Qantas brand badly tarnished

[JohnK]

No one will remember in a year, and people will still be booking Qantas. (and complaining about the price etc.)

And lack of awards and lack of upgrade opportunity and stretch goalposts for Lifetime Platinum and....

 

[Happy Trails]

This spoof promo has its moments.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1539926321148854272

 

[jakeseven7]

Chickens are coming home to roost. Blistering reports on QF in the AFR today. Compares Qantas to Fawlty Towers after millions in subsidies, not flying throughout the pandemic, toxic industrial relation policies and being completely unprepared. Most importantly it actually recognises long suffering passengers, consolidating flights, cancelations and dreadful service.

I feel sorry for those people who seem to be affected.

 

[SCM]

It may be tarnished but it is still the market leader.


Passengers are obviously still flocking to Qantas in droves.

You don't have much choice domestically - people go with whoever has routes and capacity. VA had to give up it's leased aircraft and sold others, the fact they they are anywhere near QF is laughable (for Qantas).

International numbers would be more interesting - where I believe SQ is leading.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Interesting article about QF (and also to an extent VA). Covers a few issues. Pretty shocking to hear that due to issues with the weight of fuel, a whole QF flight took off from Darwin without a single passenger‘s bag & they didn’t inform anyone until they had landed at LHR.

Qantas made a smart decision abandoning the bags. The Montreal convention will entitle travellers to charge any items they need back to the airline and will ensure all passengers arrive as scheduled (which arguably is the most important part to travelling). I'd much rather arrive at my destination than be denied boarding (especially if QF isn't paying me for the hassle).

Contrast this with Air Canada which elected to fly with the bags on board but had police board the flight and forcibly remove 25 passengers (elderly couples, a pregnant women, members of a Formula 1 team) due to weight issues.

All I'm saying is those who say the grass is greener elsewhere should take a closer look at that grass!

-RooFlyer88

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Qantas made a smart decision abandoning the bags. The Montreal convention will entitle travellers to charge any items they need back to the airline and will ensure all passengers arrive as scheduled (which arguably is the most important part to travelling). I'd much rather arrive at my destination than be denied boarding (especially if QF isn't paying me for the hassle).

Contrast this with Air Canada which elected to fly with the bags on board but had police board the flight and forcibly remove 25 passengers (elderly couples, a pregnant women, members of a Formula 1 team) due to weight issues.

All I'm saying is those who say the grass is greener elsewhere should take a closer look at that grass!

-RooFlyer88

The article you link makes no reference to weight restrictions, only that the 25 were refused carriage due to disruptive behaviour.

The circumstances are unclear, and the grounds for the decision are even more unclear. It will be interesting to see how this comes out after the investigation.

 

[straitman]

... and now Phillip Adams is demanding that Qantas withdraw use of his slogan 'Spirit of Australia'

I wrote the slogan The Spirit of Australia for Qantas. The airline no longer deserves it. Time to hand it over to the ABC. A far better fit, Hand it over Alan Joyce.

 

[Choosethedrew]

* They're the only Australian airline with truly global brand recognition, and it's generally positive. In the UK QF is generally regarded as a reliable, comfortable and somewhat understated choice.

I would say that in the UK QF is seen as quite a high-end niche offering, they have this big brand, PR and history but don’t actually do that much network-wise. For us in the UK, it’s also an extremely expensive airline and is almost always beaten by QR, CX etc. on price and, on the very best of days, only just matches them on quality. All in all, it feels like a set up for ex-AUS traffic rather than inbound.

At least it’s not dear old BA, which just gets more horrific by the day

 

[straitman]

At least it’s not dear old BA, which just gets more horrific by the day

They could be in a race for the bottom.

 

[Choosethedrew]

They could be in a race for the bottom.

I think QF has a long way to go before reaching the depths BA has sunk to. Although, I would say that in terms of being able to contact customer service and IRROPS, QF is actually worse already. On board product in a different league thankfully.

 

[Zanzara]

Qantas made a smart decision abandoning the bags. The Montreal convention will entitle travellers to charge any items they need back to the airline and will ensure all passengers arrive as scheduled (which arguably is the most important part to travelling). I'd much rather arrive at my destination than be denied boarding (especially if QF isn't paying me for the hassle).

Contrast this with Air Canada which elected to fly with the bags on board but had police board the flight and forcibly remove 25 passengers (elderly couples, a pregnant women, members of a Formula 1 team) due to weight issues.

All I'm saying is those who say the grass is greener elsewhere should take a closer look at that grass!

-RooFlyer88

Wonder if you would feel the same if they were YOUR bags, travelling with a family and having no other items with you and nothing was said for 24 hrs until you had landed? Not many of them will be buying a QF ticket anytime soon. Many smart people abandoned QF and so called ‘golden handcuffs’ years ago. Looks like they are the smart ones to me.

 

[Happy Trails]

... and now Phillip Adams is demanding that Qantas withdraw use of his slogan 'Spirit of Australia'

I wrote the slogan The Spirit of Australia for Qantas. The airline no longer deserves it. Time to hand it over to the ABC. A far better fit, Hand it over Alan Joyce.

Call me a cynic, but I have to wonder if his current animus might, in some small part, be formed by his loss of CL status.

 

[Scarlett]

They could be in a race for the bottom.

Both BA and QF are dealing with same pressures most ‘legacy’ carriers have been for the past 10-20 years, primarily the significant competition for:
- high yielding ’top end’ pax from petro-dollar subsidised ME3, and
- lower yielding but bulk traffic number pax, from the plethora of LCCs

QF is following BA, just maybe 5-10 years behind in the apparent decline, because it is facing the same pressures and is trying to save money in all the same areas. QF (and same story for NZ really) has just had the benefit of a much more insulated domestic market compared to what BA faced in its ‘domestic’ European market.

 

[hmmm]

Wonder if you would feel the same if they were YOUR bags, travelling with a family and having no other items with you and nothing was said for 24 hrs until you had landed? Not many of them will be buying a QF ticket anytime soon. Many smart people abandoned QF and so called ‘golden handcuffs’ years ago. Looks like they are the smart ones to me.

I’m one of them. LTG and I haven’t flown Qantas in about 5 years. Domestically or internationally. Qatar now gets my business and I get a real chuckle knowing Qantas gets billed for my multiple lounge visits despite not getting a penny in revenue. Despicable airline if you ask me.

 

[aikman]

I’m one of them. LTG and I haven’t flown Qantas in about 5 years. Domestically or internationally. Qatar now gets my business and I get a real chuckle knowing Qantas gets billed for my multiple lounge visits despite not getting a penny in revenue. Despicable airline if you ask me.

According to this post Qantas doesn't pay for your lounge access. Qatar does. You are still contributing to Qantas revenue by visiting their lounges. Sorry to disappoint.

 

[RichardMEL]

I would say that in the UK QF is seen as quite a high-end niche offering, they have this big brand, PR and history but don’t actually do that much network-wise. For us in the UK, it’s also an extremely expensive airline and is almost always beaten by QR, CX etc. on price and, on the very best of days, only just matches them on quality. All in all, it feels like a set up for ex-AUS traffic rather than inbound.

At least it’s not dear old BA, which just gets more horrific by the day

Agree with this.

The reality is with QF currently (and for the most time) only has two arrivals/departures on their own metal from LHR - calling them a niche carrier is bringing up their profile - at least operationally. Sure, coeshares all over on BA, but we all know that doesn't really mean much in terms of the actual footprint on the place.

And this is one reason why the QR's and SQ's of this world can and do undercut them - not just on the cost side but simply look at how many daily departures QR and SQ (for example) have to their hubs from the UK - from LHR (and other places, like MAN). Now sure, they're ferrying pax all over the planet hence the multiple widebodies a day, but the capacity is much greater and obviously they still provide a one stop connection to Australia - further a SQ/QR can provide those links direct to places like ADL, CNS and multiple timings to major places like BNE/SYD/MEL - which means pax have schedule AND price choice vs QF (and while QF10/2 do have spread departures and provide connection points at SIN and PER - let's be honest.. you wouldn't fly QF10 to connect to BNE or even SYD imo as going via DOH or SIN (or HKG or DXB or whatever) would get you there faster.

While Project Sunrise will blow those out of the water it's still going to be very limited - both capacity wise, higher price(for obvious reasons)... even when it goes daily it's still ~200 seats a day. Most likely the others still will have a price and schedule advantage and the few extra hours of transit would be worth the cost savings to many - not to mention breaking up a very long journey (which is my preference, tbh).

When it comes to the UK, and let's face it that means LHR... and only LHR.. QF *is* the definition of Legacy - there's historic, emotional and cultural ties that go way back, let alone that "prestige" of serving London in your own metal - a desire that is not just confined to QF alone. I'm not saying London isn't a very important place to serve for multiple reasons - it is.. but there are reasons, more than economic, that QF has kept the Kangaroo Route going while ditching most of europe over the decades (and while seasonal Rome service is a really good return for the red tail, it's quite minor in the overall scheme of things - and the mooted CDG service seems to have been put on the bckburner - though perhaps the new PM thawing relations with France may change things ). Anyway this is the same kind of thinking that has a fixation on NYC also. again, not saying it's not important, or warranted, but it is very legacy.

 

[hmmm]

According to this post Qantas doesn't pay for your lounge access. Qatar does. You are still contributing to Qantas revenue by visiting their lounges. Sorry to disappoint.

My understanding is that Qantas pays if I’m entering on my Qantas status and not by cabin entitlements. Either way, Qantas won’t see a dime from me moving forward given the superior product, schedule and fares available elsewhere within the alliance.

 

[dylarr]

My understanding is that Qantas pays if I’m entering on my Qantas status and not by cabin entitlements. Either way, Qantas won’t see a dime from me moving forward given the superior product, schedule and fares available elsewhere within the alliance.

It's the operating carrier that pays — not the frequent flyer program you belong to. For example: If you enter a MH lounge with QF status but are taking a QR flight then it is QR who pays for the lounge access.

 

[justinbrett]

My understanding is that Qantas pays if I’m entering on my Qantas status and not by cabin entitlements. Either way, Qantas won’t see a dime from me moving forward given the superior product, schedule and fares available elsewhere within the alliance.

Yeah, not the case in oneworld (perhaps other alliances are different). Operating carrier pays for it all.

 

[hmmm]

Yeah, not the case in oneworld (perhaps other alliances are different). Operating carrier pays for it all.

Well….. I have no evidence to the contrary, but I seem to recall having read in the past that the party providing you access pays. If you’re entering by cabin entitlement then the operating carrier pays. If you’re entering by status, the FF airline pays.