My first flight in FIRST by QANTAS was such a let-down, it certainly won't happen again!

[QF WP]

No, @kermatu is discussing the F Lounge SYD direct number - it’s not shown anywhere on the QF website AFAIK. It’s not a number to be disclosed to the general populace.

Yes, I suppose you could call QF, wait on hold based on your status, have them see in the booking that you are in F and possibly be transferred or given the number. But that’s possibly a long wait.

 

[RooFlyer]

Google?
13 13 13?

That's not the number - or the service - we are talking about.

And if its your first time, how would you know there's something to call about, let alone what part of Qantas to ask for?

 

[RooFlyer]

Also, remember that the call from the First Host isn't just about booking a spa treatment (I don't think points upgraders can actually book prior to the day, anyway). Its (meant to be) a courtesy call to see if the pax needs anything in particular - for instance, to be met at the curb to help with luggage etc.

Qantas - consistently inconsistent.

Management is too busy virtue signalling to ensure that the airline services are delivered as they should be.

 

[Deleted member]

I wonder how the OP rates / compares all of their other (different airline) F class experiences? Clearly a seasoned traveller and maybe has a point or two?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Google?
13 13 13?

That doesn’t get you to the first hosts

 

[eminere]

Also, remember that the call from the First Host isn't just about booking a spa treatment (I don't think points upgraders can actually book prior to the day, anyway). Its (meant to be) a courtesy call to see if the pax needs anything in particular - for instance, to be met at the curb to help with luggage etc.

They can.

 

[kermatu]

Google?
13 13 13?

Good luck trying that.

 

[kermatu]

(I don't think points upgraders can actually book prior to the day, anyway)

In my experience if the upgrade is through by 9am the day before travel, I'll get the call.

 

[RooFlyer]

In my experience if the upgrade is through by 9am the day before travel, I'll get the call.

They can.

Yes, you are right; everyone traveling First should get a call from First Host; I thought points upgraders couldn't book a spa treatment until they arrived in the lounge. But the situation I was thinking of was WPs not traveling F can't book until they arrive in the lounge.

Sorry for my confusion!

 

[jase05]

That's not the number - or the service - we are talking about.

And if its your first time, how would you know there's something to call about, let alone what part of Qantas to ask for?

Exactly.
As someone who has never flown QF F I wouldn’t know what to expect or what to look out for if it wasn’t for this forum.
I certainly wouldn’t know which number to call

 

[Pleb Status]

I always find these QF F threads interesting as it shows how much of a Qcult member I used to be...

Over the past decade, I have flown about 40 QF F sectors. Some as a P1. Not as many as some, but a representative sample.

I was not contacted on any occasion by anyone from QF prior to any F flight about anything (excluding chauffeur drive or downgrades to J).

No offer of any assistance, services or any other 'special' treatment etc was ever made at any QF J/F lounge prior to any flight (in any class).

I have never met or had any contact with a QF F host (excluding at the lounge entry, if that is where they reside). The only evidence of their existence is on AFF. Is their existence just a 'joke' perpetrated by the Qcult members here?

I can recall a couple of occasions in SIN (in the days before the EK alliance) where F boarding was not called at the gate at all and you were then left to wade through the masses at the communal gates at the end of the C concourse to board, I assume, 'at your leisure'. I remember these occasions as boarding was delayed after I had left the lounge and a whole A380 load of pax were left crowding the gate.

I have had my assigned seat in F unilaterally changed in the lounge or at the gate on a few occasions for non operational reasons (I assume for someone more important, which they did basically admit on one occasion).

At the time, as a Qcult member, I just accepted the above and moved on...

 

[get me outta here]

We're going off thread here, but the 'spa' treatment is now so short it's not worth getting very excited about.

 

[docjames]

I’d encourage the OP to formally feed back their issues (?perceived lack of value?) in their F experience to Qantas.

It would be interesting if they’d also share any response they get back from QF.

 

[Ewing]

I always find these QF F threads interesting as it shows how much of a Qcult member I used to be...

Over the past decade, I have flown about 40 QF F sectors. Some as a P1. Not as many as some, but a representative sample.

I was not contacted on any occasion by anyone from QF prior to any F flight about anything (excluding chauffeur drive or downgrades to J).

No offer of any assistance, services or any other 'special' treatment etc was ever made at any QF J/F lounge prior to any flight (in any class).

I have never met or had any contact with a QF F host (excluding at the lounge entry, if that is where they reside). The only evidence of their existence is on AFF. Is their existence just a 'joke' perpetrated by the Qcult members here?

I always get the call the day before - usually around lunchtime. It's always a blocked number though and the only time I answer those is the day before flying F. The call is usually just to book in the spa though, although on occasion I'm asked if I need assistance on the ground.

I've had an escort from the lounge to the aircraft twice - once in SYD and once in MEL. Otherwise the extent of my "host" experience has been showing them my boarding pass at the lounge desk.

I don't particularly rate QF F - I've had some amazing flights (due to crew) but I've also had two flights that have resulted in formal complaints to customer care (and service recovery). I was also a Qcult member until I started flying F on other airlines.

Take AA for example (and I'll try not to stray too far off topic) - they know how to do ground service. They don't do F out of SYD anymore but when they did I was escorted from check-in to the lounge, and then collected from the QF lounge and escorted onto the aircraft when it was time to board. The host handled everything including introducing me to the crew and taking me to my seat.

Another example was flying LAS-LAX-SYD in F. They met my inbound domestic flight at LAX and wanted to escort me to the lounge. I mentioned I had a few hours so was going to catch up with a friend in LA - the host took me out to the curb and gave me his mobile number with instructions to call him when I was approaching. He then met me, escorted me through security and back to the lounge. Before the flight to SYD was boarding I was then collected from the lounge, taken straight onto the aircraft, and had a glass of champagne in hand before the first boarding call even went out.

We're going off thread here, but the 'spa' treatment is now so short it's not worth getting very excited about.

I take it when flying F and get the call but don't bother asking for one when flying J. The facial is what I always get as it includes a short massage as well.

I much prefer going to a real spa. Last month I flew QF F to HKG and then had two hours of bliss at the Ritz Carlton Spa on the 116th floor of the ICC tower (also stayed there for a few days).

 

[mrsterryn]

Our first first flight ground service was excellent
Yep we got the phone call and had the spa appt. Can't remember if we had a call confirming the car
The person who called me asked if there was anything I needed I said one as quite concerned about having pjs that would fit.
He was on duty that next day and had a small bag for me of Qantas amenities so I had my pjs in my size
We were chatting about how it was our first first (I think at that time one of us was gold and the other was silver )
They escorted us to the plane and handed us over to the flight crew who showed us all the bits and introduced us from memory to the captain
That made it so special
Of course I have had cruddy flights from Qantas who hasn't but that was such a nice introduction and made a special trip even better
On another occasion the driver called for kerbside assist and was helped from the car to check in with his bags (he has some mobility issues )
I don't think ....oh maybe I am a fanboi but...I know they have faults and definitely have crew issues ....I will continue at this point in time to travel with them

 

[opusman]

Over the past decade, I have flown about 40 QF F sectors. Some as a P1. Not as many as some, but a representative sample.

Of course which sector it is matters. It's only F out of MEL/SYD that will (or should) get a call.

 

[FrustratedQP]

That doesn’t get you to the first hosts

The calls that I have received from the First Hosts have been from a mobile number.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I always find these QF F threads interesting as it shows how much of a Qcult member I used to be...

Over the past decade, I have flown about 40 QF F sectors. Some as a P1. Not as many as some, but a representative sample.

I was not contacted on any occasion by anyone from QF prior to any F flight about anything (excluding chauffeur drive or downgrades to J).

No offer of any assistance, services or any other 'special' treatment etc was ever made at any QF J/F lounge prior to any flight (in any class).

I have never met or had any contact with a QF F host (excluding at the lounge entry, if that is where they reside). The only evidence of their existence is on AFF. Is their existence just a 'joke' perpetrated by the Qcult members here?

I can recall a couple of occasions in SIN (in the days before the EK alliance) where F boarding was not called at the gate at all and you were then left to wade through the masses at the communal gates at the end of the C concourse to board, I assume, 'at your leisure'. I remember these occasions as boarding was delayed after I had left the lounge and a whole A380 load of pax were left crowding the gate.

I have had my assigned seat in F unilaterally changed in the lounge or at the gate on a few occasions for non operational reasons (I assume for someone more important, which they did basically admit on one occasion).

At the time, as a Qcult member, I just accepted the above and moved on...

Well I am definitely not a Qcult member and in fact have moved on internationally. I don’t think I have flown as many F sectors as you, although I am too lazy to try and count up .

I have had plenty of poor experiences in F with Qantas and absolutely would not fly them again. In fact when we booked a J flight with Qatar to JFK recently, Qantas was having a sale and we could have got F for only a few thousand more. I did weaken and ask Mr FM what he thought and he said “absolutely not, no more Qantas”. .

However the one thing I always got was the phone call the day before to organise Spa treatments and ask if there was anything they could do to help.

Also when QF1 was very delayed out of Sydney and we were going to miss our connection in London to Venice, the Host in Sydney organised for a First Host to meet us at the door of the plane in Heathrow, they had rebooked us onto a later flight out of Gatwick. He then retrieved our luggage which was checked through to Venice, loaded us into a car to be taken to Gatwick. It was wonderful service and actually kept us flying Qantas for a bit longer.

The problem of course is their total inconsistency. We were doing an AONE4 and later in the trip I found they had down graded us to J out of LAX and I had to phone up and get them to move us to flying out of DFW, so we could keep F. No contact, no asking what we wanted, just downgraded and initially when I phoned it was all “F is full on that date”. No lateral thinking about DFW and given we were flying from SFO that day, it was pretty easy for them to change that sector to SFO-DFW, rather than SFO-LAX, but they just couldn’t be bothered thinking that out.

 

[muppet]

OP reminds me of the guy in the SQ premium economy traveller who flipped out on social media because he didn't get any champagne as advertised. SQs twitter response was something like "Did you ask for any?" - answer was no, he shouldn't have to ask.

OP - if you want something, ask for it!

EDIT: Flyer mocked over ridiculous airline complaint

 

[JohnK]

We're going off thread here, but the 'spa' treatment is now so short it's not worth getting very excited about.

Was the spa treatment ever worth it?