The 'Jetstarizing' of Qantas has left it sitting on the Tarmac! SMH article

[JetLagged]

An article in today's SMH: overall, Adele Ferguson has written quite a decent article. Mind you, a lot of what she says could have been researched from these august pages. But, well worth a read!

The 'Jetstarising' of Qantas has left it stuck on the tarmac with a poor reputation

 

[oz_mark]

I read the same article in The Age this morning, and I like part of the last paragraph:

he will need to decide whether Qantas is a growth stock or a yield stock, a full-cost carrier with a budget airline, or a budget airline with a full service domestic business. Right now it is neither.
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[JetLagged]

Yes, a tellingly true comment from her - and her opinion of both Joyce and the current board is also telling.

As a very pro-Qantas traveller - and someone who has had a remarkable run of good flights with excellent service - must say that the tarnish is beginng to rub off and thnking of trying some comeptitors, especially if the price is right.

 

[TonyHancock]

Not a bad article at all. I really do wonder what the Qantas strategy is.

 

[cove]

This flies in the face of the latest Roy Morgan research that reported Qantas as having the highest satisfaction levels of 83% domestically that I did not read in any paper.
We are all hoping for better and to be treated well when flying but that satisfaction level is really good.
I do think I should declare that I am a contributor to Roy Morgan surveys so I am an early recipient of results.
I am also a shareholder of REX,VBA and QAN shares so my pain barrier is high at the moment seeing I am ok on REX and VBA and behind on QAN.

 

[drron]

Better start lobbying Mr.Windsor then.One analyst is saying that a carbon tax of $20 a tonne would knock VBA's NPAT by over 40%.That would send the shares south.

 

[cove]

The thought that either Julia or the carbon tax will continue would surprise me.
It means higher air fares from higher operating costs if it gets up so my imaginary friend may get a seat to Perth for a change.
Flights to Perth are pretty full right now.

 

[harvyk]

Interesting article...

The big problem with QF is they don't know what they want to be... (a problem which DJ had until recently)

They need to get QF as the premium brand and JQ as the discount brand, and they need to ensure that they are not confused. They then need to manage that brand beyond releasing a couple of nice looking photo's of the skybed mark II.

They also need to ensure that when people book with QF, they get QF. Not a JQ service booked from the QF website, a big complaint I see on news limited forums are people who booked on the QF site, but didn't see the orange star stating it's a JQ service.

The other thing they need to work on is consistency, if I go on three different QF flights, each one should be the same as the other ones. I should have a similar style seat, similar style of entertainment options, similar food. (A big complaint I have is "Dinner" from Mel to Cbr is only a sandwich, where it used to be a proper cooked meal, and yet Dinner on other flights still is a proper cooked meal).

Finally, they need to treat their frequent flyers and QP members properly. Stop bringing in "enhancements" which make the programs worse. With DJ now posed to enter the business market proper, it won't take too many "enhancements" towards the people whom are QF's most loyal customers for them to start taking their business elsewhere.

 

[cove]

I do know that the downgrades with QF First Class and also frequent flyer "enhancements" at the lounge level made the big hitters conclude that QF has been losing it's way.
Pulling First Class out of new A380 planes made a lot of us think which way is QF heading under a CEO who came from the cheap end of town.
QF plane orders have not worked out well but no one knew how big the delays were going to be when those orders were placed.

 

[Kendall Roy]

My tip is QF in 10-15 years will only operate major A380 routes with some dom services (i.e. Golden Triangle). The rest will go to the orange cancer JQ

A lot of QF staffers also believe this with recent events such as basing crew out of SIN. I know it's not the most reliable source, but PPrUNE has some eye opening stuff about what's to come with QF.

Joyce/Clifford are downsizing QF due to a clear anti-union agenda.

(Flame suit on)

 

[straitman]

My tip is QF in 10-15 years will only operate major A380 routes with some dom services (i.e. Golden Triangle). The rest will go to the orange cancer JQ

A lot of QF staffers also believe this with recent events such as basing crew out of SIN. I know it's not the most reliable source, but PPrUNE has some eye opening stuff about what's to come with QF.

Joyce/Clifford are downsizing QF due to a clear anti-union agenda.

(Flame suit on)

.... and if you are correct then most of us will be flying with someone else :!:

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Anti-union or not, the costs of providing a full service airline continue to rise, yet punters appear increasing unwilling to pay the price of a ticket on a full service airline based out of Aus.

And whilst there are corporate travellers who are paying to sit up front, if another GFC comes around, QF ends up with significant CAPEX tied up in planes and facilities with no one flying in the,

Plus, there is the perpetual call for more beenies from QF for frequent flyers, yet no one here seems willing pay the cost. Unlike manufacturing, where economies of scale and automation have produced massive cuts in the cost of an item, service based industries just aren't going to get cheaper (or even stay at the same price) if you want the same level of service (unless we can manage to build robots to do the work of humans)

 

[Paddy55]

My tip is QF in 10-15 years will only operate major A380 routes with some dom services (i.e. Golden Triangle). The rest will go to the orange cancer JQ

A lot of QF staffers also believe this with recent events such as basing crew out of SIN. I know it's not the most reliable source, but PPrUNE has some eye opening stuff about what's to come with QF.

Joyce/Clifford are downsizing QF due to a clear anti-union agenda.

(Flame suit on)

+1

It seems Mr Joyce has a single card up his sleeve... and it is not always the one best played...

Paddy

 

[JohnK]

I like this quote from the SMH article as it sums up my recent flying experiences with QF.

Flights running late with little explanation, flight attendants with low morale, sour faces at check-in desks and poor IT systems have left a bad taste.

I have been saying for a long time that Jetstar is hurting Qantas. Sure they may be helping the bottom line slightly but they are hurting the Qantas brand image. At this rate in a few years Qantas will be just another airline and not the airline I was proud to fly for many years as they had good customer focus and service.

I am certain that Jetstar does not have the same focus or service.