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

[Quickstatus]

What’s disgraceful however is that the pax only get resolution after contacting the media!

#4 one call only culture.
Onus is not on passenger to keep chasing the airline

However, it appears some bolts/screws went missing. These things are very sturdy and bolts/screws done just fall off

 

[dairyfloss]

#12
Retire NP and elevate Chef Linda

Poor NP has certainly done his dash. I do also wonder whether it was NP who inspired Qantas to introduce their Green Tier, by suggesting a person getting 5 leaves is an achievement

 

[PhilOZ]

With the impending retirement of the Qantas CEO, what changes at Qantas would AFF members like to see

Last week was a good week. After over 25 years of Gold And Platinum I’ve had enough of this dishonest, tax-dodging, staff-sacking, government-corrupting, FF-screwing embarrassment of a corporation called Qantas.

I spent days (and I mean DAYS) last week fruitlessly searching for ANY reasonable route permutation (ie NOT six flight sectors with a layover in Ulan Bator) that would let me redeem points for 2 business class seats from Adelaide to London or Dublin. This was not for next week but for the end of August, beginning of September 2024! Nor was it even a return trip attempt, but one-way only. Nothing. Nothing via USA, via Asia or Europe, ex Adelaide, Perth, Sydney or Melbourne. One leg would show as available, but of course any required connections were not.

Being Platinum, I tried calling the good staff at Qantas VIP help to see if BC reward seats could be released this far ahead, They were helpful of course, but always the same result, “computer says no”. So I gave up my dependence on the Qantas ecosystem and used all my points on a lovely BC flight and Ghan train trip Adelaide -Darwin-Adelaide. It must have taken all of 10 clicks and 15 mins!!

What a load lifted from the shoulders! Now I can relax, free from all that status and BC redemption nonsense. From Adelaide I have two excellent international BC airlines to choose from, Qatar and Singapore. I can just pick whichever one suits my next trip best and enjoy the journeys. Happy days!!!

 

[AustSerbKor]

It's time to end the Jetstar experiment. Unfortunately, Qantas management uses better than Jetstar as a measurement instead of competing with leading airlines. This would allow better aircraft flexibility, particularly if economy-only aircraft are eliminated.

Refund all travel credits now. That may help some forget that Qantas took taxpayer money to keep people employed that they illegally fired and is cheaper than repaying government grants for the business types. It is cheaper because those credits will have to be paid in one way or another in the future.

Next, instead of paying Boston Consulting Group whatever they charge, use the funds to improve customer experience. I understand Qantas is a business, but they charge a premium, and customers pay it expecting premium service.

Chairman's Lounge (CL) membership has to go, and not just because holding someone's membership card for a minute 30 years ago is the closest I will get to being a member. Being extreme when drunk, I don't believe in the pub test as having value. But the perceived corruption of CL means it's time to go.

An end to corporate BS would be helpful. If anyone believes the space in Project Sunrise Economy is due to customer comfort and not maximum takeoff weight restrictions, I have a large coathanger structure on Sydney Harbour for sale.

Finally, a new position, the Chief P'd Off Customer (CPdOC), should be introduced to convey to management customer complaints. The CPdOC should be able to fire board members and management when required.

 

[Buzzard]

I haven't read all 13 pages so someone might have beaten me to the punch.
Bring JASA and FASA back

 

[Seat0B]

Finally, a new position, the Chief P'd Off Customer (CPdOC), should be introduced to convey to management customer complaints. The CPdOC should be able to fire board members and management when required.

Taking it even further, how about a FF representative on the Board to be sure they hear the customer experience.

 

[dajop]

Taking it even further, how about a FF representative on the Board to be sure they hear the customer experience.

Yeh, that individual will of course get a fully representative customer experience whenever they fly QF ... because of course they won't be feted, marked as a VVIP, nor receive entry to the CL....

 

[Seat0B]

Yeh, that individual will of course get a fully representative customer experience whenever they fly QF ... because of course they won't be feted, marked as a VVIP, nor receive entry to the CL....

Sadly I know you’re right!

 

[Quickstatus]

how about a FF representative on the Board to be sure they hear the customer experience

Are we saying the Board is lacking in expertise vis a vis customer experience and loyalty?

 

[Seat0B]

Are we saying the Board is lacking in expertise vis a vis customer experience and loyalty?

Yes . They may have expertise on paper but it’s very clear they have no actual clue what life is like for the average punter or even tiered FF member. Either rest or they just don’t care.

They never have ANY trouble getting a seat, getting premium cabin, getting questions answered, I bet their bags don’t get lost, they don’t wait hours for inept agents to stuff up their bookings and they never suffer the slings and arrows of maintaining their FF status.

I replied as if this was a true question. You may well have been using humour that I missed. In which case, I apologise.

 

[tdimdad]

I replied as if this was a true question. You may well have been using humour that I missed. In which case, I apologise.

And there's the disconnect, including also the CEO's disconnect with what the operations actually are like on the ground. And one morning flight MEL-SYD does not give an impression about it, she needs to book a classic reward in Y with low status to Central Europe via LHR and then want to change it...

 

[AustSerbKor]

And there's the disconnect, including also the CEO's disconnect with what the operations actually are like on the ground. And one morning flight MEL-SYD does not give an impression about it, she needs to book a classic reward in Y with low status to Central Europe via LHR and then want to change it...

Perhaps Vanessa could take a leaf from the book of Tony Fernandes (Air Asia) and join the ground and customer staff at least once a month. I remember Tony wouldn't buy some baggage handling equipment because it was too expensive. After joining the baggage staff for one shift loading bags onto planes, he signed the purchase order.

 

[dairyfloss]

And there's the disconnect, including also the CEO's disconnect with what the operations actually are like on the ground. And one morning flight MEL-SYD does not give an impression about it, she needs to book a classic reward in Y with low status to Central Europe via LHR and then want to change it...

... without accidentally connecting on the phone with Hobart

 

[Seat0B]

And there's the disconnect, including also the CEO's disconnect with what the operations actually are like on the ground. And one morning flight MEL-SYD does not give an impression about it, she needs to book a classic reward in Y with low status to Central Europe via LHR and then want to change it...

Oh yes, that would truly be an undercover boss moment worth seeing.

 

[Seat0B]

And there's the disconnect, including also the CEO's disconnect with what the operations actually are like on the ground. And one morning flight MEL-SYD does not give an impression about it, she needs to book a classic reward in Y with low status to Central Europe via LHR and then want to change it...

Or if there were to be an FF board member and they needed to fly say from BNE to SYD for a board meeting, and then straight back home for an important family occasion, their day might look like any of mine when trying to get to important work meetings.

0500 wake to text message telling me that my 0745 flight CBR to BNE has been cancelled and I will be placed on the next available flight and advised of details by text (I’m a WP so special treatment?). Strictly admonished not to call them.
0500-0600 lie in bed stressing about whether I will make my 1100 meeting - the time of which was set especially to accommodate me
0630 - decide to call QF about my new flight details as I have not yet heard back. Call WP line. Get offered the next available flight departing CBR at - you guessed it, 1100. Explain about my meeting. Ask for much earlier flight. Offer to go via SYD. No dice. Call my boss and advise I won’t be there after all. Cancel the flights. Wait several weeks for refund.

or this one….

Take my 0745 flight (having arisen at 0530 to do so) and make the meeting just fine, booked BNE to CBR in J on the last flight at 1915 because not sure of when the meeting will finish.
1500 - at airport and request to fly forward. Sorry no J seats. (Really ??? At 3 in the afternoon? who are these people?) You could accept a Y seat and we will refund you $7.80. Ok I’ll wait and take my flight as booked.
1500-1855 consume multiple beverages in the lounge
1855 - ”must be time to start boarding”. Go to loo, pack up my computer get ready and wait.
1915 - still in lounge, board shows “go to gate”. HA - Ive been tricked by that before so I do not go to gate. Get another drink.
2000 - no change, no announcement, go to lounge dragon and ask “oh there is a small delay on this flight. You should be boarding by 2100. Maybe I’ll make an announcement.”
2100 - still in lounge. Lucky there is no curfew in CBR.
2120 - called to board
2350 - arrived in CBR and only 30 min drive to home. Long day.

if this sort of stuff around affected QF Board meetings, I reckon things would get fixed pretty fast.

 

[Quickstatus]

I replied as if this was a true question. You may well have been using humour that I missed. In which case, I apologise.

A genuine question as I really want to know if they do or not because my sense is that 1) they don't, 2) they do but their focus is elsewhere 3) they do but they don't care..

 

[Seat0B]

A genuine question as I really want to know if they do or not because my sense is that 1) they don't, 2) they do but their focus is elsewhere 3) they do but they don't care..

Well then, my opinion is as above - they may have paper expertise, they also have their own lived experiences (which are pampered) and therefore they are either clueless or simply don’t care. I can’t decide which one I think is the top driver.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Really ??? At 3 in the afternoon? who are these people?

Senior bureaucrats and politicians, of course!

 

[tdimdad]

A genuine question as I really want to know if they do or not because my sense is that 1) they don't, 2) they do but their focus is elsewhere 3) they do but they don't care..

3b) They do but don't care because they don't appreciate the consequences of it. Usually the directors of large companies would have their life management going so that any hickups are fixed *for them* pretty swiftly.

If their custom-made wheelchair would come back in pieces and the company just unempathetically shrugged its shoulders, they got stuck mid-trip on a small freezing airport with no resolution in sight, or tickets cancelled mid-trip, or their baggage with half of their clothes was lost for three months and with no real means to replenish everything at will, the care factor would suddenly jump.

QF really would need a long-standing consumer panel which would have two important things in the Terms of Reference: brutal honesty and direct access to any senior exec (including the CEO and the Chairman) relevant to the experiences coming up in the panel. That would be the strongest way to get the Voice of Customer in.

 

[Seat0B]

Senior bureaucrats and politicians, of course!

And judges of the High Court, of course

Post automatically merged: Sep 19, 2023

3b) They do but don't care because they don't appreciate the consequences of it. Usually the directors of large companies would have their life management going so that any hickups are fixed *for them* pretty swiftly.

If their custom-made wheelchair would come back in pieces and the company just unempathetically shrugged its shoulders, they got stuck mid-trip on a small freezing airport with no resolution in sight, or tickets cancelled mid-trip, or their baggage with half of their clothes was lost for three months and with no real means to replenish everything at will, the care factor would suddenly jump.

QF really would need a long-standing consumer panel which would have two important things in the Terms of Reference: brutal honesty and direct access to any senior exec (including the CEO and the Chairman) relevant to the experiences coming up in the panel. That would be the strongest way to get the Voice of Customer in.

Hear hear