Here are some easy low or no cost improvements for Qantas

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RooFlyer

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Qantas is doing it tough, we hear, so its cutting, squeezing and pinching all over the place.

Any improvements in customer experience, to leaven the current squeezes etc will have to come at no or little revenue cost, so what are they? Here are a couple of my suggestions:


1. Make Priority Boarding work if not all the time, then almost all of the time. It should be happening, they have the gear for it, so its a matter of enforcement. (I don't include making priority bags work, as clearly that involves several tiers of organization, which would take some effort on QF's part to fix).

2. Enforce 'reasonable person' standards in all QPs. I haven't been to the Perth QP in years, but there and elsewhere we hear about yobbish behavior. Enforce behavior and dress standards such that the QP is an environment that a 'reasonable person' # would expect. As others have indicated, firmly link any first warning to the dis-allowance of boarding if the problematical issue continues.

# "reasonable person' is deliberately ambiguous to give everyone a bit of latitude. But if a guest is an obvious PITA, jump on them.

3. Better service on QFi flights. Not talking about more FAs, just that their demeanor, on average, could come more into line of their domestic or Asian counterparts. A visit by the CSM, reading my name off a list is more of an interruption than anything. If they can't bring themselves to the service level of their CX, SQ etc counterparts, then 'OK', but there is a lot of ground that could be made up, just by attitude etc (in many but not all cases, of course!)

4. Be more transparent and, frankly, honest in announcements of airline, QFF, etc etc changes. OK, we get it, you have to cut or reign in costs. Don't insult us by saying that something is 'simpler and fairer' when its plainly not, at least on the information you give us. For example, say: "Our current earning table is too generous in that our QPs are becoming quite crowded and lessening the experience for our most valued customers. So we are raising the bar a bit and changing the earn structure ..."

5. Proof read announcements and changes to the web site. Can't be that difficult to find some-one who has adequate grammar and spelling skills and/or can test-drive a changed web site to see that it works as it should.

6. Down-grade :shock: domestic J 'snacks' . The last few of these flights I've taken (HBA-MEL or return) after a mid morning departure, we were offered 2 hot choices - with sizes easily enough for lunch. Maybe it is cheaper to offer these possibly lunch-produced meals as mid morning snacks, but I think they are much more than necessary and QFd could save a bit by making it a true snack. BUT take the savings and bring back hot towels in J!
 
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I really think the ideology of cutting service to save dollars is a no win in the end. As a case in point, I recently travelled QF9 to DXB - a 14 hr flight and connected on an EK service to Dublin - 7.5hrs for this sector. All travel in Y.

I was pretty gobsmacked by the difference in onboard offerings on the two flights. The QF service was two meals, the second more a light supper, lettuce only salads on both trays, a small chocolate. A desert and bread roll on the first tray only. Some biscuit type snacks available at the back of the plane during flight. A drink service with each meal but no alcoholic drinks on cart for second (supper) service. Available however on request I imagine. Water brought around frequently throughout flight.

In contrast, the EK sector was two full meals, cheeses, deserts, chocolates, mixed salads of three to four items, rolls etc on each tray, substantially larger. A separate drink service with savoury snacks were offered prior to each meal including mini spirits in addition to beer and wine. Trays of apple and orange juice as well as water brought around frequently during flight.

Now to be honest, I will always fly Qantas internationally due to emotional attachment and absolute faith in the quality of their crew and equipment. The onboard service is not necessarily
a make or break for me.

However, the amount/variety of food on both services was quite disparate despite the QF flight being almost twice as long. I was quite peckish at times during the 9-10 hrs between meal service on Qantas. In comparison, the EK meal/ refreshment service was much more substantial although half the duration in flight time.

I can only wonder what this may mean for travellers who are less loyal to the Red Roo and are now experiencing the onboard EK product for the first time as a result of the new alliance. I was also left wondering how frequent EK travellers may feel after stepping on board a QF plane as part of an EK code share where the soft product is significantly different?
 
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I don't disagree with any of your suggestions RooFlyer. But I would say that the first three are very likely far from "easy" as they involve changing employee behaviour in a large, complex organisation.
 
and fix the web site, its not user friendly like it used to be, now with so much wasted space its bloated.

Staff holiday travel to be in Y and if seats in PE, J or F available then bump up WP & QG's cost is minimal and will certainly be welcomed I'm sure.
 
Staff holiday travel to be in Y and if seats in PE, J or F available then bump up WP & QG's cost is minimal and will certainly be welcomed I'm sure.

That's like asking Politicians to sign off on their own pay decrease :p

Agree this would be common sense - I work with someone whose wife is a domestic FA and hear the "Why would I care about a sale when BNE-SYD is only $30 in business?"
 
As for staff travel.
This is a declining benefit as QF outsources more and more functions.
It is also standby only and I have heard stories have people stuck at LAX for 2-3 days when things go wrong.


As for the automatic bump if seats are empty
This is what the US airlines do and it basically creates an upgrade entitlements and means high-tier FFs don't book First which costs the airline lots in terms of revenue.
As a multi-year QF Plat have always had the occasional domestic bump (never internationally unfortunately) - its unexpected and a nice surprise.
 
As for the automatic bump if seats are empty
This is what the US airlines do and it basically creates an upgrade entitlements and means high-tier FFs don't book First which costs the airline lots in terms of revenue.
As a multi-year QF Plat have always had the occasional domestic bump (never internationally unfortunately) - its unexpected and a nice surprise.

US Airlines are the most profitable in the world. Bad strategy hey..;)
 
US Airlines are the most profitable in the world. Bad strategy hey..;)

Spirit is the most profitable airline in the airline in the US (measured by operating margin). I'm pretty sure you'll find that they aren't giving anything to anyone for free.
 
As for staff travel.

It is also standby only and I have heard stories have people stuck at LAX for 2-3 days when things go wrong.

A close colleague of mine a few years back was bumped off a flight for that reason, was stuck in FRA and said it would be at least three days before she could get a flight home. She Ended up paying for a new ticket home on another airline.
 
US Airlines are the most profitable in the world. Bad strategy hey..;)

US airlines are the most profitable in the world since they have the luxury of chapter 11 allowing previous debts to become a non-issue, restructure at will putting people and company into any sort of contract that the airline liked regardless of previous agreements / promises. (as per my understanding of such things, I'm certainly not a huge expert on US bankruptcy law)

It's effective a company closing down, and a new company coming in and getting to keep the name, the assets and the staff without any of the legal problems which the old company had. To put it bluntly, if we had chapter 11 here, AN would still be around, and if the US didn't have chapter 11, most of the big names in US airlines would no longer exist (think United Airlines / American Airlines / Delta)
 
2. Enforce 'reasonable person' standards in all QPs. I haven't been to the Perth QP in years, but there and elsewhere we hear about yobbish behavior. Enforce behavior and dress standards such that the QP is an environment that a 'reasonable person' # would expect. As others have indicated, firmly link any first warning to the dis-allowance of boarding if the problematical issue continues.

Most poor behaviour I see in the QP is actually from uncontrolled children. So I would like to see something like the soundproof glass "enclosures" that BA and AA have in some of their lounges for the little angels.

My preference would be to make the QP an adults-only club, but I know that would not go down well with all.

And ++ for the (adult) dress standards.
 
Most poor behaviour I see in the QP is actually from uncontrolled children. So I would like to see something like the soundproof glass "enclosures" that BA and AA have in some of their lounges for the little angels.

As a parent with small children who are not always on their best behavior, I second the motion for sound proof glass enclosures...
The thing is that sure, first flight of the day, the kids are usually pretty good, if however they have just spent the last few hours in a plane and they know they have some more hours in a plane, they really do want to run around and blow off steam. A glassed wall area would be great since it would let them without annoying the adults (for the purpose of this "mummy" and "daddy" count as THE adults)

They have such play areas at our local sports club next to their dining area, it's great send the kids into the play room and let the adults talk away with a beer knowing that the kids can't just wander off. All it really cost the club was a glass wall with a door in it. Hardly a massive expense when you consider the rest of the lounge.
 
and fix the web site, its not user friendly like it used to be, now with so much wasted space its bloated.

Staff holiday travel to be in Y and if seats in PE, J or F available then bump up WP & QG's cost is minimal and will certainly be welcomed I'm sure.


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)
 
I wanted to give QF 500 SC (moneys worth of bookings) value of revenue Jul this year to Jun next year. My status period starts end of Jul each year.
Do they loose $ with my bookings... no, they gain with revenue.
But noooooo... they dont want to give me 500 SC worths.
I might not make a lot of sense, I AM INCENSED with QF, but for what I will give them, they wont "play ball".
VA isnt all that much better for PS... so I guess I will have to stick with QF.
 
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.

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.
 
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