QF vs US carriers

[pibbem]

I’ve flown on dozens of airlines, except US carriers. Out of those airlines QF sticks out like a sore thumb for bad customer service, and we avoid flying QF nowadays.

Have heard service can be pretty bad on US carriers, but how does this compare with QF experiences?

 

[FrankP]

Hi pibbem, a pity you’ve not enjoyed flying with QF. I’ve had the opposite experience and have no problems flying with QF. I don’t mind others, find the service fine, but look for QF first. Usually the seat comfort is the biggest thing for me. I don’t rate the entertainment so much, I use my iPad-mini more often
For US airline crews, I’ve actually found them not much different from each any other airline. Have only flown delta and AA.
If you give the crew cough they’ll get assertive with you. If you try to work with them you may get through ok. I find the policies much worse than the staff. I always try to give myself 4-5 hrs for intl connections (if possible for me) because of their massive overbooking practices. The extra times are annoying BUT i can work in the clubs and it allows me at least 1 flight being missed but still able to make my connection. 2 mths ago out of charlotte I got the last seat on a flight AFTER being in the standby line because their system had pblms with my online checkin. But the auto-check in’s ask “would you accept a ‘bump’ compensation?”, with nbrs up to us$500. I think ppl actually work with it to book early flights, tick for an amount, then hope to get bumped+paid, fly later and effectively have their trip paid for!
Frustrating sometimes, I was a little nervous but not too much about getting my connection, but you do have to work hard at not holding staff accountable for their employer policies. I just try to set myself up to minimise the impact.
On Friday morning I went to Cbr airport 4 hrs early because winds were coming. Asked QF if I can get to Sydney earlier to increase my chances of connecting. They’ve done this for me 4 times in the past, even on econ-sale tix. I just accept my role in doing everything I can to make my trips work. Setting up to work a few hrs in the airport is part of that.
Cheers

 

[juddles]

.....

Have heard service can be pretty bad on US carriers, but how does this compare with QF experiences?

Of the US carriers I have only flown American Airlines with any frequency. In my experience their staff are an exact copy of QF staff, albeit a yank version. So there will be grumpy ones who appear unable to be sacked, but also there will be absolutely stellar gals and guys who are wonderful.

 

[pibbem]

Interesting, yes you capture my QF experiences well. Sometimes QF can have friendly service, but when you encounter the ‘unsackable’ attitude of others it’s an experience you rather avoid all together.

Seems to be related to strong union driven mentality.

 

[FrankP]

Seems to be related to strong union driven mentality.

I'm not in a union, had the opportunity to join in 1985 and didn't take it and never regretted it. I don't feel I need to be in a union, and lucky to have never needed to.
However I find your comment unreasonable, factually incorrect, and unhelpful to your question. As much as I don't like the way some unions/unionists behave, I take the same offence at the way I've seen some employers act (including govt) who use their ability to bully their lower level workers. And the impact on productivity that comes from treating your staff like cough. If I do think I see that in QF behaviours I put it squarely at the foot of lazy and incapable mgmt long before I put it on a union. Because more often than not thats exactly what I see in workplaces. As a self-employed contractor I see more workplaces than most. I think airline staff have a much much difficult job than me, sometimes a really awful job dealing with 'attitudes', and I'm willing to cut them some slack if possible to do so.

If you wanted to question whether QF and other large employers are union-bashed then maybe you should have just asked that.

 

[33kft]

Sometimes QF can have friendly service, but when you encounter the ‘unsackable’ attitude of others it’s an experience you rather avoid all together.

It affects different people in different ways. I've always been a hard product person, spent years flying Asian carriers and never really felt the way that some do about the service (simply because it doesn't really register for me unless it's over the top memorable, and I don't see it that way 99% of the time flying Y or J). I am sure if I flew F all the time I'd have noticed it, but what's the point of someone with my disposition flying F when J has all the hard product I reasonably need/want for the money I pay.

But there are two experiences I have had with QF that really got to me. The first is shortly after moving back to Australia from Asia 2 years ago and seeing some old cranky QF mole yelling at some tourists who couldn't understand the domestic bag drop system, and the other was a QF check in guy who was incredibly obnoxious simply because he'd made a mistake and I asked him to fix it. Mid 30s, certainly not part of the furniture, but clearly part of the dark side culture.

I can tell you this: It's nice not having to worry so much about these things. A lot of people on here vow to quit QF or put them on ice, for me I'll not let someone be rude to me without calling them out, but I'll accept the odd slip up here and there as I would any other business I regularly transact with. There's so few options both here and in the US for full service carriers with a wide network (and I doubt you'll get better from most LCCs, with some being the exception) so to some degree tolerance is not a choice, it's a necessity.

So the point of all of the above is to say this: I suspect if you can't stand QF, you'll have a hard time in the US too. You do ultimately have some control over how you perceive the experience, though. Crank those expectations down low and let them surprise you I guess?

 

[RooFlyer]

Agree with juddles, re AA. You can get wonderful FAs and really bad ones. But the main difference between QF and US airlines I think it's the heard product and meals. Not up to QF's very modest standards.

 

[pibbem]

Agree with juddles, re AA. You can get wonderful FAs and really bad ones. But the main difference between QF and US airlines I think it's the heard product and meals. Not up to QF's very modest standards.

Doesn’t QF just throw a hot pocket in your face for a meal?

 

[33kft]

Doesn’t QF just throw a hot pocket in your face for a meal?

No.