CEO retiring, what changes at Qantas would you like to see

[kpro]

A realistic LTP at 45 or 50K SC would be a winner for me

I would be happy with the suggestion made earlier this year where lifetime status means you start the year with the requisite SC's from your lifetime tier.

EG LTG starts the year with 700 SC's and LTS starts with 300 SC's, thus incentivising people to stay and earn higher status.

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

CL for P1 members at a certain SC level... Maybe 7k, maybe 10k...

I don't think this is ever going to happen. As I understand it, Chairman's Lounge is not there to reward travel per se. It's there to recognise and peddle influence. Which is why it's confined to politicians, prominent members of the media, celebrities and executives who control multi-million dollar corporate accounts with Qantas.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

I don't think this is ever going to happen. As I understand it, Chairman's Lounge is not there to reward travel per se. It's there to recognise and peddle influence. Which is why it's confined to politicians, prominent members of the media, celebrities and executives who control multi-million dollar corporate accounts with Qantas.

It's the same reason why Points Club exists. There are tons of frequent flyers who earn tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of points flying QF and its partners. Yet the Points Club only lets you claim 20,000 points per year from flying. They want to incentivize the right people to do things that make them money (presumably). I've said it before and I'll say it again, Qantas is a travel and lifestyle company that just so happens to have a couple of airplanes.

-RooFlyer88

 

[dougieboy]

It's been awhile! Today has been a hot bed of action. Now that the rotten core is finally being removed as of tomorrow, change can occur. My wishlist:
1) More widebody aircraft on domestic services generally
2) Australian Call Center
3) New Qantas Board

 

[mamunr]

Where to start?

1. Better reward seat availability and fairer access like other airlines
2. Better call centres with actual competent staff
3. Wifi on international services
4. Complete overhaul of food and beverage service on board
5. Not selling cancelled flights
6. Not blocking other airlines from coming to Australia
7. Not making COVID credits so hard to use and manipulating pricing
8. Not illegally firing union workers
9. Not sweeping issues under the rug with emotional ads/big media announcements, but instead just getting it right the first time
10. Providing better amenity kits in business class, not ones that look and feel like economy class amenity kits on other airlines

 

[maia200]

It's the same reason why Points Club exists. There are tons of frequent flyers who earn tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of points flying QF and its partners. Yet the Points Club only lets you claim 20,000 points per year from flying. They want to incentivize the right people to do things that make them money (presumably). I've said it before and I'll say it again, Qantas is a travel and lifestyle company that just so happens to have a couple of airplanes.

-RooFlyer88

I was thinking this today with the points club, it should be an incentive with flying as well as that is what an airline should be for.....20 000 is no incentive, however I realise it is for people who do not earn points by flying however it should be a higher points amount for those people who do fly.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

1. Better reward seat availability and fairer access like other airlines

I would argue Qantas does a good job in that regard. Decent amount of classic flight awards available both domestically and internationally. Contrast that with the likes of Delta where you are spending 100,000+ to fly international economy with them.

2. Better call centres with actual competent staff

That's a key one. And I would argue something that requires having people who travel answering the phone. Like when I speak to Deborah from Houston when calling MileagePlus I get the impression that they get what it's like to be stranded at an airport like O'Hare with no backup flight protecting you. I get no such feeling of confidence calling the overseas call centres of Qantas.

3. Wifi on international services

Absolutely. Literally every airline has this now. This is inexcusable at this point.

4. Complete overhaul of food and beverage service on board

Anyone who take a flight with any airline for the fine dining is deluding themselves.

5. Not selling cancelled flights

That one's an obvious one. This also requires government intervention. I think paying affected passengers ten times their fare would make these airlines learn not to mess around with contracts. Hopefully those affected by last year's rort will seek punitive damages against QF for this atrocious behaviour.

6. Not blocking other airlines from coming to Australia

Correct. And I hope OneWorld makes a lesson out of Qantas violating the terms of the alliance. Maybe impose a one month ban on partner lounge access for their members will send a message to them.

7. Not making COVID credits so hard to use and manipulating pricing

This requires some government action but yes agree here.

8. Not illegally firing union workers

Also requires government action. I think the precedent was set over a decade ago when Qantas shut down the network to effectively force pilots back to work with the Commonwealth doing squat on this malfeasance.

9. Not sweeping issues under the rug with emotional ads/big media announcements, but instead just getting it right the first time

That's a function of Australia media. This is why I don't have a TV or watch the news here in Australia. Every time I see the news playing at the QF Club, I want to stick my head in an oven and set the temperature to 250 degrees. Half of the pieces are glorified advertisements and the other half is third rate journalism. And I can say that as my sister is a journalist so I think I know quality journalism when I see it. Certainly no Walter Cronkite's here.

10. Providing better amenity kits in business class, not ones that look and feel like economy class amenity kits on other airlines

People don't fly airlines for amenity kits. Make the seats comfortable and the service reasonable and I'll fly any airline I as a Canadian citizen am allowed to fly.

-RooFlyer88

 

[eminere]

I don't think this is ever going to happen. As I understand it, Chairman's Lounge is not there to reward travel per se. It's there to recognise and peddle influence. Which is why it's confined to politicians and their offspring, prominent members of the media, celebrities and executives who control multi-million dollar corporate accounts with Qantas.

Fixed it for you.

 

[jpp42]

It's been awhile! Today has been a hot bed of action. Now that the rotten core is finally being removed as of tomorrow, change can occur. My wishlist:

It's worth noting that most of Joyce's most controversial moves (pilot lockouts, deferring fleet investment, refusing to payback Covid subsidies, protracted engineers' union disputes, etc etc) have all been done at the Qantas board's behest or approval. It's the Board, not the CEO, that sets high level strategy. I'm no Joyce defender but he is paid a lot to be the hated, bad guy while the board hides behind their golf games and wood-panelled offices. It's just worth having some realism about the level of change a new CEO will bring.

 

[Mr H]

1. Make peace with Al Qataria
2. Give equal access to QF award flights
3. Create a slightly more expensive version of OWA that also allows partner airlines to be included
4. Provide competent and empowered agents in call centres
5. Bring back the front paws on the kangaroo logo

 

[RooFlyer]

It's the Board, not the CEO, that sets high level strategy.

I've no insight into the Qantas Board in particular, but usually its the CEO and his/her executive team that comes up with the various strategies, and they get presented to the Board, either for info, or discussion, or for direct approval. Broadly speaking, the CEO runs the company and the Board, and in particular the Chair, supervises the CEO and sets policies such as remuneration, risk, and safety.

I agree with what you are saying about VH bringing much change. As I've said before, having an internal candidate as CEO means the Board want much the same things to continue. An outsider would be much more likely to say "oh, past was bad, we need to do things differently" - and that would mean the Board were party to the bad times.

It would be fascinating to know what Todd Sampson (the marketing guru Board member) has been saying these past few months. The Board appears to meet 10x annually by schedule and a couple more unscheduled.

 

[spade1686]

What caused the Qatar fight in the first place? Was it the Emirates tie-up or something else?

 

[jpp42]

I've no insight into the Qantas Board in particular, but usually its the CEO and his/her executive team that comes up with the various strategies, and they get presented to the Board, either for info, or discussion, or for direct approval. Broadly speaking, the CEO runs the company and the Board, and in particular the Chair, supervises the CEO and sets policies such as remuneration, risk, and safety.

That's true in general, however reading between the lines in the annual reports, you can see that the Qantas Board has a fairly hands-on role when it comes to fleet planning in particular. Also, regarding the pilot's lockout in 2011, the Board has specifically approved the idea two weeks previously, it was just Joyce's decision on when to carry it out (this was aired in a Senate committee).

 

[oz_mark]

Improve the balance between shareholders, customers and staff requirements. The focus has been all on shareholders, which has seen the other aspects suffer.

 

[jb747]

Also requires government action. I think the precedent was set over a decade ago when Qantas shut down the network to effectively force pilots back to work with the Commonwealth doing squat on this malfeasance.

It’s worth noting that the pilots did not need to be forced back to work. They were not on strike. Nor were than any work bans or anything else that would affect the day to day operation. They were wearing red ties, and some (but not all) were making a short PA. There would never have been support for any sort of action that affected the passengers. Joyce took a nuclear option to show how tough he was, and in so doing permanently destroyed any chance of normal relations.

 

[jase05]

1. Make peace with Al Qataria

Ditch EK as a partner first

 

[Aggi]

More realistic LTP requirement of say 35,000 status credits or 20 continuous years as WP.

Cheaper pricing on one way international flights so you can combine with a reward flight.

 

[jase05]

Remove lounge access for JQ pax

*ducks for cover*

 

[Blackadder]

What caused the Qatar fight in the first place? Was it the Emirates tie-up or something else?

Seems to be that way.
Also Qatar wants to service airports already served by EK, instead of looking at Adelaide,Gold Coast etc.

 

[flyingfan]

Fix the call centres so horror stories of bookings and award itineraries being ruined and getting to WP just for a chance at a competent agent are a thing of the past.