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

[jase05]

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.

So true. It’s sad that good service isn’t the norm and that we are actually surprised when we do get good service. Not all of us who fly J are well off and many of us scrimp and save to spend a lot of money for a service that has noticeably declined in recent years especially on QF.
Shopping around to find bargains and experiencing different airlines has definitely opened my eyes as to how much better service can be at a far better cost.

 

[Pushka]

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

Like I said, Virgin schedules don’t work for business from Adelaide.

 

[amaroo]

Like I said, Virgin schedules don’t work for business from Adelaide.

Something to look forward to in retirement

 

[Franky]

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.

As the banks have found out to their great detriment...

 

[Franky]

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

If you live in the golden triangle it might be OK, West of the Great Dividing Range it is a lot less so.

 

[getluv]

QR has an excellent hard product because it has to, otherwise what would their value proposition be?

A QF 737 service is a lot better than what you would find from airlines also operating with single aisle aircraft. If you've travelled regionally around the world, you will also know QF handles its operations a lot more effortlessly especially when things go wrong.

Australia is geographically very isolated and expensive. Expecting QF to emulate or outdo many of its competitors who operate through one hub is fanciful. QF will never have the shiniest and gold plated service. Even if QF did, people would still be complaining on this forum.

As others have mentioned, QF is also answerable to its shareholders. It doesn't have the deep pockets of a totalitarian government funding its relevance. People will always go out of their way to complain than compliment, so I wouldn't take the Facebook complaints seriously. Customers always think they're right.

 

[amaroo]

If you live in the golden triangle it might be OK, West of the Great Dividing Range it is a lot less so.

Not sure about that ... FTR I don't live in any of those cities.

 

[Franky]

Not sure about that ... FTR I don't live in any of those cities.

I can assure you it is so... Just check the schedules on any given day PER to anywhere, and any golden triangle city and anywhere..

 

[amaroo]

I can assure you it is so... Just check the schedules on any given day PER to anywhere, and any golden triangle city and anywhere..

No issue for me living in a regional location - no company can please everyone.

 

[Pushka]

No issue for me living in a regional location - no company can please everyone.

Well yes but we are talking capital cities being poorly serviced not dinky remote places like Noosa! Well, you gotta take some pain for living in heaven.

 

[drron]

But our population is 350000-nearly as much as all of South Australia outside Adelaide-400000.50% bigger than Hobart and catching up to the total population of Tasmania.Only 1 QF flight a day,2 on Saturday to SYD.

 

[Pushka]

But our population is 350000-nearly as much as all of South Australia outside Adelaide-400000.50% bigger than Hobart and catching up to the total population of Tasmania.Only 1 QF flight a day,2 on Saturday to SYD.

Sure, so Qantas should be encouraging the Qatar’s and Emirates and Cathays of this world to stay in the alliance so that Qantas can service the areas it wants to.

 

[AIRwin]

Sure, so Qantas should be encouraging the Qatar’s and Emirates and Cathays of this world to stay in the alliance so that Qantas can service the areas it wants to.

Or EK daily A380 service between DXB and MCY via BNE (instead of sitting on the tarmac there all day)?

 

[RooFlyer]

QR has an excellent hard product because it has to, otherwise what would their value proposition be?

Fair question. Qantas has inferior hard product, is more expensive and has hit-and-miss soft product. What's its value proposition?

Australia is geographically very isolated and expensive. Expecting QF to emulate or outdo many of its competitors who operate through one hub is fanciful. QF will never have the shiniest and gold plated service. Even if QF did, people would still be complaining on this forum.

I'm not sure if number of hubs makes a difference. Arguably a geographically mixed presence should make recovery from irrops easier.

People would be less justified in complaining about Qantas so much if the airline didn't continually, for years, over promise and under-deliver to the flyers. Even its great safety record is not so much of a distinguishing feature there days (thank goodness), although I still give it big credit for quality in the coughpit.

When I've paid my fare and am ensconced in the seat, I don't care who owns the airline, I just want the best possible experience.

 

[getluv]

You've only responded to certain parts of my previous post. I hope you've taken everything I said into account.

Fair question. Qantas has inferior hard product, is more expensive and has hit-and-miss soft product. What's its value proposition?

The same reason people buy Apple products when they could buy a cheaper alternative that does probably the same thing, if not more. Brand, ease of use and the millions of ways to earn points.

People would be less justified in complaining about Qantas so much if the airline didn't continually, for years, over promise and under-deliver to the flyers.

What have they over promised and under delivered for flyers...or do you mean for the same people who complain about QF on this travel forum and on others like they owe you something. I hate to break it to you, but there's always going to be inconsistent service offering and ridiculous new ways in which they cut costs. This is the nature of business and the way we live. You can appreciate QF is expected to make a profit...QR isn't.

When I've paid my fare and am ensconced in the seat, I don't care who owns the airline, I just want the best possible experience.

Then vote with your wallet. Qantas isn't making you fly with them.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Then vote with your wallet. Qantas isn't making you fly with them.

which is what we have done

 

[RooFlyer]

What have they over promised and under delivered for flyers...or do you mean for the same people who complain about QF on this travel forum and on others like they owe you something. I hate to break it to you, but there's always going to be inconsistent service offering and ridiculous new ways in which they cut costs. This is the nature of business and the way we live. You can appreciate QF is expected to make a profit...QR isn't.

Thanks for breaking that to me. What have they over promised and under-delivered? Oh, let me count the ways, but lets start with priority boarding and priority baggage. We all know that they can't or won't deliver priority baggage, yet they keep it in their advertising blurb year in, year out. Why do they do that, do you think? Not promising something which they aren't doing anyway would not cut their profit one dollar.

Then vote with your wallet. Qantas isn't making you fly with them.

I have. Qatar and Singapore Airlines are my go-to airlines now, followed by Cathay and Turkish. I still fly the amputated 'roo, but rather than abt 150K miles pa with them, its probably around 25K pa. Another reason for shopping elsewhere is that they have FF schemes where you can actually get an Award seat, or two, in business long haul with a reasonable booking time. And it costs less to earn the points to be able to redeem them.

 

[getluv]

And they're surviving and doing just fine without you Flying mermaid and RooFlyer.

Obviously their priority boarding and bagging issues aren't making that big of an impact on customer loyalty.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thinks ... lemmings ...

 

[amaroo]

which is what we have done

We're doing the same .... not because QF is a poor airline. After 2.5 decades, and achieving the 2nd highest form of recognition (that would be P1) and the highest LT status on offer, I just want to try new things. Plus, we have far too many QFFP, we simply need to cease accumulating.