90 Reasons NOT to Fly Qantas

[Melburnian1]

Another reason is how standards drop when routes are contracted.

The continual late running of the 1500 series flight numbers between MEL and HBA is one example.

A further reason is the declining QFi route network: cessation of own metal flights to and FRA was one example.

By the way, AFFers are a very small percentage of any airline's passengers, but from the forum discussions, many passengers who are not just 'frequent' but 'very frequent' flyers are contributors so the revenue to QF, VA and other airlines may be important. AFFers must have some influence because if not, the elite among them would not keep being invited by Mrs Grant to lunches.

 

[Limewood]

Had some good meals out of the box, but gee it (the box) looks awful and uninviting, it just don't conjure up a world class airline somehow.

 

[Lonely Flyer]

It never hurts to let QF know what is ticking you off so they can hopefully put it right eventually



Mixed Class Award Bookings

That annoys me when I search for a J award to BNE-LHR and they offer BNE-MEL in J and MEL-LHR in Y. Not what I want.

 

[Interlude]

No need for you to comment or keep reading then.

Some people are really annoyed for various reasons, why not let them vent and if you don't like it don't comment.

Exactly. I think I would be a more active contributor to this boards if there weren't so many examples of other high-minded posters making sarcastic or critical comments against posts that they consider to be irrelevant, wrong, trivial, or unnecessary. As you point out here, such are very quick to say that if you don't like something about Qantas, you should firstly shut up about it, and secondly, don't fly QF, but your retort is perfect. If you don't like my posting, then either engage with me in rational discussion about it or just try to relax and let me have my say. Some people don't have a choice about which airline to fly, and some pay more just to fly QF for many kinds of reasons, including loyalty, but that doesn't invalidate their perspective. Bottom-line commercial realities are unavoidable, but many of the items being listed here already have little to do with costs as such, and are more about corporate culture, customer service mentality, responsiveness, attentiveness to genuine feedback, and appreciating the input from a core group of high-value travellers. Many of the frustrations are about Qantas not implementing some of its own policies/guidelines/intentions, or about failing to attend to matters which should not be so hard to fix, so what is wrong with continuing to grizzle about those. A nagging spouse is like a dripping tap, but dripping water wears away stone.

 

[slc767338]

The brand campaign you’re referring to was “91 reasons to fly”, and referenced our years of service at the time.

While your idea for the thread is not unique, (http://www.australianfrequentflyer....rogram/93rd-reason-fly-qantas-your-53747.html, http://www.australianfrequentflyer....iscussion/91-reasons-to-fly-qantas-42841.html, etc...) perhaps yours may be the longest as coincidentally it’s our 94[SUP]th[/SUP] birthday this Sunday, 16[SUP]th[/SUP] November.

If it's my birthday on Sunday as well, do I also get earbashed 94 times??

 

[juddles]

..... Many of the frustrations are about Qantas not implementing some of its own policies/guidelines/intentions, or about failing to attend to matters which should not be so hard to fix, so what is wrong with continuing to grizzle about those......

Interlude, I am a Qantas fan. Normally feel disdain for the QF bashers. But I hear and respect and agree with this point.

 

[eosphoros]

Had some good meals out of the box, but gee it (the box) looks awful and uninviting, it just don't conjure up a world class airline somehow.

I do agree with this. To my mind, the standard of food is better than before. But that is to be balanced with the fact that it seems so cheap to eat out of a box. On the plus side, when I'm done, I really don't need to have my tray table still down, which makes me feel extremely claustrophobic (as if I didn't feel that way already)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Interlude, I am a Qantas fan. Normally feel disdain for the QF bashers. But I hear and respect and agree with this point.

just out of interest, why would there be disdain for QF bashers?

QF itself has chosen to make its woes very public. It grounded its entire fleet, and it went cap in hand to the government for taxpayer guarantees.

That means we all have a stake in telling QF where it can improve.

What is wrong with pointing out areas for improvement?

But back 90 reasons list... since we're having a bit of fun with that, Qantas itself provided us with 5 reasons earlier this year. In their 'points' newsletter of February they went to great lengths to point out that QF has been given awards for 'best lounges' and 'best economy', but included a link to the award results which showed best premium economy, best business, best first, best IFE and best long-haul all belonged to other airlines.

So they gave us two reasons to fly QF, but took away five!

 

[DaveB]

A stupid, relatively minor thing but it really annoys me that you can't pay the extra charges with FF points. A huge plus for VA.
I make a lot of points bookings for family and friends to fly with my immediate family and I would never ask those involved to pay the fees.

 

[serfty]

But hasn't the feedback from the boxed meals been positive?

Only in relation to what they were providing in the prior 12 months or so. After at least 800 flights on QF with 200+ between SYD and MEL, I can assure you that a 'boxed' (here catch!) meal is a downgrade.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Only in relation to what they were providing in the prior 12 months or so. After at least 800 flights on QF with 200+ between SYD and MEL, I can assure you that a 'boxed' (here catch!) meal is a downgrade.

I don't usually eat on domestic flights but today tried a box meal.
Full of sugar. No thanks.

 

[JohnK]

Removal of AnySeat awards at classic rates was a great thing.

Enough of gifting status.

 

[snabbu]

Happy 94th Birthday QF!

 

[Limewood]

Buy more points at USA mile rates.

 

[QF WP]

it’s our 94[SUP]th[/SUP] birthday this Sunday, 16[SUP]th[/SUP] November.

Happy birthday QF

 

[Mr_Orange]

* replacement of cold Café Breakfast on short haul international J with hot meal

Sorry, but the so-called hot replacement is still an embarrassing fail.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Removal of AnySeat awards at classic rates was a great thing.

Enough of gifting status.

Yawn, yawn. Stuck record.....

 

[Daver6]

* replacement of cold Café Breakfast on short haul international J with hot meal

Perhaps I missed something, but recently HK -> SYD the J breakfast was the Cafe rubbish with the addition of some disgusting form of scrambled egg. Not convinced it was an improvement.

 

[SK_D]

Fully agree with raleyoz

 

[clifford]

Just a few reasons from me (I'm currently GOLD).

Firstly, squashing up Y class pax into less space than the average sardine can doesn't cut it. Recently I had the "opportunity" to fly QF 738 SYD-AKL and NZ 320 AKL-SYD. Like chalk and cheese (I need to say that I am also lifetime Star Alliance Gold). Both flights were full and the window seat I had in Row 6 SYD-AKL was extremely squashy. Glad I had a slightly built person next to me. Legroom was extremely poor. On the return trip on NZ, it was a quite different story. Flight almost full, but for some reason I had a row of 3 all to myself. Legroom was several inches better than the Qantas 738, and, of course, the flight attendants were much nicer.

Secondly, baggage handling. Qantas managed to lose my bag in Sydney for a couple of days, which meant that it never actually caught up with me. it was eventually delivered to me at home by courier a few days later. Just as well there wasn't a camel suit in the bag...

Thirdly, just the lack of genuine empathy towards an elite flyer.

Oh, and almost forgot. Because of their cynical downgrading of the FF scheme, I have decided not to renew my Gold membership with Qantas. I had every intention of doing so, but when they tried to make it much harder, I just said Forget it (or similar words). So everyone is better off, apart from Qantas. Go figure.