This doesn't surprise me - Qantas kick off The Veronicas

[MEL_Traveller]

Vertrade... half of what you list describes pretty much any of us! We all like free tickets, preferential treatment, lounge memberships and the like. And very few of us do anything without getting paid. It’s called ‘work’.

 

[DC3]

Where celebrities are concerned, "loyalty / ambassadorship" is almost exclusively a quid pro quo situation. Celebrities live and breathe free anything - tickets or discounts or preferential treatment, free publicity, lounge memberships, invites to miscellaneous open nights / AO tennis, grand finals, sponsorships, yada, yada, yada. It is ingrained in their psyche by their managers (and fellow celebrities, no doubt) to expect some form of payola for anything they do. Even being photographed in a particular designer's clothes warrants a free top-up of one's wardrobe. It's a bit rich for these 2 girl-children to characterise their relationship with QF as one of, ostensibly, one of benevolence on their part towards the airline.

Yes. I don’t feel that they are quite in that class.

 

[drron]

Seems it is quite the fashion for C grade celebs to bash airlines.

Celebrity Claims American Airlines Forced Her To Undress In Front Of Cabin

A celebrity is claiming that an American Airlines flight attendant forced her to undress in front of the cabin due to the shirt she was wearing.

onemileatatime.com

 

[vandy]

I'm 50/50 on whether they should have been evicted, seems like a bit of a waste of AFP resources and unfair to delay all the other passengers waiting for that to happen. Cabin Crew should have better training on how to de-escalate situations and resolve them without resorting to calling the police and turning a minor disagreement about overhead bag placement into a full blown incident.

But if the ladies were being overly disruptive and refusing to sit down or physically stopping the crew from doing their work, then I'd agree it was warranted to call the police in.

Qantas then apparently put them on the next flight, so seems it was a personality issue between the girls and a particular crew member on that flight.

In one of the news reports, the sisters apparently claimed that Qantas is refusing to talk to them directly about the incident and won't let them make an official complaint.

 

[Quickstatus]

In one of the news reports, the sisters apparently claimed that Qantas is refusing to talk to them directly about the incident and won't let them make an official complaint.

I dare say the truth is somewhat different. A complaint is a complaint. How official does it need to be. And maybe they want to talk to a live person like a higher up than what the usual channel provides. They should just go away

 

[DC3]

I'm 50/50 on whether they should have been evicted ...

Especially as they believe that they are Ambassadors for QF.

 

[RSD]

I'm 50/50 on whether they should have been evicted, seems like a bit of a waste of AFP resources and unfair to delay all the other passengers waiting for that to happen. Cabin Crew should have better training on how to de-escalate situations and resolve them without resorting to calling the police and turning a minor disagreement about overhead bag placement into a full blown incident.

But if the ladies were being overly disruptive and refusing to sit down or physically stopping the crew from doing their work, then I'd agree it was warranted to call the police in.

The bag problem had been resolved to everyone's satisfaction but then the girls sstarted it up again by asking the second crew member about the first crew members actions and then started filming it and then refused to stop filming when firstly asked to by another passenger and then by the crew - hence why they were evicted. Even though I was one of those passengers delayed I don't think that evicting them was unreasonable in the circumstances. If the girls hadn't of started it all back up again then I doubt that anyone would have even remembered the issue by the time we got to Brisbane - really it was a non-event up until the girls brought the second flight attendant into it and then started filming etc. Unortunately judging by the way that they are carrying on in the media it seems like they haven't figured out that yet.

As for them being put on the next flight I would imagine that SYD - BRI flights are probably every two hours or so on a Sunday - enough time for the AFP to read them the riot act and make sure that they understand that they need to shut up and behave on that next flight.

 

[DC3]

The bag problem had been resolved to everyone's satisfaction but then the girls sstarted it up again …. If the girls hadn't of started it all back up again then I doubt that anyone would have even remembered the issue by the time we got to Brisbane - really it was a non-event up until the girls brought the second flight attendant into it and then started filming etc. Unortunately judging by the way that they are carrying on in the media it seems like they haven't figured out that yet ….

Thank you for the first-hand report.

 

[vetrade]

Vertrade... half of what you list describes pretty much any of us! We all like free tickets, preferential treatment, lounge memberships and the like. And very few of us do anything without getting paid. It’s called ‘work’.

It's no big deal, but I don't agree with that actually. Agreed, most of us appreciate receiving something for free but very few actually have the expectation of it for doing nothing associated with their line of work, as so many celebrities do. If and when the Veronicas actually sing for their freebies, I'll call it work, otherwise I'll stick to my opinion that it's all just indicative of a grandiose sense of entitlement and misplaced sense of importance.

 

[vandy]

The bag problem had been resolved to everyone's satisfaction but then the girls sstarted it up again by asking the second crew member about the first crew members actions and then started filming it and then refused to stop filming when firstly asked to by another passenger and then by the crew - hence why they were evicted. Even though I was one of those passengers delayed I don't think that evicting them was unreasonable in the circumstances.

I agree, but the cabin crew should also be trained to calm the situation and resolve it, rather than let it escalate.

It sounds like they wanted to complain to the CSM about the other flight attendant, and somehow that escalated out of control. I've seen it on flights before, people get annoyed at what they perceive to be poor service and will ask to speak to the manager. CSM then comes and calms them down by deflecting with something like "Jane tells me there's been an issue, I'm really sorry for any inconvenience back there. Is there anything else we can do to help - can I get you a drink perhaps?". Most people instantly change from angry to happy at that point and forget about the issue.

That's usually in the air though, when offloading isn't really an option, so I supposed they can respond differently on the ground.

At least it didn't end up like the United incident where the Doctor was forcibly dragged off the flight after refusing to give up his seat.

 

[juddles]

I agree, but the cabin crew should also be trained to calm the situation and resolve it, rather than let it escalate.
.....

And they are trained.....

But no matter what training, you cannot calm every situation. I actually think cabin staff do an amazing job of keeping things on track. This is why this incident is newsworthy - because despite travel being a thing that makes people cranky, it is still so very rare for such an incident to occur. There will always be some pax that just cannot be persuaded.

 

[DC3]

… At least it didn't end up like the United incident where the Doctor was forcibly dragged off the flight after refusing to give up his seat.

Yes. We wouldn't want QF ambassadors forcibly dragged off the flight.

 

[RSD]

I agree, but the cabin crew should also be trained to calm the situation and resolve it, rather than let it escalate.

The girls restarted it after all was calm, and how could the crew de-escalate it when they refused to stop filming despite being asked to firstly by another pax and then by the crew? At that stage they had to either forcibly remove the camera or get the AFP to remove the passengers - the later decision was the far better option I think.

It sounds like they wanted to complain to the CSM about the other flight attendant, and somehow that escalated out of control.

I don't think that they asked for the CSM - but they were phoning their lawyer, their manager and anyone else that would listen - being a Sunday the Pope was probably too busy elsewhere. I think that the CSM started to come down the aisle of their own accord to see what was going on but figured it out before getting there and went to see the captain.

At least it didn't end up like the United incident where the Doctor was forcibly dragged off the flight after refusing to give up his seat.

No thankfully - they might have gotten carpet burns on their bot bots.

As you might have guessed by now I've got no sympathy for them - they wanted to keep the argument going and the CSM via the captain finished it with the help of the AFP.

 

[juddles]

The girls restarted it after all was calm, and how could the crew de-escalate it when they refused to stop filming despite being asked to firstly by another pax and then by the crew? At that stage they had to either forcibly remove the camera or get the AFP to remove the passengers - the later decision was the far better option I think.


I don't think that they asked for the CSM - but they were phoning their lawyer, their manager and anyone else that would listen - being a Sunday the Pope was probably too busy elsewhere. I think that the CSM started to come down the aisle of their own accord to see what was going on but figured it out before getting there and went to see the captain.


No thankfully - they might have gotten carpet burns on their bot bots.

As you might have guessed by now I've got no sympathy for them - they wanted to keep the argument going and the CSM via the captain finished it with the help of the AFP.

RSD, as others have already done, I thank you for taking the time to post first-hand knowledge. I know it is hard to "keep up the fight" for reality sometimes in this forum - as there are many with personal opinions who will not hear first-hand accounts. Which is very tiring. But it is invaluable that people like you do so anyway. It is exactly your sort of contribution that makes AFF so good

 

[SOPOOR]

im more shocked that we actually have someone on that flight and in that section on this forum,

there must be only about 20 people who saw and heard everything

what are the odds that one of those 20 are on here and willing to talk about it !!

 

[juddles]

im more shocked that we actually have someone on that flight and in that section on this forum,

there must be only about 20 people who saw and heard everything

what are the odds that one of those 20 are on here and willing to talk about it !!

Actually, quite high. Especially when something makes the news. In some cases I recall it has brought out some of the myriad who watch but don't post.

AFF membership is quite large - and obviously has a high proportion of frequent travellers. We have had members on many of the most significant aviation events for years.

 

[vandy]

I think it's quite common now in the era of smartphones and social media. There were a few other passengers on the same flight who sold video footage or stories to various media outlets. The stories all vary quite a bit though and contradict each other, so I imagine most of those people weren't actually close enough to hear or know what was actually happening.

If you're lucky a journalist might have found this thread and PM you with an offer!

 

[RSD]

Actually, quite high. Especially when something makes the news. In some cases I recall it has brought out some of the myriad who watch but don't post.

AFF membership is quite large - and obviously has a high proportion of frequent travellers. We have had members on many of the most significant aviation events for years.

Wasn't planning on being on that flight, but my delayed inbound flight meant that I missed my booked connection. Frankly I could have done without the circus as I'm not the sort of person that is really interested in celebrities or UFC etc - I once bumped into Mick Jagger and David Bowie and had no idea who they were (much to everyone else's amusement).

 

[RSD]

I think it's quite common now in the era of smartphones and social media. There were a few other passengers on the same flight who sold video footage or stories to various media outlets. The stories all vary quite a bit though and contradict each other, so I imagine most of those people weren't actually close enough to hear or know what was actually happening.

Haven't seen many other footage or stories - didn't know that it had become a big hu-ha until yesterday - must have been a dull week for news.

If you're lucky a journalist might have found this thread and PM you with an offer!

Only if they are dumb enough to have not yet figured out that frankly the whole thing deserved no more than five lines on page 18 - two nobodies act up on a plane and got evicted.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It's no big deal, but I don't agree with that actually. Agreed, most of us appreciate receiving something for free but very few actually have the expectation of it for doing nothing associated with their line of work, as so many celebrities do. If and when the Veronicas actually sing for their freebies, I'll call it work, otherwise I'll stick to my opinion that it's all just indicative of a grandiose sense of entitlement and misplaced sense of importance.

How many celebrities are you friends with to know this is true?