24 August 2011 - any predictions?

[harvyk]

JQ is firmly in LCC land, along with all the joys for passengers that this model implies - its an important market and one the QF group needs to service. QF, traditionally a middle player is probably right in its apparent judgement that its an unsustainable market to be in today. Move up or move down. Hard to see the case for moving down and potentially coming into conflict with JQ, so logically, if QF is to continue to fly as an operational airline (rather than simply an umbrella company) its going to move up.

The problem is that QF appears to be moving down market. Whilst not yet at JQ level that is the direction it is taking. Perfect examples,
- Removing F off more aircraft / routes
- Making the QP nothing more than some seats and a free bar (any bets on how long it will be before QF starts limiting the number of free drinks to one per visit?)
- Making everything self serve (eg self serve baggage check, self serve checkin)
- Reducing benefits for their frequent flyers under the name of "enhancements" (eg removing J checkin for PS \ QP members).
- Removing meals from a majority of their flights (I remember back in the 90's a cooked dinner was a standard thing even for shorter flights eg ADL-MEL and MEL-CBR)

and these are just the ones that jump out at me...
For me the QP one is a big one, given CBR is now turning more and more into a proper airport (ie not such a wasteland after security) I'm now questioning if the membership fee is truely worth it, because that money will buy quite a few beers and pieces of cake, even at airport prices.

 

[Moopere]

The problem is that QF appears to be moving down market. Whilst not yet at JQ level that is the direction it is taking. Perfect examples,
- Removing F off more aircraft / routes
- Making the QP nothing more than some seats and a free bar (any bets on how long it will be before QF starts limiting the number of free drinks to one per visit?)
- Making everything self serve (eg self serve baggage check, self serve checkin)
- Reducing benefits for their frequent flyers under the name of "enhancements" (eg removing J checkin for PS \ QP members).
- Removing meals from a majority of their flights (I remember back in the 90's a cooked dinner was a standard thing even for shorter flights eg ADL-MEL and MEL-CBR)

and these are just the ones that jump out at me...

Yes, its certainly difficult to disagree. I can't pretend to know whats going on. Just seems crazy that the QF board would happily allow two prominent operational groups to essentially compete with each other head to head (JQ and QF). It must be hard enough competing with SE Asian carriers and the myriad other truly competitive airlines in the LCC market.

Though its always easy for us to point at the management end of a business and laugh, or shake our collective heads in disbelief, surely, by and large, most boards try to follow a reasonably sane strategy? Whether they are able, or even want to make this strategy clear to their customers is entirely a different matter.

For me the QP one is a big one, given CBR is now turning more and more into a proper airport (ie not such a wasteland after security) I'm now questioning if the membership fee is truely worth it, because that money will buy quite a few beers and pieces of cake, even at airport prices.

I understand. My recovery of value with QP has been pretty limited and doesn't look like rising any time soon. The plan is to become gold and not renew my membership-at-a-cost. The question remains for me. ... gold with DJ or Gold with QF ?? Its a serious question. I gave away the notion of loyalty to any organisation many years ago. My 'loyalty' (directed spend) now goes to the businesses which give me the best hard and soft product - thats the start and the end of it for me.

 

[harvyk]

Actually I'd like to change my prediction for Aug 24,

- All airfare prices will be halved, inc J and F
- All lounges QP and J will be equiv of the current SYD F Lounge.
- All cabins will be refreshed, inc installing AVOD where it didn't already exist.
- Meals served on every flight,
- B747 option for tasman flights
- JQ will be cut loose, no more QF withdrawing from a market to have JQ take over.
- All FA's \ CSM's given retraining, any who do not pass the happiness test are let go...
- QF settles all it's problems with the unions and thus no more risk of engineers \ pilots from walking off the job.
- Overcrowding issues in QP's sorted, by building additional QP's in terminals where it's a problem.

Hey one can dream can't they?

 

[yohy?!]

Passing on a prediction from QF FAs on my SYD-HBA flight on Sat:

-All MEL long-haul axed:shock:

Being SYD based I don't really know the liklihood of this but thought it would a good indication of what people are thinking inside QF (ie it's going be sweeping changes).

 

[ajw373]

Actually I'd like to change my prediction for Aug 24,

- All airfare prices will be halved, inc J and F
- All lounges QP and J will be equiv of the current SYD F Lounge.
- All cabins will be refreshed, inc installing AVOD where it didn't already exist.
- Meals served on every flight,
- B747 option for tasman flights
- JQ will be cut loose, no more QF withdrawing from a market to have JQ take over.
- All FA's \ CSM's given retraining, any who do not pass the happiness test are let go...
- QF settles all it's problems with the unions and thus no more risk of engineers \ pilots from walking off the job.
- Overcrowding issues in QP's sorted, by building additional QP's in terminals where it's a problem.

Hey one can dream can't they?

Your post really highlights Qantas predicament. You basically want the best of everything and more at half the price with no JQ and no staff issues.

Your right you can dream, but reality is vastly different!

 

[GT351]

Guaranteed if I book a flight to Buenos aires they will cancel that route

I will wait til 24/8

GT

 

[Justchecking]

From what I've seen, AJ is not a very creative man nor does he have a strong vision. And those are the exact reasons why he was hired. They didn't want anyone getting visionary they just wanted someone to snout around in the financials and continue a program of cost cutting. So my predictions are based on that. QF international will be cut back to a skeleton network and a hub set up in KUL, Aussie crews will no longer fly past the Asian hub, and redundancies will ensue. QF will discover much to their own chagrin that the qantas brand is irrelevant in Asia, as the home grown airlines do it better and understand the native market there. The great push into Asia will yield them nothing. QF does not offer asian passengers a service they understand, but CX, SQ, MH, TG et al do. Meanwhile all new routes will be JQ routes leaving the QFF membership without the benefits they signed up for. As points balances dwindle QFF members inevitably look for alternate programs. Qantas domestic will survive but with an aging hard product and crippled QFF program in a market where the competition is offering something fresh and usable.

 

[connieguy]

Maybe QF will say that to boost QF[SUB]i[/SUB] profit to be more like QF[SUB]d[/SUB] profit we are implementing the existing "just open the cattle car doors" domestic boarding system at all QF international gates, system wide.

JQ have extended their network to Beijing. You don't need a crystal ball to see the future.

 

[harvyk]

Your post really highlights Qantas predicament. You basically want the best of everything and more at half the price with no JQ and no staff issues.

Your right you can dream, but reality is vastly different!

Um I posted that list as a little bit of a joke, something to lighten the mood a little...

 

[nlagalle]

Passing on a prediction from QF FAs on my SYD-HBA flight on Sat:

-All MEL long-haul axed:shock:

Being SYD based I don't really know the liklihood of this but thought it would a good indication of what people are thinking inside QF (ie it's going be sweeping changes).

I can't see them canning MEL before ADL/BNE/PER.

 

[yohy?!]

I can't see them canning MEL before ADL/BNE/PER.

True but why not Mel AND adl/bne/per?

Sent from my HTC Legend using AustFreqFly App

 

[ajw373]

Um I posted that list as a little bit of a joke, something to lighten the mood a little...

I realise your post was in jest, but sadly reading through the pages on this and other boards it is exactly what people want.

 

[oz_mark]

I realise your post was in jest, but sadly reading through the pages on this and other boards it is exactly what people want.

Wanting more, but paying less is a common theme.:shock:

 

[ajw373]

Wanting more, but paying less is a common theme.:shock:

And then complain because an Australian isn't flying or maintaining the plane.

 

[Justchecking]

In some industries wanting more for less is a realistic expectation. Advances in silicon chips for instance mean that the public phone booth has all but disappeared in my lifetime and a mobile call costs relatively less than a pay phone ever did. Well done to human ingenuity. But hat same technological advancement has yet to benefit aviation to the same degree cost-wise. No matter how smart the plane, it's still running a combustion engine that's constrained by fuel. It's still crewed by people, who need to pay bills and live. It's time we all realized that some things cannot be packaged in a factory in Guangzhou and sold to us for the price of a bag of sweets.

 

[dajop]

Passing on a prediction from QF FAs on my SYD-HBA flight on Sat:

-All MEL long-haul axed:shock:

Great way to alienate 25% of Australia. Would be a great opportunity for VA to capitalise. If this happened (which frankly sounds very unlikely), being a bit parochial I would do everything possible to avoid flying QF ever again.

JQ have extended their network to Beijing. You don't need a crystal ball to see the future.

Jetstar (Asia) have been steadily expanding into China for a while. I see this as a natural next step, serving primarily the Singapore/China market (look at the return flight timings!), the Australian feed a bonust. Not a substitute for QF services to China. As an aside Jetstar seems to have been building a decent reputation in Singapore, certainly as being better than Tiger, and even Air Asia.

 

[trigger]

This is a hell of a depressing thread

 

[connieguy]

Passing on a prediction from QF FAs on my SYD-HBA flight on Sat:

-All MEL long-haul axed:shock:...

I can see that happening. QF international long hauls from Syd. JQ Asian flights from Mel. Works for me.

 

[connieguy]

As an aside Jetstar seems to have been building a decent reputation in Singapore, certainly as being better than Tiger, and even Air Asia.

Despite what others here may feel, my experience with JQ international in *Class has been exceptional. Very good service and excellent value for the money. They are my current airline of choice Mel/Bkk.

From Bkk, I find CX J pricing and service deliver the best value to India and the EU. Additionally I find the CX J pricing from Bkk to be much lower to Bom and Ams than from other Asian ports they may fly from, even if I do have to transit through Hkg and spend time in the CX FLounges to get to Ams. Tough duty that.

 

[medhead]

I realise your post was in jest, but sadly reading through the pages on this and other boards it is exactly what people want.

I think you'll find people want something that isn't a race to the bottom while being constantly told it is the world's leading premium airline.