Qantas: 'one of the worst airlines in the free world'

[JohnK]

Ahhh ... so in tne @JohnK world, Asia = BKK

Not just BKK. Try HKG. Find me a CX airfare equivalent to what Qantas sells that earns the same amount of points.

And yes for me status is a bonus as I pay for 3 airfares but earn 4 x points. And I firmly believe if you have status it doesn't matter how good a service the other airlines provide and for me it makes no sense

Also as mentioned please find me SQ and CX economy airfares that earn in the discount classes. They do exist but not that often. Generally you need to spend a premium to have an earning airfare.

 

[serfty]

Also as mentioned please find me SQ and CX economy airfares that earn in the discount classes.

That is not the discussion topic of this thread which is actually about quality of inflight service including food, beverages and hard product.

In my experience and not just opinion, in those aspects CX and SQ are generally better than Qantas; EK is better that QF too.

If you want to discuss/compare SC earn, fine, but a different thread would be more appropriate.

(FWIW, this evening I'm traveling on an award, so was the OP - SC's and points earn are not relevant.)

 

[JohnK]

That is not the discussion topic of this thread which is actually about quality of inflight service including food, beverages and hard product..

In my experience and not just opinion, in those aspects CX and SQ are generally better than Qantas; EK is better that QF too.

If you want to discuss/compare SC earn, fine, but a different thread would be more appropriate.

(FWIW, this evening I'm traveling on an award, so was the OP - SC's and points earn are not relevant.)

And as I mentioned quite a few times in my opinion CX and SQ in flight service is not superior to Qantas regardless of status. Qantas service is friendlier and they don't hold back on the diet coke eithet.

@MEL_Traveller has argued that's only due to status but that's not 100% true either.

And also for me the flying experience is a lot more than in flight service.

 

[serfty]

And also for me the flying experience is a lot more than in flight service.

Well maybe you should find a more applicable thread so you are not off topic.

 

[RichardMEL]

It's just a way to help put comments in context. For the true 'QF fans' absolutely nothing will be considered a negative... to the extent of justifying the QF A330s flying around with angled beds.

Seriously I know of no poster like this who is so totally enraptured with the one airline/product as to be so blinkered.. SPECIALLY about QF.

And so I still do not really like the labeling of people in this way. I make plenty of positive comments about QF when I feel they are justified.. I also post negatives and/or agree with other poorer observations... I'm also aware that my QF status affords, in some cases, a more positive travel experience, but I always try and base my comments on the common experience 9eg: domestic J meals, state of lounge, PB zoo, etc).

As I wrote earlier I think it's fine to argue points regarding views, but as they say in the sporting contest "Go the ball, not the man" - and just because someone says something positive about QF, or CX, EK or even UA (!) doesn't mean they don't see or acknowledge the flaws. I do not feel people are that black and white - but I'd be happy to be pointed to evidence to suggest otherwise

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Seriously I know of no poster like this who is so totally enraptured with the one airline/product as to be so blinkered.. SPECIALLY about QF.

The two common 'excuses' about the A330(s) still flying around with angled beds are that (a) 'oh, it's a day flight so you don't need a bed' and (b) 'oh, these were intended to be retired so that's why they haven't been done'.

Neither of those excuse the fact that QF stated all A330s were to be refurbished, and the website has no exlcusion that someone booking an A330 will get a product other than the advertised full flat seats.

It takes a certain dedication to be able to defend the A330s/angled beds, but there are folk posting here that do so. That's the 'QF Fan' category.

 

[RichardMEL]

I'll agree to have a slightly different view (and it's OT to this thread anyway... well actually maybe not as the "QFcultists would only say QF is the BEST airline in the free world, and universe!!!

 

[JohnK]

It's just a way to help put comments in context. For the true 'QF fans' absolutely nothing will be considered a negative... to the extent of justifying the QF A330s flying around with angled beds.

Don't worry about business class. I don't like the A330's in economy and try to avoid where possible.

 

[TonyHancock]

Seriously I know of no poster like this who is so totally enraptured with the one airline/product as to be so blinkered.. SPECIALLY about QF.

......but surely you have read the Platinum One thread where even the merest hint of a benefit, usually offered to silver and gold members as standard, is lauded as a demonstration of of QF's love of its P1's. Genuine Stockholm Syndrome in that thread.

 

[RichardMEL]

......but surely you have read the Platinum One thread where even the merest hint of a benefit, usually offered to silver and gold members as standard, is lauded as a demonstration of of QF's love of its P1's. Genuine Stockholm Syndrome in that thread.

Sorry mate. I've enjoyed your posts and even felt some level of envy towards your GGL (but not the 9k TP or whatever you've earned in a year to have it! ) and correctly suggesting that BA offers a better experience for the sort of but not really equivalent status level, but this posts just makes you sound like a jilted ex now to me.

Actual reading of the thread, which we both contribute to of course, is far less of that and more of "Gee P1 could be a whole lot better... how about tangible benefits we can all use.... event invites? what events?.... " and so on.

you've gone a bit extreme with this one tbh.

 

[Kangol]

If you had read the full report, you would have read... "With not a single award seat back from Australia after New Years, the cheapest Business Class way home was to buy a roundtrip… in our case Hamilton Island-LAX-Sydney. Not wanting to waste the return flight and lost free BA Tier Points, I’m completing the roundtrip by flying to Sydney and then coming home via Asia on Malaysia and Singapore First Class..."

You were better off wasting the trip instead of exchanging your time for Tier Points.
No one should have to endure the suffering that you did. It could be said that you are closer in understanding what slaves* experienced, when slavery was legal in the free world.

FWIW for the times I have failed as a human and have to resort to flying QF A380 J, I much prefer those seats than the newer and smaller A330/787 J suite.
Less space is never good for anyone except the accountants. A general rule is, if taking PT, fly F or don't fly at all

* not limited to any particular country or race.

 

[juddles]

....... for me the flying experience is a lot more than in flight service.

Just got back to this thread, and OMG it is full of sh.T. It has become like a debate on global warming - if someone dares to express something other than complete and utter belief they are ostracized.

AS per JohnK, I also think that the total "experience" is more complex than just certain inflight specifics.

After about 1000 flights, 40 countries, and about the same amount of airlines over the past ten years, I am happy enough with Qantas that they are probably overall my favorite airline.

Am I allowed to express that? Will I be labelled a fan boy? Is it like said debate on Global Warming where despite whatever negatives I express about Qantas, I am still not allowed to express positives?

How can anyone dare to tell me what I like?

As for the poster that described P1 members as sufferring "stockholm syndrome", the only sane explanation of their perception was well identified by someone else - "jilted lover" - I agree.

Qantas has flaws, but I still often choose them overall. Forgive me Father for it appears I sin.......

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But Juddles we're not comparing apples with apples. You and JohnK both say the total experience is more importasnt than individual elements. That's fine, but both of you seem to make that statement without the caveat that your journey is smoothed by your status. No call wait times at the call centre, First class lounges (away from the zoo of business class lounges or the dungeon of the MEL business lounge), the best seats, better on board service, a stack of points and SCs, and award seats opened up at your whim. It's all the addiitonal things that make the 'total experience' unrealistic to those flying under the same conditions but without status.

A few months ago I had to wait two and a half hours for a shower to become available in a lounge (not a QF lounge). That made me frustrated. Compare that to reports in the P1 thread here on AFF where a member walks into the Singapore lounge and has a shower reserved for them even if there's a queue of passengers waiting... and you can see the difference in experience.

 

[juddles]

But Juddles we're not comparing apples with apples. .......

I agree that status gives an edge, but you have to pay for it (both in money and sheer painful travel hours).

So it seems that you are actually comparing cheap and expensive apples

Or another way to see it is that I have to eat bloody apples every day. Tonnes of them. I can barely stomach them, so I choose the apple that I hate least. And I do not enjoy others trying to tell me that my taste in apples is wrong

 

[andye]

It seems to me that QF didn't jilt TH.
More accurate that QF no longer tickled his fancy.
This is quite possible despite the airline being attractive in many ways

 

[drron]

It seems to me that QF didn't jilt TH.
More accurate that QF no longer tickled his fancy.
This is quite possible despite the airline being attractive in many ways

Or the grass was greener over in the UK.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree that status gives an edge, but you have to pay for it (both in money and sheer painful travel hours).

So it seems that you are actually comparing cheap and expensive apples

Or another way to see it is that I have to eat bloody apples every day. Tonnes of them. I can barely stomach them, so I choose the apple that I hate least. And I do not enjoy others trying to tell me that my taste in apples is wrong

But then that brings in part two... with other airlines, it doesn't matter if I don't have status because I get the same excellent service. Whether I'm in row 23 or 53, the smiles, attentiveness, availability of meals... same same as in the front row.

From personal experience I can 100% say that being able to select an exit row free of charge when i fly Cathay means almost any service flaw is going to be easily forgiven. My experience is therefore unfairly biased by the benefits i get.

No one is saying your taste in apples is wrong... it's just that without accepting your apple is gold-leaf plated to start with it isn't a fair comparison.

 

[juddles]

....

No one is saying your taste in apples is wrong... it's just that without accepting your apple is gold-leaf plated to start with it isn't a fair comparison.

I feel when reading some threads (many) that I am exactly being told my taste is wrong. Even though I have tried most of the apples.

And when have I ever failed to accept that my apples are gold-leaf plated? They should be given what they have cost me. And I complain vociferously when I get a dodgy apple under that wrapping

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I feel when reading some threads (many) that I am exactly being told my taste is wrong. Even though I have tried most of the apples.

I think this is because those of us without status can often relate to an OP venting. They describe issues which we can relate to.

Others - often with significant status - sometimes appear willing to dismiss negatives on the basis that they have never experienced or witnessed them. It's not that this is wrong, just that it may not have the full picture.

 

[Pushka]

This thread just keeps on giving.