Has Qantas Gone Downhill?

Loliveju on 26/05/2022 - 18:00

After my trip from hell, I'm close to putting Qantas at the same tier as Jetstar. Delays, seat changes, missing bags, miserable workers, etc. My mates have all experienced something similiar. I've flown enough to know that stuff happens, but this has just been happening EVERY. SINGLE. TIME post COVID.

I churn. I find good deals when I can. But I almost feel like it's not worth it to fly on the points when my flight is delayed so bad I have to stay somewhere overnight and end up paying the cost anyways.

Has anyone else experienced the same degree of bullshittery from Qantas recently?

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Comments

        • ddhar on 31/05/2022 - 08:58

          A cursory search for same route with Virgin yielded slightly cheaper flights (90k VFF plus $225) 18-26Nov. Of course, no Business Award availability. Someone probably cancelled their business ticket on your return flight and so there was availability to upgrade.

          • Benno007 on 04/06/2022 - 09:56

            @ddhar: There were a number of available business was seats and economy only had like 20 people, lucky not many people travelling!

    • txb on 28/05/2022 - 07:04
      +1

      What is your status level in qff? Advanced reward seat redemptions open to higher tier members something like 100 days earlier than bronze.

      • ddhar on 31/05/2022 - 09:06

        "Advanced reward seat redemptions open to higher tier members something like 100 days earlier than bronze"

        Does it mean everyone stands the same chance for flight search 10-12 months in advance? Or are there actually premium award seats reserved only for high status holders?

        • txb on 31/05/2022 - 11:22

          Yes, if any are left. Afaik they aren't reserved

    • blonky on 28/05/2022 - 09:58

      I think what most people don’t realise is flights booked with points have the best flexibility when it comes to changes and cancellations. You can’t really compare the non-refundable sale fares booked well in advance with a point booking with full refund entitlements

      I had flights booked this week on Q and I cancelled with less than 6 hours until departure with no penalty. The sale fare would’ve been $150 but flexible was $308, and even then there’s still a $99 cancellation fee on that

      Sure, sale fares are fine for some but just make sure you’re actually comparing apples with apples

  • davide14 on 27/05/2022 - 15:43
    +2

    Qantas is nothing more than Jetstar +. They treat their own staff so badly and that directly translates into the less than expected customer service. I went to book in Asia and they were more expensive than Singapore Airlines, had longer stop over times, and half of the legs were flown by Jetstar. It's beyond a joke and I've just given up on them entirely.

  • Vote for Pedro on 27/05/2022 - 20:40
    +6

    Ah yes, Alan Joyce who happily took about $2billion in Government handouts and stupidly Morrison didn’t seek an equity stake. Meanwhile, dob in a dole bludger and robodebt were fine. Tells you who’s side the Libs are on.

    • MrThing on 28/05/2022 - 06:24

      Well not anymore, maybe those liberal people out of a job can apply for a subbie job as a baggage handler now

  • ddhar on 27/05/2022 - 21:11

    Well…well…it doesn't get any better…

    https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/qantas-to-raise-fare…

    • rektrading on 27/05/2022 - 22:25

      Imagine oil going to $147.

  • 91rs on 27/05/2022 - 21:39
    +1

    I think post covid all airlines have gone down hill or have not ramped up to normal or previous capacity with fleet and staff to manage as easily as they expected.
    Then throw in cost cutting which every business everywhere seems to be doing and you're likely to experience poorer service a lot of places you go.

    I've had some domestic QF flights recently and everything was fine, I've had a few international SQ and other airline flights (as QF were not flying to the places they pre-covid were at the time) and they were also sub-par compared to pre-covid, delays, staffing issues, catering issues and more delays etc.
    QF on many APAC routes prior to covid had been hit and miss for a while, I was very much a regular being platinum for the last decade, I try appreciate the majority of flights where things go right and the stars align and not lose too much sleep on the ones that don't.
    In the last 10 years and hundreds of mostly QF flights I'd have only been significantly delayed (6+hrs) under a dozen times, that's not a bad run, a couple of those were volcano and sand storm related.

    Most flights I'd prefer the plane be delayed and make it safely to where I'm going rather than being on time but something else has been rushed or compromised which could be a more terminal issue.

    I do agree with most comments about Mr Joyce though.

  • rektrading on 27/05/2022 - 22:21

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-26/qantas-to…
    Qantas to Raise Fares and Cut Flights Due to High Fuel Prices
    Cutting flights means Qantas can fill more of the seats on its remaining services
    By Angus Whitley May 26, 2022, 1:08 PM GMT+10

    Qantas Airways Ltd. is pushing up fares and making deeper cuts to scheduled flights in Australia to offset months of higher fuel costs.

  • Cabbage_enforcer on 28/05/2022 - 00:02
    +3

    I flew Qantas recently LAX to Sydney with no in flight entertainment. Was a tortured night flight for non-sleepers such as myself,made worse by being scolded by the flight attendent for drinking a can of alcoholic soda I had in my carry on that I bought at the airport, and subsequently having the can confiscated and made to feel like I'd committed some sort of violent crime.

    I would have much rathered they'd cancel and rescheduled the flight rather than stare at the back of a seat for 14 hours. Still waiting for a response from my written complaint after 2 and a half months but not holding my breathe.

    Having said that, as crap as Qantas has become (surly flight attendants, tasteless and tiny portions of food in economy,so many wasted hours waiting on hold when trying to call them, ridiculous taxes and surcharges when using booking frequent flyer points) I have no doubt the US and European airlines would still be much, much worse.

    Better the devil you know I guess. I would choose Asian or Middle Eastern airlines any day of the week if their pricing and convenience was comparable.

  • BlueberryOrangeJuice on 28/05/2022 - 00:15
    +3

    Qantas is always on the bottom of my full flight list. Singapore airlines or emirates are gonna get my money long before the flying kangaroo. Maybe if more people did the same they might actually make a difference

  • pogichinoy on 28/05/2022 - 02:12

    Sydney to London route is the only decent Qantas route. All other are trash.

    • 88mph on 28/05/2022 - 12:03
      +2

      I do LHR and Asia quite a bit, mostly Economy, rarely Business - tried the kangaroo route once with them, never again as it was nowhere the Japan Airlines or Emirates experience.

      • pogichinoy on 29/05/2022 - 00:52
        +1

        I’ve done premium economy and business to LHR and it’s been better but of course, most people fly economy.

        British Airways is better than Qantas on this same route.

        • cashless on 29/05/2022 - 18:09

          Seriously, never ever fly BA.
          Qantas are bad, but if you want to see some really bad service, go BA

  • ass3ts on 28/05/2022 - 04:01
    +2

    Always felt like they had low standards in selecting flight attendants even before COVID.

  • MrThing on 28/05/2022 - 06:22
    +1

    Qantas is a low tier airline charging top tier prices.

    Fly virgin 2.0 or rex for domestic

    Fly Singapore, Emirates, Qatar, JAL or Cathay for international

    All listed above are better and also cheaper

    • 88mph on 28/05/2022 - 12:07
      +1

      Second that, with the exception of SQ. Flew with them on 4 sectors in Dec/Jan, no where near the standards 5 years ago. Food portions half the size, no entrée, hard seats even on the latest A350s.

      Agree, JAL and EK are my first thoughts for international, got a EK LHR coming up in July, looking forward to it… Would have booked JAL had it not been for the 12+ transit on the return leg, ouch…

  • snajper on 28/05/2022 - 07:34
    +3

    Like most companies post covid, they have lost a lot of good experienced staff and cannot find reasonable replacement.

    • CalmLemons on 28/05/2022 - 09:23
      +1

      This is on point. This will post will most likely get ignored though…

    • nickj on 28/05/2022 - 10:24
      +1

      And can you blame those staff? I remember right at the beginning of the pandemic, when Qantas "stood down" most of their permanent flight crew - and I'm like "what's this stood down thing? Surely, as permanent employees, you either have retrench them or give them work?" But no, Qantas had found another way, where permanent employees didn't have work, didn't have a severance, and were still tied to Qantas - and Qantas did it so quickly they clearly had a pre-existing plan to do it. I get why they did this from the perspective of Qantas, but I thought, I can't blame a single one of those people for not coming back, if they can get a more reliable job with lower exposure risk elsewhere - and obviously quite a few of them did.

    • MrThing on 28/05/2022 - 11:38
      +2

      What about australia post

      I thought they hired people during covid

      service is still shit

  • Kranbone on 28/05/2022 - 09:00
    +1

    I'm in a situation where I have a reasonable amount of Qantas points. I was saving them pre-Covid with the hope of someday having that dream trip with a loved one. I worry about the drop in service and all the penny pinching.

    I'm unsure what I should do as converting points to cash is near worthless as is using them for the Qantas store. I have about 600,000 points but I'm unsure what that buys me now (flight wise).

    • rektrading on 28/05/2022 - 09:14

      I have about 600,000 points

      The 600,000 points are being devalued every day by inflation. The longer you wait to spend them the less purchasing power they'll have.

    • ddhar on 28/05/2022 - 09:15

      You can redeem them for flights to Europe with Emirates or Qatar. They are top notch airlines with great airport hubs.

      I have a redemption flight for later this year which I booked this January. At that time (I don't know what has changed since), the tax for outbound travel is quite reasonable. It's the return trip tax that is eye-watering. Generally speaking, a business cabin will cost about 150k qff and first class 200k. Easy way to burn through your points in style.

      • wavesgreen on 29/05/2022 - 02:25

        Qatar … top notch airlines

        Unless you are a woman and want to be arbitrarily removed from a flight and subjected to invasive gynaecological exam. (profanity) Qatar, never flying with those (profanity) again.

      • pogichinoy on 29/05/2022 - 03:11

        I flew Qatar eco to Paris. It’s pretty shitty. Dunno how they swung airline of the year when Singapore airlines is tonnes better.

        Maybe it’s like how they swung winning to host the World Cup.

      • Kranbone on 29/05/2022 - 08:43

        If I use my points for a non qantas airline, do I get penalised or is it the same value?

        I'd like to avoid Qatar. I'm hoping to get the best bang for buck in the sense of a premium experience.

        • ddhar on 29/05/2022 - 09:34

          You can fly Emirates if avoiding Qatar. Points requirements seem similar (I have loads of QFF though so not fussed with minor differences).

          Emirates tax is way higher though. As example, for premium flights out of Istanbul to Sydney (was looking at this in February), Emirates charges ~750GBP but Qatar only ~500GBP. That's enough difference to consider instead a stopover in Doha, instead of Dubai. I ended up redeeming VFF on Etihad as it was far cheaper.

          May I know why you want to avoid Qatar Airway?

          • Kranbone on 29/05/2022 - 15:05

            @ddhar: I want to avoid Qatar for several reasons

            https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-25/passengers-invasively…
            https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-02/investigation-into-qa…
            https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-28/fifa-timeline-of-corr…

            You sound well travelled, if you have any more tips or feedback do let me know. I don't want to sound spiteful but I'd feel very uncomfortable about Qatar.

            • wavesgreen on 29/05/2022 - 15:20

              @Kranbone: Faq Qatar!

            • ddhar on 29/05/2022 - 19:39

              @Kranbone: I wasn't aware of the incident though this seems to be a one-off? The search was indeed poorly thought-out but on the other hand they had a murder case aboard their national carrier. I understand the airport officers involved in the debacle have been charged by Qatar.

              Sorry, I can't offer any tip or feedback. It's your choice whether to fly Qatar or not based on Australian-centric news. I can only say, based on my personal experience flying with Qatar Airways (pre-pandemic), I would fly with them again. As mentioned before, I highly rate their service and airport hub.

              • Kranbone on 30/05/2022 - 19:40
                +1

                @ddhar: I didn't neg you and while I want to judge on a case by case basis, the examples I posted really make me uncomfortable supporting the carrier and the country.

                I do appreciate the advice though and will consider other options. Thank you.

    • wavesgreen on 29/05/2022 - 02:30
      -1

      I converted all my points to WISH cards and closed my Frequent Flyer account after (profanity) Joyce compared WA to North Korea.

      Seeya boitch, always hated your airline anyway.

  • Drj55 on 28/05/2022 - 09:29
    +2

    God save your soul if you need to call their service desk. Only telstra can do worse.

    • nickj on 28/05/2022 - 11:18
      +3

      There's really 3 things that Qantas did that caused a huge amount of frustration in their customers :
      * closed the airport service desks. Previously if there was a cancelled flight, there were in-airport ninjas who could try to reroute you or get onto the next flight. With them gone, everything got pushed onto the phone or online.
      * did not fix technical issues/limitations with their Website / app / self service portal. Basically you should be able to do everything yourself online, and never need to call the service centre, but actually in the real world it's a long way short of that. People are not waiting hours in phone queues because they want to chat, they are doing so because there's something they need to do which they cannot do themselves. Let them do it themselves, and they won't need to call. There are long threads on frequent flyer forums about things that don't work (from simpler stuff, all the way up to booking/modifying a RTW reward ticket on many oneworld carriers).
      * did not ensure their call centres were staffed enough experienced trained staff to cope with the extra load of the above 2 things + cancelled flights due to covid + passengers who can't fly due to covid. Making people have to fight to get refunds that they're legally entitled to, and the faffing about with flight credits, only added to this workload.

      Most of the things above are within the control of Qantas, or could at least be predicted. At every opportunity they took the cheapest option that pushed cost out to the future, instead of doing the thing that does right by the customer & solves the problem. At a minimum they need to analyse every call and see if this is something they could have fixed faster and quicker (especially by fixing IT systems, and retaining in airport service desks).

      • Drj55 on 28/05/2022 - 13:20

        My issue is I had booked flights to Cairns months ago. Got an email out of the blue saying my flights had changed. An hour or so earlier each way so not too bad. Then I realised the flights where 6 hours long. You couldn't tell easily, but the flights were now going through Sydney or Brisbane. So looked at other options and saw jetstar had flights but there was no way I could see of swapping the flights to jetstar. Had to make the dreaded call to Qantas help desk. I knew it was going to be bad but I wasn't quite prepared for over 2 hours. The last 20 I really had to be somewhere but I'd invested so much time already I just had to push on. That was silver FF experience.

        • nickj on 31/05/2022 - 13:22
          +1

          Well, that's just woeful. They've changed the time, plus the routing from direct to indirect. In that situation they should to offer you a full refund, or to move to an available seat of your choice on that route (in the same class) on the same day or a week either side - at no cost to you, even if those tickets would cost more to buy (since once again, they're the ones making the change, and you had bought a valid ticket, and they would not hesitate to pile on the charges if you wanted to change route and flight time). And critically, both of those things should be quick and easy to do online. I mean, it's not rocket science - if you change the flight time and/or route, it might no longer work for the people who bought the original tickets - therefore they should automatically offer them their money back or to change to something else on that route. I shudder to think how many such phone calls could be avoided just by treating passengers reasonably and giving them these options.

  • Alderson on 28/05/2022 - 10:12

    Personally, I've had a consistently good experience with Qantas. I fly return cross-country a few times a year, and can't recall any real issues with delays.

    Seeing a few negative comments above about 'wokeness', but again I personally appreciate Qantas for their positive stance and goals on various social and environmental fronts.

    My one complaint, as noted above, is that trying to get through to them by phone can take hours!

  • SuperMid on 28/05/2022 - 11:53
    +2

    Ive found that in recent years, quite literally everything is quantity over quality, there is no such thing as doing the right thing, in any industry.

  • dwhes on 28/05/2022 - 12:13

    This was my recent experience with booking reward flights with Qantas https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-cancels-ti… the level of service was beyond atrocious. A truly horrible and stressful experience. And only something I’ve experienced post covid. Prior to covid I’d had nothing but good experiences with Qantas and their call agents.

  • lost in transit on 28/05/2022 - 13:10

    My last flight over to Dallas Fort Worth i had to put up with a shonky seat, It had been broken for awhile by the looks of it,ive had a double level fusion and they wouldn’t relocate me(no Idea if the plane was full they didn’t say) so did a lot of walking.
    I’ve always flown Qantas since 89 but I’ll avoid them in future if i can…

  • MrFrugalSpend on 28/05/2022 - 13:20
    -3

    Plenty of people here piling on Qantas and that's possibly somewhat deserved.
    However just spare a thought for a second for: (1) what COVID put them through; and (2) their importance to Australia.

    Airlines are notoriously difficult to keep afloat. Just look at Ansett etc and this list of hundreds of failed airlines in Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_airlines_of_Au…

    Joyce might come across as a prick but sometimes that's what's needed to save a struggling company which they were before he took over even pre-COVID.
    Perhaps it's time he moves on and lets someone build up more public confidence but don't avoid using Qantas. That's unAustralian.
    They need money to start coming back in so they can improve what is broken. It can't be all about paying people more and pleasing the unions if the viability isn't there vs the competition.

    The isolated nature of Australia and spareseness of it makes viable airlines vital for our economy and connectedness to each other and the world.
    We should support Qantas out of patriotism and in recognism of its importance to our economy.
    It's required to be at least 51% Australian owned as a public company and is a staple in many super funds, investment funds and other entities that play a key part in our economy.
    There wouldn't be a lot of good coverage left if we all abandoned QANTAS and it failed. It would be crazy to support foreign owned airlines and send all money off shore even though they just cherry pick the best routes and leave other parts of the country serviced only by Qantaslink etc (or other government subsidised carriers) unserviced.

    Pre-COVID QANTAS directly contributed $12.8bn a year and 55,312 FTE jobs to our economy - that's a lot of money staying in Australia circulating around:
    https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/eco…

    Sure Singapore Airlines or something might have better service - but that's only a small part of the picture. Ignore Joyce being an expensive dick and by all means complain about service in writing formally in the hopes they improve…. but buy Local - support our nation.

    I would say I don't work for Qantas, have no association with Qantas etc… but we all do by being Australian residents / taxpayers.

    • MrFrugalSpend on 28/05/2022 - 14:38

      https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58338262
      "The pandemic is likely to cost the firm A$20bn (£10.6bn) in lost revenue by the end of 2021"
      "the Australian airline announced an annual pre-tax loss of A$1.83bn."
      A business can't weather that and not go downhill - if their aim is to make cutbacks to minimise losses to stay afloat. It'd hit resourcing, morale, efficiency, all sort of things.
      Now they need to start taking steps to get back on track, but it will take time.

      • capslock on 28/05/2022 - 15:15

        Yet they still had several million dollars lying around to go and buy a majority stake in TripADeal this week.

        Everyone who has been ripped off by flight credits, had to wait months for refunds, and paid a premium to Qantas for services not provided, you now know that your money has gone not just to Alan's astronomical wages but made a couple of businessmen in Byron Bay very rich.

      • 88mph on 28/05/2022 - 18:17

        Whilst I beg to differ with your viewpoint, I think Seraphin7's comment on page 1 sums it up in a one liner.

        • MrFrugalSpend on 28/05/2022 - 21:20

          You don't agree with my viewpoint - what, all of them? not sure I understand what you beg to differ about, as I made a lot of points - I'll summarise so you can pick:

          1. They deserve Criticism (people here piling on Qantas and that's possibly somewhat deserved) / Singapore Airlines or something might have better service.
          2. Airlines are notoriously difficult to keep afloat.

          3. 3.a. Joyce might come across as a prick / Perhaps it's time he moves on and lets someone build up more public confidence.
            3.b. sometimes that's what's needed to save a struggling company / can't be all about paying people more and pleasing the unions.

          4. 4.a. We should support Qantas out of patriotism and in recognition of its importance to our economy / They need money to start coming back in so they can improve what is broken / they need to start taking steps to get back on track, but it will take time.
            4.b. Pre-COVID QANTAS directly contributed $12.8bn a year and 55,312 FTE jobs to our economy
            4.c. at least 51% Australian owned as a public company and is a staple in many super funds, investment funds and other entities.

          5. 5.a The isolated nature of Australia and sparseness of it makes viable airlines vital for our economy and connectedness to each other and the world / There wouldn't be a lot of good coverage left if we all abandoned QANTAS and it failed.
            5.b Crazy to support foreign owned airlines and send all money off shore even though they just cherry pick the best routes and leave other parts unserviced.
          6. Spare a thought for what COVID put them through / pandemic is likely to cost the firm A$20bn / annual pre-tax loss of A$1.83bn / A business can't weather that and not go downhill / It'd hit resourcing, morale, efficiency, all sort of things.

          As for the one liner - I don't consider it to be a premium carrier - I consider it to be a mere necessity. We need at least two large viable airlines in Australia for the sake of Australia's functionality. I remember how Qantas profiteered when Ansett collapsed They aren't exactly angels. However we need them to get back to profitability so they continue to exist as well as some viable competition. Virgin have been worse to me with messing around flights etc, rude staff, than Qantas / Jetstar. I'll still use them both.

  • Draco on 28/05/2022 - 15:21
    +1

    The last Qantas flight I had was terrible delayed massively terrible service sent them a complaint and they never responded that says it all really

  • sjsingh on 28/05/2022 - 17:06
    +2

    My friend is owed $9000 for cancelled tickets from 5 months, never able to get hold of anybody from call center. My father lost an iPad on board a flight from Melbourne to Sydney. Never getting it back. No way to talk to anybody for any kind of customer service. Only things that are working is when you have to pay Qantas.

    • ShoeyAU on 29/05/2022 - 19:03

      I can understand your friend's pain. I've also lost out (both $ and points) due to cancelled tickets, but I can see the $9K hurts a lot more :(

      Trying to get through to the call/email is like Groundhog Day.

    • wavesgreen on 29/05/2022 - 21:25
      +2

      One huge display of above-and-beyond customer service from a QANTAS rep was pre-pandemic when I had my checked baggage not arrive at Chicago O'Hare from a connecting flight on my way home to Australia. My flights were booked through Virgin Australia and none of the flights were partner airlines with QANTAS.

      Two weeks after returning to Australia my bag still had not shown up and VA had been unable to locate it, I began to start the process of an insurance claim with my travel insurance. On my third trip out to the airport to talk face-to-face with the VA baggage rep, I found the counter unattended but must've looked really lost because I was approached by a QANTAS rep asking if I needed help.

      Eventhough my flights had nothing to do with QANTAS this rep had a look at my baggage claim in the system, took my contact details and rang me the next day informing me she had located my bag (it was still sitting at O'Hare) and it was on the next flight to Australia. 24hrs later my bag was safely back in my possession, absolutely filthy but safe and sound.

      Astronomical service and yes this was pre-pandemic… hopefully that rep landed on her feet.

  • NocteRegem on 28/05/2022 - 19:46

    Just came back after 6 flights with Qantas in the last week. 4 were delayed, one was on time and one got cancelled all together until the next day stranding me overnight in another city (Qantas did pay for my accommodation and transfers though). The staff did genuinely seem to be trying but there just wasn't enough of them and it kept causing more delays as they tried to drag them to cover other flights.

  • FareEvader on 28/05/2022 - 22:09

    Yeah Qantas isn't as good as it used to be, but it's still not as bad as Jetstar.

  • Davo1111 on 28/05/2022 - 23:37

    im not sure about this. I reckon even if alan was paid 200k, people would still hate him

  • nikey2k27 on 29/05/2022 - 07:25

    CEO is from Aer Lingus cheap airline QANTAS has been shit airline for years I stop used them in 2012 age fleet and poor service. Mid east airline is where QANTAS should be. Where I can much nice full-service airline to use for oversea travel. I will used JetStar airline

  • grasstown on 29/05/2022 - 10:40

    One of my satisfactions after forced mandates and lockdowns, will be that the people who supported them will feel the pain more than those who didn’t.

    • Davo1111 on 30/05/2022 - 09:09

      Sense?

      • grasstown on 30/05/2022 - 09:25

        Those who supported forced mandates and lockdowns will have less flights and pay more. The rest won’t fly.

  • rektrading on 29/05/2022 - 11:06
    -3

    Gm frens,

    Breaking News

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10784505/qantas-sec…
    Furious Qantas staff lift the lid on what it's REALLY like working at the 'Spirit of Australia' as they're forced to sleep in CUBBY HOUSES while the boss cuts wages, sacks loyal staff and replaces them with cheaper foreigners - and he buys a $19m mansion
    By Sam McPhee For Daily Mail Australia
    00:15 BST 29 May 2022 , updated 00:39 BST 29 May 2022

    *Qantas employees feel 'disillusioned and hurt' by airline's change in culture
    *Iconic company has started moving its operations offshore to save money
    *It is trying to tear up current agreement which has angered stewards and unions
    *Flight staff being forced to sleep under sheets in cabins among passengers
    *Employees say the current conditions are unfair and unsafe to workers
    *Qantas was the biggest beneficiary of Covid payments from government

  • rfarlz on 29/05/2022 - 16:18
    +1

    I'm usually on about 100 flights a year, pre covid it was about 70% international, and now I'm back to flying in the Covid world it's mostly domestic. I must say that I haven't seen much of a drop in the product lately, except maybe that there are less A330s on the SYD/MEL runs from PER.

    IMO Qantas still compares extremely favourably to most full service carriers in the rest of the world, especially those in North America and Europe. I honestly wouldn't pick a domestic air carrier from any other country I've ever been to.

    From what I've seen a lot of the frustration lately is around delays with security screening (which isn't the airline's fault), and delays with call centres and service staff. I'm pretty lucky with expedited phone service with my status, but I can't remember last time I needed to speak to a Qantas employee on the phone or at the airport.

    • capslock on 29/05/2022 - 17:02
      +1

      For someone who flies on average every 3-4 days, you are extremely lucky that none of your flights have been cancelled, rescheduled or rerouted which required you to speak to a Qantas employee. Very lucky indeed.

      • rfarlz on 29/05/2022 - 23:37
        +1

        Maybe I have been lucky, but with my sample size of one Qantas' operation between PER, BNE, SYD and MEL has been pretty solid. On the days I'm flying I haven't noticed the departure boards plastered with cancellations either, certainly not the aviation apocalypse I've been hearing about.

        Maybe my flying is just low risk for any customer service issues, I usually book about a week from departure, I check in on the app and I seldom check a bag. I've had one cancellation in the last 12 months, and I was automatically re-booked onto an acceptable flight on the same day without any intervention from myself.

        I don't deny that the wait times for phone CS for the average punter are diabolical, airport services like security and baggage handling are seeing massive delays and staff shortages seem to be hurting the schedule, it just hasn't affected me at all. As a result I've got no desire to test if the grass is greener elsewhere, and from what colleagues are telling me, it's not.

        Having said at that I'll refuse to take a dom-int connection in SYD until Qantas reverse their diabolical decision to remove the airside connection bus.

  • caitsith01 on 29/05/2022 - 17:58
    +1

    Qantas has been absolute trash for at least 20 years. I'm constantly baffled by how anyone could prefer it to Virgin.

    • samfisher5986 on 01/06/2022 - 10:54
      -3

      I'm baffled how anyone thinks Virgin is any better then Jetstar, they offer an identical service.

  • ShoeyAU on 29/05/2022 - 18:46
    +2

    I lost 70,000 frequent flyer points with Qantas - as in, the points vanished into thin air. Booked a flight to Japan on points, subsequently upgraded to business, then Omicron hit and had to cancel/refund. The original points got refunded back, the upgrade refund (i.e. 70K QFF pts total for 2ppl) never showed up on my balance/activity. After spending around 5hrs on the phone through 9 calls, they concluded it was an "IT issue" that caused the points to not reflect on my QFF activity statement/balance.

    Subsequent calls/email either insists my balance is correct (which it is on their side, as we both agree the refund should include the +70K), its just not showing properly on the activity statement - which means its as good as gone; or I get a promise it is being escalated to the IT team and being looked into. It's been Jan to June and nothing has progressed.

    It is impossible to have a continuous thread of conversation with them. Either an email does not get replied to after the initial response, or, if it was on the phone, it is of course a different person each time who's understanding of the issue is zero (even with notes/logs) and I have to re-explain from the beginning, after hrs on hold. It's like being stuck on those time-loop movie plots.

  • dogzilla on 29/05/2022 - 18:58

    Yep have to agree, service has gone down the tubes with Qantas in the last 12 months. Food is terrible, prices are high on cheap routes. I've got platinum and to be honest, it doesn't mean a pinch of difference these days.

  • Shazam1 on 29/05/2022 - 22:22

    Qantas is the most preferred airline of choice for me. Good Food, Good inflight entertainment, Comforatble seats.

  • TEER3X on 31/05/2022 - 09:04

    Airlines are a tough business, so many bankruptcies and so many just hanging on with the razor thin margins. Oil price shock just makes things worse.

    It's just too competitive, always has been. There's no more fat left in the game.

    Anyway, I'm all out of cliches.

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