What's right with Qantas?

[Smanfer71]

After reading a lot of not very happy threads about Qantas, I am now getting a bit apprehensive of our trip with QF in Y in April, so I wonder if it is possibly time to redress the balance (to put my mind at rest!) and to share positive stories relating to this airline, please?

I chose QF because it had the best timings, and the price was very competitive - it wasn't the cheapest, but with long layovers with other airlines, and a toddler travelling with us, QF seemed to fit the bill.

The last time I flew longhaul was with Air New Zealand, and they seemed fine enough (although they didn't have seat back TVs, snack packs and handouts for the kids).

I'm flying 747 on the way out and then A380 on the way home.

So, let's have your good stories and make me feel a bit better!

 

[N860CR]

I think the reason perhaps why QF often comes up in a bad light here is because many of us fly with them so often.

I'm on a QF plane at least twice a week so chances are things will go wrong from time to time (that said the occurances are probably too frequent... however lets not get into that!).

When people ask why I fly Qantas I usually give them a blunt answer. They're consistantly average. They're definatley not the best around, however they're also not the worst and I've found that at least they generally offer a reliable, "nothing to write home about" service. On a simple trip like yours the chances of them stuffing something up are also reduced.

With airlines like (from my experience anyway) Emirates and Singapore you generally get either an excellent experience, or a fairly poor one. With Qantas, the excellent ones are few and far between - however so are the really bad ones.

Don't stress too much, I'm sure you'll have a perfectly pleasant journey.

 

[thewinchester]

+1 for those comments. I've found in the last five years of flying QF, I've completed nearly 40-odd segments and never had anything go drastically wrong.

I know if something goes wrong, they'll do their best to do as right by pax as they can. On all bar one occasion, their reservations staff have been personable, friendly and ready to help - and the one time one stepped off the reservation it was sorted.

As for FA's, most of them are great. Like all airlines you're likely to get one or two every few flights staffed by crew with a stick up their butt or think they work in (or have been left at) a day care centre and treat pax as such. As long as you get their names and fill in the complaint form, they're normally sorted out... 30 days after you complaint is filed of course due to how long they take to make sure they give at least a half decent response.

In terms of why I stick with QF, I look at all the other options out there particularly for domestic travel and don't feel like paying the dignity penalty. I'd rather die than fly TT, and having done a few DJ segments there's no real price advantage using them - plus I just don't feel 'at home' with them.

I also have built up a relationship with QF progressively since my teenage years, and as the years roll on, I increase spend, fly with them more, and of course retain my QP membership, I feel like I receive some level of respect for my continued patronage.

I would consider flying other carriers like EK, SG or selected *A carriers, but that would only be if where I want to go isn't serviced by an OW carrier. Plus keeping my travel 'in the family' can translate to a continued level of respect, and eventual lifetime status in due time.

The main thing is that QF service is generally consistent, you don't generally have problems, and things work for the most part. When they don't, they do what they can to get things back to normal as fast as they can and look after you in the meantime. I can't say that you'd be able to expect that from a LCC or new generation carriers every time.

 

[sampson]

My 12 year old is 5', weights 45kg, and felt crammed 'up the back'. Since then, we've flown with anyone else for cash rather than fly on qantas points.

 

[drron]

Some of us here have also been flying for a long time and can remember a time when QF service was up there with the best-hence we now are disappointed.
Add to that frustration with QFF and their many enhancements and this can explain some of our jaundiced views.
In general I agree with the majority.On QF you will get fair average quality.Unlikely to have a super wow experience unless you are a champagne quaffer in F.However you are also unlikely to have a disaster.many bad reports come about because people have inaccurate expectations.
Just enjoy your flight.Also remember the more pleasant you are to the staff the more likely they will be pleasant to you.

 

[harvyk]

Keep your requests reasonable and QF will usually deliver.

The B747 and the A380 are two of their flagship products, so even in Y you'll have AVOD, decent food, ammenity kits, and in the case of thye A380 the self serve bar (good for getting a drink and some food at 3am when stretching the legs)

Also you oftan get a skewed view if you look at feedback. People are far more likely to complain about a bad flight than give praise about a good flight. (Which for the record I have in the past sent QF praise about a flight, and about a FA who should be cloned. ) So keep that in mind when reading reviews.

 

[markis10]

Flying has become a commodity and QF treat it as such, there are much better airlines out there and much worse often with the same bad financial performance for their owners, QF seem to sit in the middle as far as treating customers go while making good profits by comparison.

I have had a lot of things go wrong when flying with QF, but that is the nature of the beast, it will happen if you fly often enough. As a regular traveller I allow for the possibility, making sure connections are on the same PNR, allowing time for a big trip to have a breather after the first flight in case it starts late so there is no flow on to other arrangements etc.

Over time QF have put me up for 8 nights in hotels owing to missed connections, I have had five flights cancelled for various reasons and I have had to go the next day (and was allowed to pick the flight that suited me). I have had two aircraft go U/S by human error ( assault with a cargo pallet/ assault with a baggage conveyor) and 7 delays in the last 5 years that exceeded 5 hours, along with one lost baggage incident.


I have never had a concern with the safety of the aircraft, never seen a close thing as far as a take off or landing is concerned and always got to where I was going eventually, thats a lot more than you can say for many other airlines. I think where QF do go wrong is with the little things, like not enough check in staff manning counters, and treatment of their true frequent flyers, CX could show them the way there, but overall they are a good airline if you take into account they are in the business of getting you to where you want to go.

I wont start about JQ, thats a different staory and personal experience all together.

 

[ric_melb]

I guess I have been flying with Qantas for some 40 years now, and overall have had above average experiences with the airline. Obviously as the world has changed, so has Qantas. Fares have often been reduced, and consequently some of the niceties have gone.

If you are travelling long haul in economy in a Qantas 747 or 380, then the seat room is much the same as in any carrier. If a 12 year old feels cramped on a Qantas plane then they will probably feel cramped on most airlines.

Things go right on most of my Qantas flights. Last year I did an economy return flight Melbourne-Perth. On the flight over I visited the Qantas Club for some refreshments and read the papers. I then flew on a 767 where I was lucky enough to score an empty seat beside me. Sevice was of International Economy standard. A reasonable meal, plenty to drink, including free alcohol, and good friendly service. On the way back I flew on a full 747. Apart from being crowded, it was the same good friendly service. Afterwards I thought to myself, how comfortable I felt with the whole Qantas experience.

 

[Travel Guru]

My 12 year old is 5', weights 45kg, and felt crammed 'up the back'. Since then, we've flown with anyone else for cash rather than fly on qantas points.

No offence, but it seems like your 12yo need a reality check.

TG

 

[notzac]

Agreed with posters above re. consistently average service. I've not had any serious "service failures" whilst on the ground or in the air - just nothing to really impress me either.

To the OP - you'll be fine

 

[Travel Guru]

Agreed with posters above re. consistently average service. I've not had any serious "service failures" whilst on the ground or in the air - just nothing to really impress me either.

To the OP - you'll be fine

I guess the reason we fly QF is the same reason people eat at McDonalds, consistency.

TG

 

[Oneworldplus2]

...QF service was up there with the best-hence we now are disappointed.
Add to that frustration with QFF and their many enhancements and this can explain some of our jaundiced views.
In general I agree with the majority.On QF you will get fair average quality

...There are much better airlines out there and much worse often with the same bad financial performance for their owners, QF seem to sit in the middle as far as treating customers go while making good profits by comparison.
I think where QF do go wrong is with the little things, like not enough check in staff manning counters, and treatment of their true frequent flyers, CX could show them the way there.

They're consistantly average. They're definatley not the best around, however they're also not the worst and I've found that at least they generally offer a reliable, "nothing to write home about" service. On a simple trip like yours the chances of them stuffing something up are also reduced.

As l said in a previous post, l think that the staff attitude is changing and good things are on the horizon. There were way to many Chiefs and not enough Indians. More troops on the ground (ie, @check in) wouldn't hurt.
If you miss a connection, QF will also try their best to get you to your final destination, which is great for the traveler. I haven't (touch wood) had a major disruption (apart from a few hour delay) yet, so, all in all, l think that they are a 5 out of 10.
The only issues l have with them, as others have said, they charge a premium price, for a average product. Do a search, say PER-LHR and QF will generally be in the top bracket of prices. If l can fly BA code share for $400 less, l will. Apart from that, not too shabby, l only wish that Ansett had been around to keep them on the ball.
The QFF system, l think, doesn't reward the top tier enough, ie, QF WP's. I mean, when flying that much, more perks are definitely needed. All you get really is "Double Points and J Lounge access" when flying Domestic, not good enough.

 

[drewbles]

No offence, but it seems like your 12yo need a reality check.

TG

Agreed. I was thinking the 12yo must be a bit of a 'prince/princess'.

I'm 6'4" and a big guy. I have done MEL/SYD-LHR many many times 'down the back' and find it uncomfortable. I'd much rather be up in Y+/J/F, but I cope just fine.

Why do I fly QF? I've done many hundreds of QF flights over the past few years, and as others said, they're 'consistently average'. You get the odd crew who shine and stand out, and others that are a little sub-par, but i've never had a truly awful crew.

When things go wrong, they will accommodate you. If you have missed connections (on the same ticket) things are pretty seamless and your new BP's are taken care of.

From what I can see, most the complaints about Qantas are from Americans who are used to being able to use the 'DYKWIA' or 'DYKWSIH' (Don't You Know What Status I Have?) cards which American Airline's bow down to. If you have Elite Status on USA based airlines, chances are you're going to have x free upgrades or be bumped up to 'first' more often. Other complaints i've noticed recently don't actually even relate to Qantas, but rather third parties who have booked tickets with QF on their behalf, and were told mis-information and ended up in a cabin below what they wanted to be in, when the higher cabin had empty seats. I mean none of this to be offensive to any of our American members/friends either. I'm merely stating that the airline industry in the USA is very very different to the airline industry in Australia.

Being Platinum with QF (their highest tier for the OP in case you were not aware) has its benefits for sure. Most my miles though in the past few years only kept me in Silver, one above the base. Even as Silver, QF tended to look after me if things went pear shaped.

You'll enjoy the QF flights i'm sure. The AVOD is better on the A380, but the movie selection on the 747 is good too.

Enjoy your trip

 

[medhead]

What is right with Qantas is that they are (appear to be) financially sound.

I think in general there is a basic conflict in who qantas is now, that creates these complaints. As others have noted they used to be an excellent airline with great service, perhaps that breeds a certain arrogance. There were also built on being the "Australian" flagship carrier.

Those days are gone and now flying is a commodity, and Qantas are cost cutting to remain in the game. But there is the conflict, because on the back of the glory days and the "arrogance" they will charge a bit more for an airfare. But the cost cutting will mean that you get a bit less.

Basically, if one doesn't realise that you're paying for a name as well as everything else, then one might get disappointed when the service/amenities don't match the price.

I probably haven't explained my thinking on this very well. Perhaps I'm saying that people complain as they aren't aware of the whole situation. Provided that you're willing to accept that qantas is not the flagship australian airline of yesteryear, but pay for that reputation, then you'll be fine.

 

[browski]

Gee, I guess depending on the particular week , it must occasionally be one of the top 5 Sydney Airlines.....

 

[Alanslegal]

After reading a lot of not very happy threads about Qantas, I am now getting a bit apprehensive of our trip with QF in Y in April, so I wonder if it is possibly time to redress the balance (to put my mind at rest!) and to share positive stories relating to this airline, please?

I have flown a whole range of carriers (17 different ones at last count) over the past 3 years and a bulk of those were (unfortunately for me) in economy. Of those long haul flights I've taken, I would class the service in economy class on Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines to be on a higher level than their foes of American Airlines and British Airways. (My same opinion is replicated for their respective premium cabins as well). I would also rate the service from JQi economy better than AA or BA economy. However at the end of the day, QF should provide a pretty good and consistent service. (I should qualify this when saying pretty good service is because when flying in economy and on any airline, there really isn't a way to service 300 passengers properly with 10 crew members to a very good service level). I have also flown EK which services AUS-EUR (and could have been a potential carrier for the OP) and although the flight I was on, was only short SYD-AKL-SYD, I found that their service was quite good as well, including the food, which is standard economy meals, were quite edible.

In terms of non-service issues such as delays, mechanical faults etc , these issues can and do occur to all airlines from time to time but they seem to be not as widely reported (in the media) as they do when it comes to QF, maybe QF is just an easy target at this moment in time.

In terms of a very good service example on Qantas; in Dec 2007 I flew SYD-SIN with my sister and her two children (3yrs and 1yr) at the time, the 3yr developed an allergy, whether caused by on-board food or what not, but she was extremely distressed, started rashing all over causing alot of itching - and I think caused alot of panic to my niece. The crew including the CSM realised, and took her to the back where we placed cold towels all over her body to releive some of the itch, checked her breathing, gave her oxygen and did all the could to reduce the discomfort etc. At this time, they realised she accidentally wet herself, and her seat was wet, and as best they could placed multiple blankets over the affected seat. I guess the crew had a duty to ensure the safety of their passengers and allergic reactions to children can be quite a serious issue esp. up high in the sky. All in all, my niece's discomfort was reduced and with the help of the crew, made that flight much more better than the heightened stress that we encountered.

 

[harvyk]

Basically, if one doesn't realise that you're paying for a name as well as everything else, then one might get disappointed when the service/amenities don't match the price.

I think that they are good value, compared to the price of yesteryear. Most of the reduction of services have come from the higher classes (eg dropping F on most routes) that said, they have introduced things such as skybeds for J. They have introduced AVOD systems across most of their long haul fleet for all classes (the 767 fleet is the exception). They still provide free drinks, plus refreshments or a meal (or two) on most if not all flights (flown with AA or BA lately, in Y your lucky if you get a can of coke on AA, and thats for a 5 hour flight), and there is still free booze on most services. (inc really short hops such as SYD - CBR). And whilst they don't have the "fun" aspect like other carriers do (DJ I'm looking at you) their FA's are still more oftan than not happy, and will still happily get pax additional drinks, pillows, blankets and other things if they are available on the flight.

Considering that they are now competiting with LCC's who are offering very cheap up front prices (but you then pay for things on board, and not every pax realises this), and the pax who have paid for a discount economy but expect and demand in no uncertain terms first class treatment, and yet are still managing to keep the company afloat in a time when most airlines around the world are in very real danger of folding (JAL just to name one) or have folded.

So whats right with QF? Well at this rate they will probably still be around this time next year, offering the same or better level of service, improving the services which they already have (I do believe the plan is to fit AVOD onto even more planes) and still dodging the bullets which the media is more than happy to fire at them.

Just as a final note. In the last couple of years I've been on over a 100 QF flights. I can think of 2 flights which have been below par - A MEL - CBR flight, because of a grumpy FA + CSM and a PER - SYD because of an a***hole pax (hardly QF's fault). So I figure at this rate there is a 2% chance I'll have a bad flight. (Unlike with AA where so far my hit rate has been 100% chance of bad flight), and yet I can think of at least 10 excellent flights, including one that was so good I sent QF praise - SYD to SFO (x2 - second one I had the most attentive FA ever, it was praiseworthy), BNE - ADL, MEL - AKL (x3), AKL - MEL (x2), SYD - PER (x2). So I figure I have a 10% chance of getting on a really good QF flight.

 

[dajop]

II would class the service in economy class on Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines to be on a higher level than their foes of American Airlines and British Airways.

I'd agree with this. In fact in my experience I'd rate QF alongside a range of airlines including Air NZ, Cathay, Singapore, Emirates, JAL and probably include Thai & Malaysian.

I think those who have been flying QF for a while notice the incremental cost cutting, but if you haven't it will not be obvious. And some of us don't like the "Jetstar-isation" of some of QF (routes), but if you are on QF metal - it's all good.

A small thing, but a big plus based on recent flights is a good range of funny non-US comedy available in IFE! SQ pretty much does an extensive set of US sitcoms (which I generally detest) and very sparse non-US offerings.

 

[thewinchester]

Also you often get a skewed view if you look at feedback. People are far more likely to complain about a bad flight than give praise about a good flight. (Which for the record I have in the past sent QF praise about a flight, and about a FA who should be cloned. ) So keep that in mind when reading reviews.

Yes, couldn't agree more about providing positive feedback. I feel that by providing positive feedback, it creates things which companies and employees can aspire to, creating a positive interaction - rather than a negative 'something went wrong' complaint where something needs to be fixed.

And remember the eXcel awards for QF staff. I make a point of frequently acknowledging great and exceptional customer service I receive from their staff, and you should too if you don't already. Better to have motivated employees striving to deliver their best, as it helps in weeding out FA's and other staff who don't serve the company, and importantly their customers to the best of their ability.

 

[drewbles]

Yes, couldn't agree more about providing positive feedback. I feel that by providing positive feedback, it creates things which companies and employees can aspire to, creating a positive interaction - rather than a negative 'something went wrong' complaint where something needs to be fixed.

And remember the eXcel awards for QF staff. I make a point of frequently acknowledging great and exceptional customer service I receive from their staff, and you should too if you don't already. Better to have motivated employees striving to deliver their best, as it helps in weeding out FA's and other staff who don't serve the company, and importantly their customers to the best of their ability.

Agree totally as well. I've used the eXcel program referral many times, and each time QF have taken the time to reply with a non-form letter thanking me for the feedback. Kudos where Kudos is due I always say. Same with complaints. If something is *genuinely* bad, then it should be bought to the attention of management. If it's just something minor, I'm not going to complain i'll just take it as a speedbump on the highway of airtravel