Building a stronger Qantas

[ajw373]

I wonder if QF Asia will be getting any heavy aircraft.

Also, I wonder if CX are unhappy with these plans. A part of me is wondering if it is getting too close for comfort?

Stuff Cathay. When it comes to OneWorld they have been one of the least co-operative members when it comes to network integration, code sharing etc. Not just with Qantas but with most of the members, makes you wonder why they even bother being a part of it. The question though is will the new Qantas airline be part of OneWorld?

 

[notzac]

We've looked into. Using BA as an example, at present you should be able to select window or aisle when you are making a booking. You should then be allocated a seat in accordance with yor preference and oneworld tier. Unfortunatly you cannot select the specific seat as you request during booking. It's tricky when QF and BA are using two different booking systems.

Hi Red Roo - please correct me if I'm wrong here, but don't QF and BA both use Amadeus as their native booking system? I do find it hard to believe that there isn't a technical solution to this so that someone can request a seat across all QF-coded flights in their PNR. Like what Princess Fiona said, this sort of thing should just work, and would be pretty important to me as a customer if I was booking a codeshare flight with QF.

Playing the devil's advocate for two seconds .. you do realise that I can allocate seats with EY when I'm booked on the VA codeshare?

Assuming you get lucky on the upgrade lottery list, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being upgraded to Asia and then changing back to the economy cabin on the final legs to Europe. :shock: The last time I checked BA World Traveller isn't too that bad

I thought WT was pretty awful, myself. The seat was uncomfortable, the screen unwatchable and the food inedible ... at least the gin was cold!

 

[moa999]

Stuff Cathay. When it comes to OneWorld they have been one of the least co-operative members when it comes to network integration, code sharing etc. Not just with Qantas but with most of the members, makes you wonder why they even bother being a part of it. The question though is will the new Qantas airline be part of OneWorld?

and just remember who Cathay's major shareholder is and what alliance they are part of.

and on the Asian airline piece,
not-QF airline will be very different from Jetconnect.
Jetconnect is 100% owned but uses the Aus-NZ single aviation market legislation.
not-QF airline will be under 50% Qantas, otherwise it won't get route rights.

 

[ajw373]

That's my point. The main announcements today relate directly to what the pilot union is fighting about. It maybe pointless from a customer's perspective, but it makes sense to QF.

No it's not. The new premium airline appears to only be flying from a hub location to Asian destinations as a totally sperate offshore airline. I didn't see anything mentioning that airline flying to Australia. Same too with Jetstar Japan. So if anything it gives Qantas pilots and crew what they wanted, which is jobs for Australian's, and if this plan works then there is no reason why Qantas international cannot grow thus creating more opportunities for them.

What they are not going to get is too many destinations more than 1 hop from Australia, with only Singapore-London being double leggers.

 

[harvyk]

I think it's quite obvious that the reverse is true. Most people pick the cheapest airline.

And yet Jetstar appears to be very popular with the travelling public. Just like many, many other LCCs in the rest of the world.

It is naive to assume that people will pay more - they won't. The reality is that people are happy to accept no-frills service, if they can get a cheaper flight.

No, this is completely wrong, the travelling public is not always after the cheapest airfares.

Yes there are LCC's out there just like there is McDonalds and KFC... But there are three distinct types of people out there, Budget \ Value \ Luxury and if everyone was a budget shopper do you think that BMW would stand even the slightest chance?

The value shopper (who are QF's target market, even if QF don't realise it) wants to fly on an airfare they consider value. Don't confuse that with cheap as they are NOT the same thing, the problem is the average accountant can not see the value shopper and often gets them confused with the budget shopper.

I
You have made many vaild points but I think that as a "bronze" member you are only a "frequent" flyer by name. This is even more true when you concede that the majority of points are earnt at the local Woolies. From an airlines point of view, a FF program exists to reward FF's but unfortunately, bronze members arent frequent at all, so it seems a little rich to expect the benefits without the responsibility.

I agree, it used to be that even the NB had paid money to join the FF program, not something you'd do unless you'd intended on flying. These days you have "frequent flyers" who have never stepped foot in an airport, let alone onto a QF plane.

 

[D-Lec]

Sorry if I have missed it, but I can't see a mention yet of QF107/QF108 LAX-JFK-LAX in all this - is it due to be killed off and be made AA?

 

[JohnPhelan]

Sorry if I have missed it, but I can't see a mention yet of QF107/QF108 LAX-JFK-LAX in all this - is it due to be killed off and be made AA?

No, there's no change to the current JFK flights (despite the rampant but ill-informed predictions on here to the contrary!)

 

[ajw373]

I may have missed this (it's a long thread), but....

Does the new plan (to drop BKK and HKG) leave Qantas with an extra couple of slots each day at LHR?

If so, does anyone know what that may mean? extra flights via SIN? sell off slots? do nothing and wait for future developments?

thanks,

jakob

The press release says they will be preserving the slots. So either that means they have or plan to sublet them to another airline, with agreement to take them back if they need them, or maybe they are going to increase flights through Singapore and use them themselves.

One benefit I see is the SYD-BKK can be retimed thus offering a decent arrival time into Bangkok. A 10am departure from Sydney would be good, meaning an arrival of around 2-3pm, and allowing the existing return time of 5pm.

 

[serfty]

...
So what is happening with LAX? The WiFi is non existent. When iIwas handed the login details I was warned to not bother, as i'd have to wait for the lounge to thin out a little as there were too many people using too little bandwidth. The chap was right on both counts. Lounge was PACKED and WiFi would NOT connect let alone work!

Im sorry, but this is 2011 and not 2001. It is inexcusable to have patchy internet in "business' lounges. Bad form QF/BA/CX, seeing as though its a shared lounge, despite QF pax making up the bulk of guests.

A new lounge is being built in LAX TBIT as pert of the "Bradley West" project. This always the case before today announcment - the only new thing is the "Newsome"ising of it.

Hi Red Roo - please correct me if I'm wrong here, but don't QF and BA both use Amadeus as their native booking system? I do find it hard to believe that there isn't a technical solution to this so that someone can request a seat across all QF-coded flights in their PNR. Like what Princess Fiona said, this sort of thing should just work, and would be pretty important to me as a customer if I was booking a codeshare flight with QF. ...

While both employ Amadeus as their base GDS, Qantas use the Altea 'sub package' for seating/load planning. I don't believe BA do currently.

 

[lsmi4126]

No, this is completely wrong, the travelling public is not always after the cheapest airfares.

Yes there are LCC's out there just like there is McDonalds and KFC... But there are three distinct types of people out there, Budget \ Value \ Luxury and if everyone was a budget shopper do you think that BMW would stand even the slightest chance?

The value shopper (who are QF's target market, even if QF don't realise it) wants to fly on an airfare they consider value. Don't confuse that with cheap as they are NOT the same thing, the problem is the average accountant can not see the value shopper and often gets them confused with the budget shopper.

You can add a fourth type - Loyal (sometimes blindly).

 

[ozscot]

Hi All,

I had a look through the looong Upcoming Qantas Frequent Flyer Changes thread. I don't want to open all that again and realise this is probably conjecture but was wondering with these platinumOne changes if we know that WP will continue to be OW emerald, and as such have international F lounge access? I'll get LG this year so if not I'll probably be better concentrating my earning elsewhere.

Cheers,
Steve.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I may have missed this (it's a long thread), but....

Does the new plan (to drop BKK and HKG) leave Qantas with an extra couple of slots each day at LHR?

If so, does anyone know what that may mean? extra flights via SIN? sell off slots? do nothing and wait for future developments?

thanks,

jakob

The excess QF slots will be used by BA (bear in mind the slots would be part of the Joint Services Agreement between QF and BA).

 

[JohnPhelan]

Hi All,

I had a look through the looong Upcoming Qantas Frequent Flyer Changes thread. I don't want to open all that again and realise this is probably conjecture but was wondering with these platinumOne changes if we know that WP will continue to be OW emerald, and as such have international F lounge access? I'll get LG this year so if not I'll probably be better concentrating my earning elsewhere.

Cheers,
Steve.

Steve,

Red Roo confirmed about half way through this thread that there is no change to status levels, earning rates or benefits for WP.

WP1 will have additional benefits; details released within the next few months.

 

[harvyk]

You can add a fourth type - Loyal (sometimes blindly).

Actually loyalty is a subset of the value \ luxury shopper but rarely budget shopper. Whilst yes a budget shopper will sign up to free loyalty programs (a person who is a member of 14 different airline loyalty programs is not a loyal customer), they are about as loyal as a pet funnel web.
Loyalty will sometimes cloud a person judgement as they may usually continue to perceive value \ luxury well after these have been "enhanced". But in the first instance they fitted one of the three types.

 

[notzac]

I had a look through the looong Upcoming Qantas Frequent Flyer Changes thread. I don't want to open all that again and realise this is probably conjecture but was wondering with these platinumOne changes if we know that WP will continue to be OW emerald, and as such have international F lounge access? I'll get LG this year so if not I'll probably be better concentrating my earning elsewhere.

To quote Red Roo from earlier in the thread:

I can confirm that Qantas will not be changing the number of SC's annually required to achieve Platinum status.
The rate at which members currently are awarded SC's or access to lounges/benefits is also not changing.

So .. you're safe.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

and just remember who Cathay's major shareholder is and what alliance they are part of.

Cathay Pacific - Wiki

The airline celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006; and as of October 2009, its major shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China

The Swire Group - Wiki

Swire Pacific is the largest shareholder of Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's largest airline.

 

[awilcockson]

Hi guys, just to be clear I'm answering the right question 'will the upgrade rules on partner airlines' be relaxed? If that's the question, then sadly the answer is no- you're still unable to use your points to upgrade on partner airlines

Right, so if I'm routed through BKK or HKG I can't upgrade the flight from there to LHR, and I can't book the flight as an ASA. That's an "enhancement" in the true QF sense of the word.

 

[Leumas]

No it's not. The new premium airline appears to only be flying from a hub location to Asian destinations as a totally sperate offshore airline. I didn't see anything mentioning that airline flying to Australia. Same too with Jetstar Japan. So if anything it gives Qantas pilots and crew what they wanted, which is jobs for Australian's, and if this plan works then there is no reason why Qantas international cannot grow thus creating more opportunities for them.

What they are not going to get is too many destinations more than 1 hop from Australia, with only Singapore-London being double leggers.

You're missing what I was referring to. One of the major gripes the pilot union has is that other pilots not based in AU but flying QF planes don't have the same pay and benefit structure as those based in AU, e.g. those employed by JetConnect and to a certain extent, JetStar. This yet-to-be-named premium airline and probably the new Jetstar Japan (or whatever it's called), allow the QF GROUP to employ pilots based outside of AU on different terms as those in AU. These new airlines do not necessarily translate into jobs for people in Australia.

The union is now facing a potentially more extensive battle than just with JetConnect and Jetstar.

Just to be clear, I'm not siding with the union nor with QF.

 

[Leumas]

Right, so if I'm routed through BKK or HKG I can't upgrade the flight from there to LHR, and I can't book the flight as an ASA. That's an "enhancement" in the true QF sense of the word.

In today's speech, it says QFF is the 'best'. I asked on Twitter (directed to QF) on what measures are QFF best. I look forward to a response.

Maybe QFF feels a bit lonely at the top, it needs to peg itself down to join the messes again...?

 

[ajw373]

You're missing what I was referring to. One of the major gripes the pilot union has is that other pilots not based in AU but flying QF planes don't have the same pay and benefit structure as those based in AU, e.g. those employed by JetConnect and to a certain extent, JetStar. This yet-to-be-named premium airline and probably the new Jetstar Japan (or whatever it's called), allow the QF GROUP to employ pilots based outside of AU on different terms as those in AU. These new airlines do not necessarily translate into jobs for people in Australia.

The union is now facing a potentially more extensive battle than just with JetConnect and Jetstar.

Just to be clear, I'm not siding with the union nor with QF.

I got that, but these new jobs will clearly be based offshore serving offshore destinations, so weather they are remunerated the same as Australian based crew is irrelevant. These airlines should also not be staffed by Australians if they are based offshore and it makes no sense for Qantas to run a NZ or Japanese domestic airline using Australian staff paid Australian wages. Name one other business where employee's based in different countries are paid the same and work under the same conditions.

Where it does become relevant is if these crews then start flying into Australia, and displacing Australian's in the process, however looking at the announcement and the aircraft this new airline will fly this doesn't not appear to on the cards at present.