Leave if you’re not happy, Qantas CEO tells Qatar Airways

[amaroo]

I'm a Big supporter of AJ - done wonderful things for QF financials. Support his views on these external ugly issues.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Thanks for that. We have been saving QFF points like mad for this, Perth Doha Gatwick return in business. Probably a once in a lifetime trip, in business at least. It will very much limit QFF award opportunities if Qatar and even more so, as has been suggested, Cathay pull out of One World.

i wouldn’t worry about it until it happens - lots of huffing and puffing on both sides.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I'm a Big supporter of AJ - done wonderful things for QF financials. Support his views on these external ugly issues.

absolutely agree - great for shareholders and financials - pity about the quality of the airline.

 

[AIRwin]

I joked with my friend and called this saga QRexit in honour of Brexit...

 

[amaroo]

absolutely agree - great for shareholders and financials - pity about the quality of the airline.

Quality is indeed an issue. Not so much when it comes to things like safety. Maybe safety is expensive...

 

[Flying mermaid]

Quality is indeed an issue. Not so much when it comes to things like safety. Maybe safety is expensive...

i think if you look at the LCCs there does seem to be an issue with safety (my perception anyway). I like Qantas’ safety record, but I do feel just as safe with Emirates or Singapore. (And hopefully Qatar!)

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm a Big supporter of AJ - done wonderful things for QF financials. Support his views on these external ugly issues.

I personally find him to be the incarnation of the oft referenced "short person syndrome". I can never respect someone who publically and destructively spits the dummy whenever they can't/don't get their own way. I will also never, ever respect someone who threatens to scuttle one of the world's oldest, safest and trusted airlines simply in a bid to get his own way. The man leaves quite a lot to be desired IME.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm a Big supporter of AJ - done wonderful things for QF financials. Support his views on these external ugly issues.

With publicly owned airlines, it seems you can look after the shareholders or the customers, but not both. AJ is clearly looking after the shareholders, and as an investor (in general, not in QF) I can appreciate that, but there becomes a point when constantly screwing down the customers becomes counter-productive.

It will be the job of the next CEO to regain the goodwill of the customers.

 

[Pushka]

With publicly owned airlines, it seems you can look after the shareholders or the customers, but not both. AJ is clearly looking after the shareholders, and as an investor (in general, not in QF) I can appreciate that, but there becomes a point when constantly screwing down the customers becomes counter-productive.

It will be the job of the next CEO to regain the goodwill of the customers.

They have a job ahead. Seated last night with a Prof from a University and she was scathing of Qantas and said her Uni was moving totally towards Virgin.

 

[amaroo]

The thread title is very apt! We all have choices we can make .... plenty of other options out there.

 

[Pushka]

The thread title is very apt! We all have choices we can make .... plenty of other options out there.

Not really.

 

[stm1sydney]

absolutely agree - great for shareholders and financials - pity about the quality of the airline.

But people still insist on flying QF so why would he spend money on quality when his bonus depends on other things?

 

[Pushka]

I posted this on the Chit Chat thread but last night the app presumed my flight to Adelaide had boarded and left, while we were still waiting to board. Then ping, that flight (and electronic BP) disappeared and my next flight for next year showed up. Now I have a Qantas card so I could board but others might not and they have nothing to show they’ve checked in. So I just posted that there was some kind of bug in the app on their Facebook and yowsers there are a lot of people who have been poorly dealt with by Qantas. These are not just people who want to complain but real issues that we would hate to have happen with us.

We’ve checked out Virgin for our travel from Adelaide but their schedules do not work for business. We do not have a choice but to fly Qantas.

 

[Flying mermaid]

But people still insist on flying QF so why would he spend money on quality when his bonus depends on other things?

exactly - it’s called the frequent flyer program. Can do what you like and people will suck it up because they are addicted to status and points. No incentive to retain quality really.

 

[Pushka]

exactly - it’s called the frequent flyer program. Can do what you like and people will suck it up because they are addicted to status and points. No incentive to retain quality really.

Well, some of us can’t afford to pay the sums required for travel in comfort so points it has to be.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Well, some of us can’t afford to pay the sums required for travel in comfort so points it has to be.

I do understand but it has seriously impacted the care factor - why bother with quality when you can just throw someone some points to keep them happy if something is not right? First on Qantas is now J+, because it is mainly there to keep frequent flyers happy with awards and upgrades.

I think Qantas is so annoyed with Qatar, because Qantas does have a good J product and is focused on it, but Qatar has a better one and it must be hurting Qantas.

 

[Pushka]

I do understand but it has seriously impacted the care factor - why bother with quality when you can just throw someone some points to keep them happy if something is not right? First on Qantas is now J+, because it is mainly there to keep frequent flyers happy with awards and upgrades.

I think Qantas is so annoyed with Qatar, because Qantas does have a good J product and is focused on it, but Qatar has a better one and it must be hurting Qantas.

Well, I can no longer fly long distance economy so I’d not be able to travel if it wasn’t for points. But I’ve pretty much given up on service these days anyway (and that applies in many industries) and just appreciate the comfortable seat. It’s actually a surprise these days when I receive good customer service. Which is rather sad.

 

[rock86]

Support his views on these external ugly issues.

Except that people in glass houses, well you know........

 

[kermatu]

I do understand but it has seriously impacted the care factor - why bother with quality when you can just throw someone some points to keep them happy if something is not right? First on Qantas is now J+, because it is mainly there to keep frequent flyers happy with awards and upgrades.

I think Qantas is so annoyed with Qatar, because Qantas does have a good J product and is focused on it, but Qatar has a better one and it must be hurting Qantas.

Agree. In some ways you are being a bit generous calling QF F J+, but across all like airlines it probably is.

Through a lot of flying, loyalty and the myriad ways to earn points I have far more now than I know what to do with. Thought I'd be happy to do what I did earlier this year -- buy QF J and upgrade to F with points -- but was so underwhelmed, so all my recent long-haul flights were on EK and some SQ.

If QF is really focused on J they'd need to refurb the A380s a lot quicker. A consistent product (at least for widebodies) would help. But plenty they can do right now to make F actual F.

 

[amaroo]

Not really.

Why? What's wrong with the competition.... something like 80% select other airlines for international travel. Domestic, there is that other mob.