Bollocks to Qantas

[MEL_Traveller]

Hmm many complain that qantas is too expensive and at the same time want qantas to employ australians to pay their employees top salaries and entitlements and demand that their airplanes are maintained by australian engineers using outdated practices.

Holden, and ford collapsed because no one wanted to buy their cars. Maybe one of QF's problems is that its too expensive and it does not or cannot fly to where people want to go and make a profit..

It's kind of getting too expensive when:

• check-in staff would have passengers claim bags in sydney and make their own way to the international check-in by train, when the bags should have been through checked from the port of origin and the passengers just needed the free transfer bus
• they run out of food and beverages in first class
• they won't waive service centre fees for bookings that - through no fault of the passenger - can't be completed on line
• they have failed to update their business class product and still fly angled beds to many destinations that just don't compete with their competitors. CX has been through three generations of J class product compared to QF's one
• their MK II beds droop
• they have a problem with inconsistent crews - some of whom can make a flight a displeasure to be on
• they offer cafe breakfast
• they have extraordinarily slow meal services on board
• some of the food served on board is not to standard
• they struggle to complete domestic business class meal services on flights as long as MEL-SYD or ADL
• they charge for preferred seating such as exit rows that other airlines give their elites for free

some of the above issues have been around for a long time now and have not been addressed.

 

[MrHyde]

It's kind of getting too expensive when:

• check-in staff would have passengers claim bags in sydney and make their own way to the international check-in by train, when the bags should have been through checked from the port of origin and the passengers just needed the free transfer bus
• they won't waive service centre fees for bookings that - through no fault of the passenger - can't be completed on line
• they charge for preferred seating such as exit rows that other airlines give their elites for free

some of the above issues have been around for a long time now and have not been addressed.

I can't talk to the J or F comments as I rarely, if ever get to travel in those classes... so, my comments are those that I have personal experience of. I'm also assuming you are talking about QF.

• I've never ever had to claim bags in Sydney and make my own way to international check-in by train. Bags are always checked from departure point and then just jump on the transfer bus from QF domestic to international. So, don't know what this point is about.
• I've only had two instances in the last decade of making a booking or change through service centre that could not be completed online and in both cases, the fees were waived when I asked them to waive it.
• Again, not my experience. I am a Silver now and I've taken 17 flights in the last 2 months domestically. I got exit row seating in 15 of those 17 flights. The other two times I managed to snag Row 4. Granted, all of my flights are booked only 2-3 days in advance, so I might be within the 60 hour timeframe for seat selection.

I do agree with the points on inconsistent staff and terrible on-board food (when it is actually something other than a snack pack, which is even worse).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I can't talk to the J or F comments as I rarely, if ever get to travel in those classes... so, my comments are those that I have personal experience of. I'm also assuming you are talking about QF.

• I've never ever had to claim bags in Sydney and make my own way to international check-in by train. Bags are always checked from departure point and then just jump on the transfer bus from QF domestic to international. So, don't know what this point is about.
• I've only had two instances in the last decade of making a booking or change through service centre that could not be completed online and in both cases, the fees were waived when I asked them to waive it.
• Again, not my experience. I am a Silver now and I've taken 17 flights in the last 2 months domestically. I got exit row seating in 15 of those 17 flights. The other two times I managed to snag Row 4. Granted, all of my flights are booked only 2-3 days in advance, so I might be within the 60 hour timeframe for seat selection.

I do agree with the points on inconsistent staff and terrible on-board food (when it is actually something other than a snack pack, which is even worse).

the issue is that some check-in staff do not know the rules. This has been discussed on AFF and I am also speaking from personal experience. They have refused to through-check bags they were supposed to under their own rules. Telling me to claim them in sydney and re-check at international. Could I risk dropping off my elderly parents for a QF flight for them to be told they have to collect their bags in Sydney? They would try their hardest to get the bags checked, but do you expect elderly people to argue with check-in staff? No way.

the call centre not waiving fees is also common. Tickets booked ex Thailand, China or Philippines are examples. Cannot be booked on-line (you must show up at the local office within two days) and if you try to complete the booking in Australia the call centre will want to charge you the assistance fee.

Exit row seating on international flights is not free of charge. Some other airlines such as Cathay Pacific waive this fee for all oneworld elites. Other airlines, notably US carriers, have a cabin set aside with extra legroom (36' pitch) which is free to access if you are an elite. Qantas offers no such benefits.

 

[rickylee]

Back to the OP, it would be good to know who the first leg is with so that there is a good comparison. I would not fly AF either if I can avoid it, and I often can.

 

[RooFlyer]

When I had to make a last miunute trip to the UK last December, I asked the travel agent to find the lowest J fares.

Lowest was 'Air France' with first leg on China Southern. I then asked the TA to mark my file "never to be offered an Air France fare".

 

[jukebox333]

Chalk and cheese? I would love to see who is flying the first leg to Asia or even Middle East.

Well the cheese part we'd assume to be Air France, non?... while the Chalk, if Chinese, at least will be ant free!

 

[browski]

I just tried to book flights Sydney-Paris return, for two adults and one child, leaving late June returning August.

Qantas best price: $9,500.
Air France: $5,900.

go figure!

Pete

Personally, I think the smart play would be Sydney - Paris on Finnair, where the leg to/from Australia will be on BA or QF.
$5954 - all One World.

 

[ShaneN]

I just tried to book flights Sydney-Paris return, for two adults and one child, leaving late June returning August.

Qantas best price: $9,500.
Air France: $5,900.

go figure!

Pete

Prices can vary enormously from day to day. I have just tried a dummy booking. Cheapest price on the Qantas website departing June returning August was $2172 return, about $6,500 for three people. This was for Sydney to CDG (or Orly) on Tuesday 17 June, Qantas to London and British to Paris. Return on Sunday 17 August with Emirates via Dubai. Return fights for other dates were over $3,000. I suggest you search for alternative dates before bagging Qantas.

 

[turtlemichael]

Prices can vary enormously from day to day. I have just tried a dummy booking. Cheapest price on the Qantas website departing June returning August was $2172 return, about $6,500 for three people. This was for Sydney to CDG (or Orly) on Tuesday 17 June, Qantas to London and British to Paris. Return on Sunday 17 August with Emirates via Dubai. Return fights for other dates were over $3,000. I suggest you search for alternative dates before bagging Qantas.

Why should he search for alternative dates? Maybe those are the dates he has to travel? Assuming he is telling the truth the point of his post remains valid ie that when he wants to fly QF is substantially more expensive so he won't be flying QF.

 

[BAM1748]

Why should he search for alternative dates? Maybe those are the dates he has to travel? Assuming he is telling the truth the point of his post remains valid ie that when he wants to fly QF is substantially more expensive so he won't be flying QF.

The OP doesn't actually give any dates, only the month of travel. So a post suggesting alternatives I think is acceptable, if the OP said he must on on specific dates then we could help, but alas no. just a whinge QF are more expensive without specifics.

Matt

 

[turtlemichael]

The OP doesn't actually give any dates, only the month of travel. So a post suggesting alternatives I think is acceptable, if the OP said he must on on specific dates then we could help, but alas no. just a whinge QF are more expensive without specifics.

Matt

I don't think the OP is asking for help. Nor is he obligated to give fine detail of his plans. He is making a point, which may be a whinge, but then he is not Molly Malone in that. All valid to me.

 

[JohnK]

Well the cheese part we'd assume to be Air France, non?... while the Chalk, if Chinese, at least will be ant free!

I wouldn't want to fly Air France for the obvious reasons.

I wouldn't want to fly a Chinese carrier in economy to/from a Chinese hub for different obvious reasons.

We are all different and can tolerate different things when flying.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Holden, and ford collapsed because no one wanted to buy their cars. Maybe one of QF's problems is that its too expensive and it does not or cannot fly to where people want to go and make a profit..

Yes true. The car coys didn't understand their markets and therefore had a misplaced strategy.

Qantas comes from a protected industry and appears to be catching up to economic reality.

 

[harvyk]

What's wrong with Air France ?

Lets just say, when everything is fine, they are no different to any other airline. It's when things get a little scary that you wish that you'd have anyone other than an AF pilot up front...
Basically unlike other airlines, AF has a nasty habit of ignoring evidence in the interest of national pride, which pretty much means they never learn from their mistakes, and everything is always someone elses fault.

 

[harvyk]

Hmm many complain that qantas is too expensive and at the same time want qantas to employ australians to pay their employees top salaries and entitlements and demand that their airplanes are maintained by australian engineers using outdated practices.

Holden, and ford collapsed because no one wanted to buy their cars. Maybe one of QF's problems is that its too expensive and it does not or cannot fly to where people want to go and make a profit..

QF's problems is not that it's too expensive, it's that the bean counters where allowed to take over and gut the value from the fares... It's the whole 1 olive thing except taken to extreme... Whilst it won't have an effect on this quarter, or even the next, eventually people will start looking for other airlines when they one day wake up and say "didn't used to get this extra for the same price as our tickets now?" This then starts a horrible cycle since the first reaction of a company is to give the bean counters even more control, when the reality is they should be getting less.

 

[Quickstatus]

Compete on price alone or give value for the price you want to charge. Holden and ford could not charge a higher price because their cars were not in demand by the Public but people will spend more on other cars because they perceive has better value than a Holden/ford. some can afford Audi some can afford a corolla. Qantas tries to capture the audis and jetstar tries to capture the rest. Prob is that most flying passengers are very price sensitive and they are corolla drivers but they demand an Audi experience. I drive a golf

 

[Rox]

I remember when it used to be min $300 Bne-Sydney. I wonder : where did all that money go then, or how can they do it now for the prices they charge?

 

[harvyk]

I remember when it used to be min $300 Bne-Sydney. I wonder : where did all that money go then, or how can they do it now for the prices they charge?

Well back then we had pretty strict airline regulation, and when we did get deregulation it basically took AN going belly up to upset the QF / AN duopoly... DJ was basically handed a gift of terminals and a major competitor no longer being there. This brought the costs down big time...

To put it bluntly, there where making a ton of cash, even since the price dropped to the sub $100, QF has been making money on dom routes. In fact I believe this is the first time that they haven't made money on dom, and the big change is VA is now properly biting at their heals.

 

[Scarlett]

Compete on price alone or give value for the price you want to charge. Holden and ford could not charge a higher price because their cars were not in demand by the Public but people will spend more on other cars because they perceive has better value than a Holden/ford. some can afford Audi some can afford a corolla. Qantas tries to capture the audis and jetstar tries to capture the rest. Prob is that most flying passengers are very price sensitive and they are corolla drivers but they demand an Audi experience. I drive a golf

You spying on me?
(QF WP and Audi driver...)

 

[NFF]

What about British Airways ?