QF retail stores to close

[Vinny]

AUSTRALIA'S love affair with the internet has been blamed for claiming another retail scalp, as Qantas yesterday confirmed it would shut all but one of its remaining face-to-face travel centres, affecting around 150 staff....

The decision comes after a review by Qantas of its retail travel centre operations with centres in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville to shut, leaving just one centre in Gove, Northern Territory.

Net takes it's toll on Qantas travel centres | Herald Sun

Excuse the spelling in the headline, but even News Ltd can occasionally do better.

Sad to see these centres close as they can be useful at times for those that live in capital cities.

Another sign of cost cutting and QF moving offshore.

Will there be much of Qantas to still call Australia home before long?

 

[samh004]

I didn't realise they had 'retail stores', but can't imagine they'd be much use these days with the Internet and a phone.

 

[anat0l]

About time. Those outlets were becoming dinosaurs; not to mention they attracted extra fees anyway. I really do wonder how often they were used, considering that every man, woman and dog has an internet connection these days (at least almost all persons who live in those cities or towns with "retail stores").

What the hell is a retail store doing in Gove....

Cost cutting? Yes, but unlike some other parts of the QF operation, this is real fat that can be trimmed off.

 

[turtlemichael]

About time. ..... Cost cutting? Yes, but unlike some other parts of the QF operation, this is real fat that can be trimmed off.

Do you have access to Qantas' operating costs/revenue, which presumably has been in the positive until some time recently, or is this a statement of principle?

 

[medhead]

Another case of qantas not giving a rats about the customer. My parents and mum have used the Brisbane qantas travel center for all their overseas travel. Building up an excellent relationship in that time. Totally gone.

Then there is also the case of those vouchers that qantas likes to issue. It was easiest, for me, to present these to a travel centre. Now what I post it in, booking subject to price change until received, at risk of being lost.

 

[markis10]

What the hell is a retail store doing in Gove....

.

I think you will find that is related to the issues with alcohol and the locals, and gives them the ability to issue tickets to people who are not net centric when the government is funding the transport.

 

[pauly7]

Another case of qantas not giving a rats about the customer. My parents and mum have used the Brisbane qantas travel center for all their overseas travel. Building up an excellent relationship in that time. Totally gone.
.

I guess then Virgin and Jetstar never 'gave a rats' ever, as they have never set up physical store

Come on medhead cheer up!!

 

[anat0l]

Do you have access to Qantas' operating costs/revenue, which presumably has been in the positive until some time recently, or is this a statement of principle?

Apart from perhaps what you could find in a public report, I don't have figures, so my comment should be taken as an assertion.

In saying that, are you suggesting that there was a real business case in keeping these stores open (even in you take into account possible non-revenue benefits)? I can accept that perhaps closing them will not save a lot of money...

 

[Timba-Jet]

In most service industries, face to face outlets have much higher operating cost than phone or Internet channels, QF is no different.

I guess management have decided the good will, brand presence benefits no longer justify the higher costs or declining sales (my guess).

Can't really fault QF for going this way, if people really want face to face service, there are travel agents!

 

[UP4014]

I didn't realize QF still operated any themselves, but sometimes face to face is the best way to sort a more complex travel plan. And despite what people here may think, not everyone has or wants an internet connection, I think the demographic here is not a good cross section when is comes to the wider community in that regard.

 

[medhead]

I guess then Virgin and Jetstar never 'gave a rats' ever, as they have never set up physical store

Come on medhead cheer up!!

Oh, I'm happy

Virgin, jetstar different model an until recently didn't offer solutions for getting to Europe. Besides my parents are/were rather centric in their airline choices. Besides we're only just getting mum off dial up Internet now.

 

[harvyk]

It's not like you can't still walk into a travel agency and have them book flights for you...
I'd expect that the QF stores where seldom used over the variety of other methods (eg internet \ phone \ travel agency store) which exist for booking airfares these days...

 

[VHOEJ]

They were not making money and I would be surprised if they made a profit over the past couple of years. They were good customer service points and not everyone likes the internet but they are costly to run. The location alone (rent) was huge - a lot of people never used them, which is a shame.

 

[Hvr]

I guess they served their purpose and it is time to move on. Hopefully the people involved will get a fair pay out or a new role.

The internet is changing everything, this evening I purchased some tickets for Xmas travel, in seconds I had searched, selected and paid for my flights. Within a minute or two I had selected my exit row seats and then checked the email and saw that the ticket had been delivered.

No retail store could possible replicate that level of service.

Things change and this is but one of many, many things.

 

[ozmille]

I have been a couple of times tonredeem one of those QF vouchers for IFE not working...

 

[eosphoros]

I have been a couple of times tonredeem one of those QF vouchers for IFE not working...

Didn't know QF offered vouchers for non-working IFE. Last time someone on my flight (that I knew of) had a non-working IFE unit, the CSM gave the pax a QC invitation and also offered to give them their personal duty free wine. Pax accepted the QC invitation but declined the duty free.

 

[Simo]

Thought they where gone years ago....

I remember there was one in BNE CBD and one in MKY.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I think you will find that is related to the issues with alcohol and the locals, and gives them the ability to issue tickets to people who are not net centric when the government is funding the transport.

Maybe another plausible reason is Alcan probably told QF they wanted it to stay open for their employees in addition to the above reasons which are valid.

I didn't realize QF still operated any themselves, but sometimes face to face is the best way to sort a more complex travel plan. And despite what people here may think, not everyone has or wants an internet connection, I think the demographic here is not a good cross section when is comes to the wider community in that regard.

I would say probably more than 90% of people who book domestic travel through a travel agent would use a Flight Centre because simply for the reason they want the interaction with a person even though they probably do have an internet connection at home & are prepared to pay a service fee to get just that.

Some people are still a bit hesitant to do transactions for goods & services over the internet & like doing things face to face. It's quite similar to the scenario with QF's Next Gen checkin in that although people could do their checkin most of the time without human intervention, they prefer to deal with people given the choice, & sadly unless SG or above they don't get a choice.

 

[JohnK]

I guess it is a sign of the times. Just like before too long bus drivers will be obsolete, train drivers will be obsolete, wait staff will be obsolete, call centre staff will be obsolete, shop fronts will be obsolete etc.

Just because someone thinks it is a good idea does not mean that the rest have to agree....

 

[Taezar]

If only this screen grab from the highly addictive Tiny Tower was true.


"If wishes were horses we'd all be eating steak."