Here are some easy low or no cost improvements for Qantas

[Rebekkap]

The adults only in the QP issue. It is not a gentlemans smoking lounge. It's a travellers lounge. Those who pay for their own travel especially, holidays with children, sometimes in J would not find that acceptable = more loss of business. I personally have never seen children behaving badly in the QP but I have seen plenty of loud smelly and intoxicated suits especially in Sydney on Friday afternoons.

Agree completely. I don't have kids, but I've never seen kids misbehaving in the lounge. I've seen some pretty obnoxious adults though. Those travelling with kids who have status or are in J do not deserve to have benefits taken off them because of their kids - it's horribly discriminatory and would be a very bad look for QF.

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>
I don't know of any other airline so focused on Status as QF. They actually block out the front 6 rows of J on A380 for WP's and SG's. Don't think any other airline does this. QF are too full of their own importance and people are going elsewhere. No longer the airline if choice for many.

Surely such setting aside of 'Emerald city' for status pax means that Qantas is too full of its status pax's importance, rather than its own importance?

I'm pretty sure Air Canada sets aside row 6 of its international 777 for its high status pax (bulkhead behind, privacy and more room) and many airlines allow seat selection of the forward couple of rows in Y for status pax well before the hoi polloi are able to see these seats.

QF certainly no longer my first choice, especially international, but their handling of status isn't one of the reasons why.

 

[Mr_Orange]

QF certainly no longer my first choice, especially international, but their handling of status isn't one of the reasons why.

OT: Might be time for a new handle then .

 

[Pleb Status]

I don't know of any other airline so focused on Status as QF. They actually block out the front 6 rows of J on A380 for WP's and SG's. Don't think any other airline does this. QF are too full of their own importance and people are going elsewhere. No longer the airline if choice for many.

A change of attitude would cost them nothing but cultural shift isn't simple.

I know that AA block a number of forward rows for elite passengers just to name one.

Also, to counter your argument, my experience is that QF do not put anywhere near enough effort into looking after high status passengers. There is very little difference in flight being a P1 over an NB (apart from sitting a little further forward in the aircraft).

 

[maninblack]

Also, to counter your argument, my experience is that QF do not put anywhere near enough effort into looking after high status passengers. There is very little difference in flight being a P1 over an NB (apart from sitting a little further forward in the aircraft).

Nor should there be assuming both passengers have either paid or otherwise earned their fare. Ultimately it's just a glorified bus trip. There is a limit to what can be done on a commercial airliner at 40,000 feet. I am interested to hear some suggestions though.

Btw 'elite passengers' don't always have QF ff status. There are those who who you want to win over.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I know that AA block a number of forward rows for elite passengers just to name one.

Also, to counter your argument, my experience is that QF do not put anywhere near enough effort into looking after high status passengers. There is very little difference in flight being a P1 over an NB (apart from sitting a little further forward in the aircraft).

And any bronze member can easily take your shadow on a flight more than 80% full - even if there are spare seats next to low/non status members a few rows back.

 

[Aussie Pete]

Thread going off track a bit?

Anyhow, my suggestions:

1. I seem to be in hell because all my flights are on those horrible Airbus A330s. All I ask is that the headset works so I can watch the movies in stereo if at all. These days I carry at least four headsets onto the plane in the hope one works. These twin pin foldable second pin headsets are a disaster.
2. On longer flights get the crew to run through the restrooms and tidy them (if it's supposed to be done now I haven't seen the results). Compare the restrooms on CX after a BNE-HKG versus a QF flight and you'll know what I mean.
3. In QF Club rearrange the stations so we don't get three deep crowds around the pinch points - the toaster and the pancake machine.
4. Second one for the lounge - I can't handle any more toasted sandwiches either on my way early or at the airport after missing lunch, please can't we get a bit more variety?
5. My big one - why do I fly on a coughpy A330 or an ancient 763 with small bins, out of date IFE, when the Jetstar bogans get a brand new 787?

 

[Himeno]

5. My big one - why do I fly on a coughpy A330 or an ancient 763 with small bins, out of date IFE, when the Jetstar bogans get a brand new 787?

Because Alan Joyce like JQ more then QF.

 

[Creston]

All staff travel should be in Y (to allow upgrades)

the amount of transfer staff either in uniform or civvies transferring post a long hail leg bw SYD-MEL last year took up more than half the J cabin of a 767 (all my J crew from HKG-SYD were there)

Couldn't agree more on this point. I have flown Emirates twice and I have been upgraded twice without asking.
I have never ever ever been offered an upgrade on Qantas metal as they love to fill J with staff members.

 

[harvyk]

Thread going off track a bit?

Anyhow, my suggestions:

1. I seem to be in hell because all my flights are on those horrible Airbus A330s. All I ask is that the headset works so I can watch the movies in stereo if at all. These days I carry at least four headsets onto the plane in the hope one works. These twin pin foldable second pin headsets are a disaster.
2. On longer flights get the crew to run through the restrooms and tidy them (if it's supposed to be done now I haven't seen the results). Compare the restrooms on CX after a BNE-HKG versus a QF flight and you'll know what I mean.
3. In QF Club rearrange the stations so we don't get three deep crowds around the pinch points - the toaster and the pancake machine.
4. Second one for the lounge - I can't handle any more toasted sandwiches either on my way early or at the airport after missing lunch, please can't we get a bit more variety?
5. My big one - why do I fly on a coughpy A330 or an ancient 763 with small bins, out of date IFE, when the Jetstar bogans get a brand new 787?

2. - Agreed, although my counter example against CX would be a flight from HKG-SIN. At least on QF flights, even in Y, I don't feel too bad using the amenities, they have always been above public toilet standard. But that CX flight from HKG-SIN, I only entered the lav's because I had no choice, I didn't want to touch the walls, and I'm pretty sure I've now thrown out the shoes I was wearing.

all others I agree 100%...

 

[harvyk]

Because Alan Joyce like JQ more then QF.

Yeah, in the beginning, I understood QF and JQ... QF was against a young whipper-snapper with DJ, so JQ came about as a way of putting DJ back in their place. But these days, hell if QF brought the A380 these days, they would have handed them to JQ, and only once JQ said to QF "we're bored of these, we want something new" would QF have "brought" them back off JQ...

I strongly suspect that in future business history classes, QF / JQ will be taught as an interesting branding exercise where the child brand was brought up by trashing the main brand....

 

[Himeno]

Couldn't agree more on this point. I have flown Emirates twice and I have been upgraded twice without asking.
I have never ever ever been offered an upgrade on Qantas metal as they love to fill J with staff members.

I've gotten 2 opups on QF and a number of points upgrades.
1 op up on QF11 (points L>W, then opup to J).
The 2nd was W>J on QF22 last year, but I didn't get to use it due to weather problems at SYD triggering a reroute to CX via MEL. Though I was op uped by CX as soon as I arrived in MEL from CBR.

 

[ermen]

Platinum shadow to work? and seats to only get filled only at the very last (if and only if sold)

 

[Aussie Pete]

2. - Agreed, although my counter example against CX would be a flight from HKG-SIN. At least on QF flights, even in Y, I don't feel too bad using the amenities, they have always been above public toilet standard. But that CX flight from HKG-SIN, I only entered the lav's because I had no choice, I didn't want to touch the walls, and I'm pretty sure I've now thrown out the shoes I was wearing.

all others I agree 100%...

Fair call. I had a CX flight PVG-HKG and that was enough for all of the mainlanders and the resident group of Indians on their way to Bangalore to use the toilet floor as their firing range.

Always exceptions....

 

[Mr_Orange]

My suggestion is probably not low cost per se, but I reckon it would be popular.

Put a 744 on BNE-SIN-CDG/FRA/BER, keep PER-SIN, reinstate ADL-SIN and time all the flights arriving in SIN to connect so you can combine pax to head on to Europe. Nothing new here I know, as that's what they pretty much used to do BD (before desert) but it was always SYD/MEL before both of which have a proper long haul flight to LHR. If they chose BER they could codeshare with AB for distribution to other European ports.

They could either run 3 class or maybe even 4 class, given that EK manages F from BNE, but the J seats would have to be upgraded to the new suite and if running F, upgrade the F seats to the A380 suites. That would offer a real difference on the route through Asia and allow pax who don't want to fly through DXB to fly to Europe on QF metal all the way.

 

[SpudOz]

My suggestion is probably not low cost per se, but I reckon it would be popular.

Put a 744 on BNE-SIN-CDG/FRA/BER, keep PER-SIN, reinstate ADL-SIN and time all the flights arriving in SIN to connect so you can combine pax to head on to Europe. Nothing new here I know, as that's what they pretty much used to do BD (before desert) but it was always SYD/MEL before both of which have a proper long haul flight to LHR. If they chose BER they could codeshare with AB for distribution to other European ports.

They could either run 3 class or maybe even 4 class, given that EK manages F from BNE, but the J seats would have to be upgraded to the new suite and if running F, upgrade the F seats to the A380 suites. That would offer a real difference on the route through Asia and allow pax who don't want to fly through DXB to fly to Europe on QF metal all the way.

Sorry Mr Orange....your suggestion is way too logical for the number crunchers at Qantas

 

[smit0847]

Sorry Mr Orange....your suggestion is way too logical for the number crunchers at Qantas

Not really.

For QF to start a new European destination it would need to satisfy 3 criteria:

1. Be an economic centre to ensure plenty of premium full-rev pax;
2. Be a tourist destination to ensure plenty of leisure travellers; and
3. Be a hub for a partner to ensure plenty of onwards connections.

DXB and LHR satisfy all 3 of these. CDG and FRA are not partner hubs (especially CDG) and while 1W partner AB hubs at TXL and Berlin is a fabulous tourist destination, it is not an economic centre (it's as poor as dirt). Other partner hubs in Europe (MAD for IB, HEL for AY and wherever S7 hub [DME?]) do not satisfy all 3 criteria.

And with the EK option from DXB flying to almost every major city in Europe, most pax will choose 1 stop over 2.

BTW QF are not allowed to fly to CDG and they tried and failed on SIN-FRA previously (I suspect the fact that it is not a particularly popular tourist destination and no onwards partner was a significant factor).

 

[marki]

Not really.

For QF to start a new European destination it would need to satisfy 3 criteria:

1. Be an economic centre to ensure plenty of premium full-rev pax;
2. Be a tourist destination to ensure plenty of leisure travellers; and
3. Be a hub for a partner to ensure plenty of onwards connections.

DXB and LHR satisfy all 3 of these. CDG and FRA are not partner hubs (especially CDG) and while 1W partner AB hubs at TXL and Berlin is a fabulous tourist destination, it is not an economic centre (it's as poor as dirt). Other partner hubs in Europe (MAD for IB, HEL for AY and wherever S7 hub [DME?]) do not satisfy all 3 criteria.

And with the EK option from DXB flying to almost every major city in Europe, most pax will choose 1 stop over 2.

BTW QF are not allowed to fly to CDG and they tried and failed on SIN-FRA previously (I suspect the fact that it is not a particularly popular tourist destination and no onwards partner was a significant

factor).

How very interesting I did not know Berlin to be dirt poor. Why where Qantas not allowed into CDG?

 

[Himeno]

Why where Qantas not allowed into CDG?

The Australia – France Air Services Agreement only allows for "three units of capacity" to metropolitan France per week. 1 "unit" is 400 seats.
QF wants daily rights. They can't get it unless the Air Services Agreement is changed - which requires the Australian government to talk to the French government.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Put a 744 on BNE-SIN-CDG/FRA/BER, keep PER-SIN, reinstate ADL-SIN and time all the flights arriving in SIN to connect so you can combine pax to head on to Europe. Nothing new here I know, as that's what they pretty much used to do BD (before desert) but it was always SYD/MEL before both of which have a proper long haul flight to LHR. If they chose BER they could codeshare with AB for distribution to other European ports.

They could either run 3 class or maybe even 4 class, given that EK manages F from BNE, but the J seats would have to be upgraded to the new suite and if running F, upgrade the F seats to the A380 suites. That would offer a real difference on the route through Asia and allow pax who don't want to fly through DXB to fly to Europe on QF metal all the way.

a) QF used to do this (PER/BNE/ADL/SYD/MEL -> SIN -> LHR/FRA) and it didn't work, so why would it work now?
b) What market demand is there for F to CDG/FRA/BER? especially out of BNE? I doubt very much at all
c) What European carriers fly to Australia - BA only. That probably gives you some idea of the Europe <-> Australia demand. No one in Europe - and there's lots of big airlines there - can make it work (outside BA), so why would QF make it work the other way? Partnering with EK (or better utilising CX / MH) allows one-stop access to major European ports, which beats two-stop via LHR