Union to make airline red

[littl_flier]

THE Australian Services Union has begun screening TV ads on what it says is a downgrading of service standards at the airline, which it hopes will be beamed straight into Qantas lounges across the country.

"We thought we'd ratchet it up a bit," said the union's assistant national secretary, Linda White, of her union's fortnight-old campaign against the airline's cutting of check-in staff numbers and minimum wage standards.

Ms White said the advertisements running on SkyNews were aimed at Qantas's most loyal customers. They were timed to air in the evening when the Qantas Club lounges are full of peak-hour travellers.

Wait, look at this, Qantas union tells passengers - Business - Business

 

[simongr]

Hmm - interesting strategy. Adverts highlighting the deficiencies in service. I assume the objective is to flag to travellers that things have gotten worse, they will then move to DJ and then as a raection to falling profit QF will put on more staff - because during times of low profits companies always increase staff numbers...

Or maybe it is to pursuade pax not to abuse the staff for poor service and that it is really just the airline's fault...

 

[JohnK]

Increase in airfares, increase in fuel surcharges, increase in credit card surcharges, reduced levels of service, reduction in check-in staff etc etc.

It may not well be the right way to go about protesting but at least someone is doing something. What are we doing about it? Absolutely nothing.....

 

[Platy]

What are we doing about it? Absolutely nothing.....

Actually, I think we should. I certainly am. Unless frequent travellers let QF know we have noticed the reduction in service, increase in price gouging and increase in fares, and that we are fed up with it, they will get away with it and continue the slippery slide down the value chain with the main brand QF product more and more approaching the LCC paradigm. Well, fellow travellers, I'm tired of QF taking me for a fool in the belief that I won't notice, or care.

I ensure my feedback (good and bad) goes to an appropriately high level of the organisation and by pass the customer service underlings.

In essence IR issues should be between QF management and staff to resolve in house. However, I take an interest if I think that the process/outcome might affect 1) my safety and/or 2) the levels of service I experience as a customer/passenger.

Incidentally, one of my pieces of feedback to QF senior management is that as a customer I personally find it most unedifying for the CEO etc to run down their staff publicly. I personally find that dropping check-in staff pay $34k to $31k on the basis of slight differences in duties with the onset of bag drop offs and more online check in booths when CEO gets multi million bonuses to be offensive. I realise that some may disagree, but I have seen values based organisations work well - putting a little value on human capital (especially in what is basically a customer service based enterprise) can go a long, long way. It is of no surprise to me that the staff would fight back given the political milieu of that airline's IR ethos. I would expect them to fdo the same thing if safety was an issue.

As a customer I note recent reports on this blog of inadequately staffed check in at Brisbane and people even missing flights because of it - again passengers being screwed by declining service, whilst staff get shafted and exectives enjoy their fat cat bonuses.

Indeed I now have a mental note not to travel through BNE domestic with check in luggage in case I have to queue for ages and/or miss my flight - what a ridiculous thing for a customer to have to consider, let alone a WP customer!!!

Welcome to the insanity of the modern aviation business courtesy of your local "full service" airline.

C'mon QF lovers defend the indefensible - I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable profit driven reason for it, sufficient for us customers to genuflect in awe and for the lowly worker drones to scurry back into their hive in grovelling serfdom!!!

 

[aus_flyer]

I ensure my feedback (good and bad) goes to an appropriately high level of the organisation and by pass the customer service underlings.

Would you mind sharing how you do this (effectively)?

If you're not prepared to disclose on the forum, would you mind sending me a PM?

 

[NM]

Increase in airfares, increase in fuel surcharges, increase in credit card surcharges, reduced levels of service, reduction in check-in staff etc etc.

Perhaps its a bit of a 2-way street here. Qantas gouging with fare and charge increases, and us gauging by finding ways to get more SCs/points for less and less spend

I see there are a few issues at play:

• Passengers are seeking and demanding lower and lower fares, so that is what QF is giving us (artificially by then adding the +++) - Yes, we need to accept some of the blame.
• They have 100+ aircraft on order that will need to be paid for soon
• The laws under which QF operates allow them to follow this course of action

as for the union action, it really seems to me to be a very dangerous move. The staff rely on airline and hence the customers for the jobs. Seems like a very high-risk option to me.

 

[Platy]

gauging by finding ways to get more SCs/points for less and less spend ...Passengers are seeking and demanding lower and lower fares, so that is what QF is giving us (artificially by then adding the +++) - Yes, we need to accept some of the blame....They have 100+ aircraft on order that will need to be paid for soon...The laws under which QF operates allow them to follow this course of action

I am sure you are right on all counts. However, QF are in danger of confusing their brands (QF and Deathstar), they do make a very respectable profit so are hardly in trouble (except by creating an ever greater expectation in shareholders) and are in a good position in terms of debt levels so aircraft purchasing should not be a problem.

Yes, they will do what they can to maximise profit within the law (or at its edge when advertising fares is concerned) and subject to outcomes on investigations of price collusion.

 

[simongr]

Are in a good position in terms of debt levels so aircraft purchasing should not be a problem.

The issue is probably more about scheduling deliveries than cash - with the current high yield factors they can live with a few unhappy pax as it might even take pressure off them if numbers decline. Once the additional capacity hits the airways then QF might be chasing us a bit more.

Personally as a premium int'l pax I am sort of happy with QF - the flow through from cab to aircraft is good - my major concern is the variety of onboard service.