QF-EK broken promises

[ftm]

BTW I was told that CASA does not permit some suite designs on locally registered aircraft (i.e. doors not allowed). I was also told, by a reliable source, that the doors are there to comply with muslim ideas about women not sleeping in the same room as men who are not their husbands (so not there to attract westerners as a primary reason)
.

The requirement comes from the US FAA that there can be no fixed obstruction between a seat and an exit, so CASA does allow doors, it's just that no one in Aust has done it. The Emirates etc doors satisfy the requirements because the doors are locked open for take off and landing.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

The requirement comes from the US FAA that there can be no fixed obstruction between a seat and an exit, so CASA does allow doors, it's just that no one in Aust has done it. The Emirates etc doors satisfy the requirements because the doors are locked open for take off and landing.

In the same way that CX has to lock the aisle-side armrests down on their J seats/mini-suites for take off and landing. Otherwise they would be deemed an obstruction.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Oh its just getting better now. So muslim women on aircraft in Y dont sleep? Or do they all fly F?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Oh its just getting better now. So muslim women on aircraft in Y dont sleep? Or do they all fly F?

And no locked screens in business class (where sleep is one of the key features of the cabin).

 

[TheRealTMA]

My experience of QF (& BA) F is absolute pampering and nothing is too much trouble. Crew could not be better and all the time I know that the culture of the airlines prioritises safety. I would feel let down by QF if I were flying from ADL, BNE or PER and could not fly QF F for the longer sector (as was the case pre EK & DXB).
BTW I was told that CASA does not permit some suite designs on locally registered aircraft (i.e. doors not allowed). I was also told, by a reliable source, that the doors are there to comply with muslim ideas about women not sleeping in the same room as men who are not their husbands (so not there to attract westerners as a primary reason)

Clearly some like to fly EK and do not care about the lack of a safety culture and are, therefore, happy with the EK tie up. Others find that we do not have the best of the options available. And some things are clearly the worse of hte options e.g. massive decrease in baggage allowance, loss of PE cabin regardles of whether they matter to you personally. So whether you think that the EK deal works for you or not there are clearly things that are not as promised, it just may be that you do not value them as much as some of us. My other unhappiness about the EK deal is the abysmal security sceeening in DXB: that is definitely a loss when compared with SIN or, in the really good days, HKG. So I take my business elsewhere whenever I can.

No idea where the ideas above come from but do not seem to be first hand experiences. Security screening in DXB is as extensive as anywhere else. It's one of the few which actually have direct manual bag searches when you leave the F lounge before you enter the lift to down to the boarding area, and they even confiscate bottled water. You are also not permitted to carry sealed packages onto the plane, much to the annoyance of one px who'd traveled on two other airlines before DXB and was made to open all his Christmas presents to show the contents on one flight we were on.

The idea about doors being some religious plot by MEAs is really drawing a long bow.

 

[mannej]

I have tried to bite my tongue, but I feel that the comments about the religious aspects of the doors in the suites explains to some degree the aversion to flying EK.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I have tried to bite my tongue, but I feel that the comments about the religious aspects of the doors in the suites explains to some degree the aversion to flying EK.

Not directly because few ever experience first class and encounter the doors.
But probably indirectly, in terms of religious prejudice.
Which is ironic because the one nationality you will NEVER encounter as cabin crew on EK or EY is Emirati.
I'm not sure about EK but EY is recruiting mainly from Eastern Europe.
Emiratis simply don't do those sorts of jobs.

 

[harvyk]

QF F is certainly very nice but I can't help but think they missed an opportunity with the A380s.
There is no wow factor.
Everything is incrementally nicer than business class* but there is no big distinguishing feature.
And no distinguishing feature for the Qantas brand either.
EK broke new ground with the showers and the bar.
EY took those and went further with the apartments - which are almost as nice as the unaffordable residence.
On the other hand EK took the Donald Trump/World Dictator approach to interior decorating.
Too much bling, fake gold and walnut burr.
But QF is so minimalist it seems ordinary, without a hint of luxury.
For my money EY has hit the right mid-point with modern, understated elegant luxury.
And their signature lighting touch of scattered geometric shapes is unmistakable but subtle branding.
Oh and I like wifi - nothing like being able to upload photos of dinner to instagram!

*Compared to contemporary business class offerings such as on the refurbed QF A330s. The skybeds on the QF A380s are so dated they have become substandard for business class.

See I like the EK bling. To me at least it makes it feel special. I do tend to agree that QF does tend to be very understated, however I've never flown F with them (flown EK F however).

Also yes the skybeds are starting to feel last decade, however there is nothing wrong with them as a premium product, and on the routes which they have been rolled out (mostly long haul), sleep is going to be one of the primary things a person is going to want to do. It's the medium haul routes (which have been getting the A330 suites) where a person may not want to sleep, and therefore having space to work would be a bonus.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

See I like the EK bling. To me at least it makes it feel special. I do tend to agree that QF does tend to be very understated, however I've never flown F with them (flown EK F however).

Also yes the skybeds are starting to feel last decade, however there is nothing wrong with them as a premium product, and on the routes which they have been rolled out (mostly long haul), sleep is going to be one of the primary things a person is going to want to do. It's the medium haul routes (which have been getting the A330 suites) where a person may not want to sleep, and therefore having space to work would be a bonus.

I almost always fly alone. I don't like sleeping in close proximity to strangers. So the suites in their 1-2-1 layout are much better for me even if all I do is sleep.
In any event, SYD-AUH is 15 hours. I challenge anyone to sleep for 15 hours. Or even the 11 hours of PER-AUH.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I have tried to bite my tongue, but I feel that the comments about the religious aspects of the doors in the suites explains to some degree the aversion to flying EK.

Its been pretty obvious since the beginning what the issue is....

 

[harvyk]

I almost always fly alone. I don't like sleeping in close proximity to strangers. So the suites in their 1-2-1 layout are much better for me even if all I do is sleep.
In any event, SYD-AUH is 15 hours. I challenge anyone to sleep for 15 hours. Or even the 11 hours of PER-AUH.

That's the joy of the privacy screens, they go up and effectively no more stranger next to you.
Of course, I am probably look at it through the eye's of someone whom only every so often flies J. A good number of my trips are in Y, and therefore sleeping in close proximity is just part and parcel with flying.

I've gotten a good 8 hours sleep on a flight once, and my daughter managed to do 10 hours (very happy about that as she was 2 at the time). I guess I also use flights as a wind down exercise, where watching movies and listening to music is the way I pass the time. I can count on a single hand the number of times I've worked on a flight. That said I realise not everyone is the same in that regard.

 

[katiebell]

No idea where the ideas above come from but do not seem to be first hand experiences. Security screening in DXB is as extensive as anywhere else. It's one of the few which actually have direct manual bag searches when you leave the F lounge before you enter the lift to down to the boarding area, and they even confiscate bottled water. You are also not permitted to carry sealed packages onto the plane, much to the annoyance of one px who'd traveled on two other airlines before DXB and was made to open all his Christmas presents to show the contents on one flight we were on.

The idea about doors being some religious plot by MEAs is really drawing a long bow.

The bag searches at the departure gate are an Australian governement requirement and happen on all airlines from all long haul ports on the last leg to Aus. They do not occur on QF1 & QF9 as they are going to the UK where the government does not require this.

The transit screening is ineffective. I have had colleagues carry 500ml bottles through inadvertently and these were not picked up.

The information about doors came from an Emirati contact and, for the record, the Emiratis I have met are lovely people and I am not prejudiced against Emiratis at all.

The thread is about AJ stating we would get the best of the QF and EK options which is clearly not the case, just ask anyone who has booked PE and then spent 7 hours in Y.

 

[Pushka]

But dont you think the info about the doors and sleeping arrangements in F seems silly when only 14 Passengers are in F?

As far as PE goes - if there is no PE on the flight then you cant book it.

 

[TheRealTMA]

The bag searches at the departure gate are an Australian governement requirement and happen on all airlines from all long haul ports on the last leg to Aus. They do not occur on QF1 & QF9 as they are going to the UK where the government does not require this.

The transit screening is ineffective. I have had colleagues carry 500ml bottles through inadvertently and these were not picked up.

Not in our pesonal experience when leaving the lounges. On EK flights out of DXB to UK, Europe, USA, Australia, the bag searches are all the same.

 

[junbugging]

The thread is about

232 posts in and still struggling to understand it. So your current claim is that DXB is a security weak spot?

 

[pagingjoan]

The bag searches at the departure gate are an Australian governement requirement and happen on all airlines from all long haul ports on the last leg to Aus. They do not occur on QF1 & QF9 as they are going to the UK where the government does not require this.

The transit screening is ineffective. I have had colleagues carry 500ml bottles through inadvertently and these were not picked up.

The information about doors came from an Emirati contact and, for the record, the Emiratis I have met are lovely people and I am not prejudiced against Emiratis at all.

The thread is about AJ stating we would get the best of the QF and EK options which is clearly not the case, just ask anyone who has booked PE and then spent 7 hours in Y.

See bolding.

Not correct.
The bag searches certainly have occurred on numerous flights DXB-LHR, in my own experience.
What is the basis of your statement?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

See bolding.

Not correct.
The bag searches certainly have occurred on numerous flights DXB-LHR, in my own experience.
What is the basis of your statement?

a good chunk of katiebell's comments are related to second hand info and hearsay from what I can see. "a colleague told me" etc

 

[pagingjoan]

a good chunk of katiebell's comments are related to second hand info and hearsay from what I can see. "a colleague told me" etc

Okay.
And when I posted, I had not seen that others had already refuted the statement re bag searches.
(Oh that it were true! )

 

[greenfish]

I wonder if Katiebell is aware that all transit passenger go through security prior to reaching the lounge / departure are. And non-transit passengers (originating in DXB) are searched entering the departure area. So the gate checks are "belts and braces", an extra tier of security. It isn't like Singapore, where the gate security is the only check.

I've always had my bags checked again leaving the DXB F lounge regardless of destination.

 

[aurelia]

I love QF and it is always my airline of choice, but services have been eroded and for my next trip I have taken my business elsewhere. When so many have been loyal to this airline, the degradation of services is a smack in the face. Yes, I know some other members will saw it is about commercial returns and making a profit, but seriously if the QF/EK alliance continues like it is there will be no profits for either carrier as we move our services elsewhere.