Is Qantas Actually Listening?

[Ansett]

Well

Sent an email to Lesley last week referring her to several Threads on the forum that shows the sentiment and disappointment with the recent changes to the programme and the withdrawal of CD from US Services.

Received a phone call today from one of her offsiders and it appears that QF are looking heavily at the backlash that they have received from all areas and especially from AFF and is working with Red Roo at the moment to better understand the impact of the changes.

It seems there has been more of a negative outcome than had been expected.

Discussed my position in now looking at alternative airlines based on best choice and price rather than blindly going QF and recommending to family and friends and colleagues.

I would suggest and it is my opinion only that QF are feeling the heat and perhaps some hurt as a result of the simpler fairer enhancement and of course the CD

I have been told that they will reply in more detail to my email some time next week.

Lets see what comes forward.

 

[harvyk]

Are they listening? Yes they are,

Are they calculating exactly how much backlash they can withstand without it been a negative effect on the bottom line? You bet they are,

 

[SeatBackForward]

As I often (jokingly) to say my wife "Just cause I listen, doesn't mean I care".

 

[Kangol]

You'd hope so, because there are companies out there who have a business model where they can charge whatever they want because they know they have a good product that consistently outperforms the competition (F/J to from DFW/LAX).
If QF became one of those who exploited such an event, it would be a dark day in Australian history.
There is a difference between becoming profitable and destroying loyalty and brand reputation and reducing market share.

 

[moa999]

I tend to think that if you/ your company can afford/justify a Business class airfare you can do the same for the car.

It is a real cash cost to Qantas and so is undoubtedly baked into the cost of the fare.

If the competitors aren't offering it, it just means it is that much harder for Qantas to offer a competitive fare, and with use of best fare of the day policies I suspect they are losing out.

 

[QF WP]

Well

Sent an email to Lesley last week referring her to several Threads on the forum that shows the sentiment and disappointment with the recent changes to the programme and the withdrawal of CD from US Services.

Received a phone call today from one of her offsiders and it appears that QF are looking heavily at the backlash that they have received from all areas and especially from AFF and is working with Red Roo at the moment to better understand the impact of the changes.

It seems there has been more of a negative outcome than had been expected.

Discussed my position in now looking at alternative airlines based on best choice and price rather than blindly going QF and recommending to family and friends and colleagues.

I would suggest and it is my opinion only that QF are feeling the heat and perhaps some hurt as a result of the simpler fairer enhancement and of course the CD

I have been told that they will reply in more detail to my email some time next week.

Lets see what comes forward.

Nicely done Ansett. I know of a number of people who (like me) aren't chasing higher status on QF and are happy to get just enough to re-qualify (Gold in my case) and the rest of the flights go to VA (which in my case, are substantial - enough to get me Plat with the additional help of Family Pooling). My personal choice of BFOD and schedule now are more important than blind loyalty to QF...so there is loss of revenue to QF

As I often (jokingly) to say my wife "Just cause I listen, doesn't mean I care".

You survive saying that comment...amazing

 

[SeatBackForward]

You survive saying that comment...amazing

Its very complex, in fact, you could almost call it Simple and Fair.

 

[codash1099]

I tend to think that if you/ your company can afford/justify a Business class airfare you can do the same for the car.

It is a real cash cost to Qantas and so is undoubtedly baked into the cost of the fare.

If the competitors aren't offering it, it just means it is that much harder for Qantas to offer a competitive fare, and with use of best fare of the day policies I suspect they are losing out.

That sort of thinking leads to a race to the bottom, something QF seems to be involved in now. What happened to doing a little bit more to attract and hold customers? It has often been said on this forum, and it's my thinking too, that I'm happy to pay more to fly QF as long as I think I'm getting some value for my money. That doesn't mean I want a $ for $ return, but I do need to justify the extra cost. QF have lost that battle in my case.

 

[RAM]

You'd hope so, because there are companies out there who have a business model where they can charge whatever they want because they know they have a good product that consistently outperforms the competition (F/J to from DFW/LAX).
If QF became one of those who exploited such an event, it would be a dark day in Australian history.
There is a difference between becoming profitable and destroying loyalty and brand reputation and reducing market share.

From close examination over the last three or so years of Q's 'business strategy' I think it is fair to say they have already won the race to the bottom.

QI has been steadily piled up with Jetstar's cast-offs (767s for example) so that the operating cost difference makes QI even more dire. I pulled a series of examples out using the IATA data where for example when Jetstar had the 767s on a route where QI operated a more modern plane (generally at least 13 years newer) QI charged a fuel surcharge multiples of that charged by jetstar for the same route (say to Hawaii). The older planes not only cost more to fly per passenger km but are out of service significantly more often for maintenance and for longer periods. Yet Jetstar did not charge an appropriate fuel surcharge but were remarkably profitable...

Now that QI has those planes they are more unprofitable - something does not add up. Swapping the planes just before major scheduled maintenance overhauls is purely accidental of course.

The commissions paid to many TAs are based on the fare not including the surcharges and taxes - so with the Hawaii example the fare was actually higher for the Jetstar flight whilst its surcharges were less than 1/4th QI's. The IATA data showed that the fuel burn per seat was 18% higher on the Jetstar flight than the QI yet QI's fuel surcharge was multiples for the exact flight and plane combinations.

So a TA is looking to book an economy return and will get a higher commission on Jetstar at an overall lower cost to the customer (comfort aside) - no brainer - so 80%+ load factor vs QI in high 60s to low 70s.

Same for a FF booking - QI surcharges cost nearly as much as the cash component of the Jetstar fare.

I think the correct status of QI is more aptly described as dead cat bounce.

In January 2014 the CFO wrote an opinion piece in the SMH about how they'd never drop the 65% line in the sand. Going into copious explanations of amongst other aspects that it would be like waving the white flag, destroy the Q business model, betray the Australian public. With such dire consequences then surely recently they must have made an announcement to the ASX about the change...

They may listen but unfortunately they appear to think that nobody remembers.

They're half right - just that now most people don't remember the urge to fly QI - perhaps they have achieved their goal. The straw that broke the camel's back.
Hidden agenda?

 

[Traveller1955]

Yes as a Platinum member for the last two year I am might annoyed (actually p***ed off) that Qantas has decided to devalue my custom. I am now of the view that due to the changes to the way I earn Status credit on one world / QF livery I am unable to retain QF Platinum. Can you believe it!!! Two years I have held it and now down the gurgler it goes. I rang Platinum Assistance to voice my disappointment today but I do not think anything will come of it!!

BTW I recently tried to see about QF 3 /4 to HNL availability and they are still flying 767!!!!

 

[SeatBackForward]

They're half right - just that now most people don't remember the urge to fly QI - perhaps they have achieved their goal. The straw that broke the camel's back.
Hidden agenda?

Hidden agenda perhaps. QFF and JQ need QFi and (to a lesser extent) QFd to have any meaningful existence. Yet they seem to push the former than the latter. Bizarre.

 

[RAM]

Well maybe they don't and could be say looking to join a PE group looking to pick over the QI carcass.

Amazed the other day to see Emirates now flying old-QI routes from Syd to Asia. Not enough that QI gifted all but one European route (any value to the landing rights...). Not sure how many slots Q have at LHR but wonder if they are code share'able?

As long as FF points can be redeemed on code share then that cash cow will continue to exist especially as public attitude to QI continues to suffer (and FF points get devalued). So QI eventually exists only as code share and FF scheme directors and execs reap the benefits - I must be smoking the tea bags again - couldn't happen.

 

[mannej]

Who is QI?

 

[RAM]

Who is QI?

Qantas International

 

[trippin_the_rift]

That sort of thinking leads to a race to the bottom, something QF seems to be involved in now. What happened to doing a little bit more to attract and hold customers? It has often been said on this forum, and it's my thinking too, that I'm happy to pay more to fly QF as long as I think I'm getting some value for my money. That doesn't mean I want a $ for $ return, but I do need to justify the extra cost. QF have lost that battle in my case.

Bean counters wanting to prove revenue benefit from every line item
Jaded management, staff
Recruiting from other airlines instead of from non-related industries
Trying to compete instead of playing your own game
Using same old marketing/corp comms team using techniques that worked in 2001
Not understanding why each individual customer spends money with you
Actively competing on price when you've spent 90 years selling customers into something else that's not price based
Attempting to climb out of doing business in the 'red sea' by cutting the very subjective services you need to boost new revenues

All guaranteed ways to strip subjective margins from your business....

Unfortunately in a duopoly it can also be a case of old school hats thinking "well ACB isn't doing it so why should we?"
....I'm sure Nokia was thinking similar around 2006 when Apple was working on a new approach to the phone....

IMO - There's plenty of untapped green pastures for QFF to graze on - but it appears they're stuck in thinking it's still 2001 and no amount of BI or loyalty marketing can undo bad habits.

 

[harvyk]

Qantas International

Ah, typically QFi / QFd / JQi / JQd is used to define the 4 types of the QF group...

 

[Verde]

I think part of the frustration is that all we ever hear from QF is cut after cut after cut.

While it was only a small feature (and for those paying a fair bit, to be on J and F tickets), CD was at least an improvement that would match a "premium" airline - the first one out of QF in a long time... and then it gets axed on half the routes in a very short period of time.

So we lose (half) the first perk introduced in ages and get smacked round by a complicated and messy SC table and reduction in point earns under the claim of being "simpler and fairer".

If it was one of those surveys "Qantas is an organisation I feel proud of being associated with" - a lot of us have been getting smacked down from rating it 4 or 5 to 1 or 2.

When you travel for leisure (mostly), the "magic" of having a nice trip planned used to be an advantage QF had. Now it is nearly reaching the point where thinking of QF just annoys me because I keep getting hit by more negative experiences (enhancements) than positive ones (exceptional flights/lounge visits etc).

Well

Sent an email to Lesley last week referring her to several Threads on the forum that shows the sentiment and disappointment with the recent changes to the programme and the withdrawal of CD from US Services.

Received a phone call today from one of her offsiders and it appears that QF are looking heavily at the backlash that they have received from all areas and especially from AFF and is working with Red Roo at the moment to better understand the impact of the changes.

It seems there has been more of a negative outcome than had been expected.

Discussed my position in now looking at alternative airlines based on best choice and price rather than blindly going QF and recommending to family and friends and colleagues.

I would suggest and it is my opinion only that QF are feeling the heat and perhaps some hurt as a result of the simpler fairer enhancement and of course the CD

I have been told that they will reply in more detail to my email some time next week.

Lets see what comes forward.

 

[TomVexille]

Amazed the other day to see Emirates now flying old-QI routes from Syd to Asia.

I thought that EK had been doing that for years prior to the tie-up.

 

[anna2103]

+ 1 - very nicely stated and I suspect many of us have the same thoughts. There is just never any good news these days.

I think part of the frustration is that all we ever hear from QF is cut after cut after cut.

While it was only a small feature (and for those paying a fair bit, to be on J and F tickets), CD was at least an improvement that would match a "premium" airline - the first one out of QF in a long time... and then it gets axed on half the routes in a very short period of time.

So we lose (half) the first perk introduced in ages and get smacked round by a complicated and messy SC table and reduction in point earns under the claim of being "simpler and fairer".

If it was one of those surveys "Qantas is an organisation I feel proud of being associated with" - a lot of us have been getting smacked down from rating it 4 or 5 to 1 or 2.

When you travel for leisure (mostly), the "magic" of having a nice trip planned used to be an advantage QF had. Now it is nearly reaching the point where thinking of QF just annoys me because I keep getting hit by more negative experiences (enhancements) than positive ones (exceptional flights/lounge visits etc).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Rumour:[Denied by RR] Qantas to ban JQ SYD-MEL pax from F lounges & send to J lou

If qantas is reading this my advice is simple... cut the spin!!

We are told the recent cuts to points and SCs is simpler and fairer. But 'simpler and fairer' would have meant the lowest points and SC earn stay the same, but MORE awarded for higher classes.