengers in J.

To the T-15 past - completely incorrect. Qantas staff are only waitlisted in economy and will find out about J (in 95% of the time) once the flight is closed.

To your second point - wrong again. If you have been in J and all know so much about staff travel, you would notice that during meal service particular people may be skipped and not offered a meal and are served last - that's staff. Hardly seems "preferential"...

 

[JohnPhelan]

had same experience Sydney-Mel when over half J were crew from my HKG-SYDNEY flight

which means they were on duty travel.

 

[medhead]

So if I were to spend thousands at the companies at which some critics here work for yet don't get the same benefits as the staff at that company am I going to complain?

Get over it, Qantas don't care.

Wow. Bit of a stupid comment really. My point, and it seems a few others as well, is to acknowledge the reality that staff do get preferential treatment at times over passengers looking for upgrades. I can certainly acknowledge that reality without being upset or having to get over anything. Perhaps stop being so defensive about it.

Of course, your "get over it" is an implicit acknowledgement for the reality that you seem to wish to deny.

To the T-15 past - completely incorrect. Qantas staff are only waitlisted in economy and will find out about J (in 95% of the time) once the flight is closed.

Flights close at t-15 do they not? Certainly that was the information provided to me when given a space available upgrade or two. So what if the seats fill up at t-14, it is the t-15 time that triggers those seats filling up.

To your second point - wrong again. If you have been in J and all know so much about staff travel, you would notice that during meal service particular people may be skipped and not offered a meal and are served last - that's staff. Hardly seems "preferential"...

I won't preempt the meaning of the post you quoted. But I do note that this thread topic is not about what happens in the cabin, but what happens loading people into the J cabin. Of course there is an exception to every rule. I have certainly had restrictions suggested for my meal choices out of consideration for off duty staff in the business cabin.

 

[serfty]

It seems that if there's 5 staff looking for a seat and there's 12 free, 5 in business and 7 in economy, those economy seats are going to remain free.

Contrast to AA where after closure if there are seats in First/business unoccupied and there are upgrade eligible Elite alreadyboarded, they enter the aircfaft and physically move the entitled punter.

 

[cwphoto]

• They have the qantas branded staff issued carry on luggage.
• The CSM has a great chat to them, brings them special drinks from upfront if they happen to be in row 4.
• They say words like, I probably should have worn my uniform and the CSM replies that it is ok and it was just good they realised they were staff.
• They stop and have another little chat with the CSM while disembarking is in progress, hence holding up all the other passengers.
• They don't get the platinum greeting while in row 4 but do get the special drinks.

It is surprising easy to spot staff if you know the signs.....:shock:

So not Staff Travel then - travelling for work, which is fine.

 

[BAM1748]

• They have the qantas branded staff issued carry on luggage.
• The CSM has a great chat to them, brings them special drinks from upfront if they happen to be in row 4.
• They say words like, I probably should have worn my uniform and the CSM replies that it is ok and it was just good they realised they were staff.
• They stop and have another little chat with the CSM while disembarking is in progress, hence holding up all the other passengers.
• They don't get the platinum greeting while in row 4 but do get the special drinks.

It is surprising easy to spot staff if you know the signs.....:shock:

that doesn't sound like leisure travel, staff on leisure travel do have enforced guidelines on their presentation, also, if on leisure travel they would be greeted by name as any regular passenger. You wouldn't know who they are.

you check in at the economy counter, get your economy boarding pass 1 hour before the flight (even for international) and if there is a seat available after all passengers sorted you might be upgraded at the gate if you have paid the premium staff travel fare and it is an entitlement based on your position/ranking. Not all staff are entitled to more than economy for leisure.

if they are on a work move then that's when they are chatting to other staff with their branded carry on.

 

[Ewing]

How do you know they are staff?

In addition to the above, they also pull out their laptop and start writing emails with their Qantas signature at the bottom.

 

[medhead]

So not Staff Travel then - travelling for work, which is fine.

that doesn't sound like leisure travel, staff on leisure travel do have enforced guidelines on their presentation, also, if on leisure travel they would be greeted by name as any regular passenger. You wouldn't know who they are.

you check in at the economy counter, get your economy boarding pass 1 hour before the flight (even for international) and if there is a seat available after all passengers sorted you might be upgraded at the gate if you have paid the premium staff travel fare and it is an entitlement based on your position/ranking. Not all staff are entitled to more than economy for leisure.

if they are on a work move then that's when they are chatting to other staff with their branded carry on.

Duty travel has to be in uniform doesn't it? Not in uniform suggests not on duty to me.

I've certainly seen and overheard the conversations I described with people not in a uniform that have also included words like "so where are you holidaying", or "We'll catch up when your back", or "or we're together on XYZday when you return".

As I said, I'm not blaming but I will be realistic in my view that staff do get looked after where possible and depending on who they know.

 

[wandersen]

In addition to the above, they also pull out their laptop and start writing emails with their Qantas signature at the bottom.

You need to distinguish crew from other staff. A QF staff member travelling for business purposes would be given a seat just like a fare paying passenger. I assume also that once you start getting higher in management the benefits improve and someone on leisure travel would trump a FF upgrade. That would be a very small percentage of QF staff though.

 

[DAC1]

As I said, I'm not blaming but I will be realistic in my view that staff do get looked after where possible and depending on who they know.

The way you say that you make it seem like Qantas is the only place in the world where employees look after employees.

 

[DAC1]

that doesn't sound like leisure travel, staff on leisure travel do have enforced guidelines on their presentation, also, if on leisure travel they would be greeted by name as any regular passenger. You wouldn't know who they are.

you check in at the economy counter, get your economy boarding pass 1 hour before the flight (even for international) and if there is a seat available after all passengers sorted you might be upgraded at the gate if you have paid the premium staff travel fare and it is an entitlement based on your position/ranking. Not all staff are entitled to more than economy for leisure.

if they are on a work move then that's when they are chatting to other staff with their branded carry on.

This.

Leisure travel and duty travel are two different kettle of fish, despite coming under the umbrella of Qantas Staff Travel. The understanding of these by individuals here is blurred and a clear distinction hasn't been made between the two.

 

[medhead]

The way you say that you make it seem like Qantas is the only place in the world where employees look after employees.

This is pointless. Do you get the point that we are talking about QANTAS here, not other businesses? My comment makes no comment about what happens elsewhere it is limited to the topic of this thread. I'm really sorry if you have misinterpreted the comment.

This.

Leisure travel and duty travel are two different kettle of fish, despite coming under the umbrella of Qantas Staff Travel. The understanding of these by individuals here is blurred and a clear distinction hasn't been made between the two.

The only confusion between the two seem to be coming from you and the other comment that you quoted. Sorry buddy but it is high unlikely to be duty travel when the passenger staff member is discussing with the cabin crew member the details of the holiday from which they are returning, to their home before being back on as cabin crew the next day, weekend or week.

Happy for you to ignore that and keep trying to confuse the issue. Enjoy your one sided conversation.