3 months away and many airlines

[jkhastings]

Hi again,
I've been away from Aus for almost 3 months courtesy of my work. In that time, I've flown a few different airlines and wanted to get people's opinions on some surprising things I noticed travelling from BNE around the world.

1. The QF economy food and entertainment system is from the 90's and no wifi (I'm aware this is coming). How are they still getting away with this? (A330 to LAX)
2. The AA Flagship Lounge food at LAX is extraordinarily good.
3. AA actively encourage passengers to leave window shades down for take off and landing. I thought that was a safety issue.
4. BA A380 upper deck has no back staircase to allow you to walk around (in Y class) like other airlines.

Interested in people's thoughts. Particularly the #1.

 

[levelnine]

1. The QF economy food and entertainment system is from the 90's and no wifi (I'm aware this is coming). How are they still getting away with this? (A330 to LAX)

Because customers keep buying tickets, including yourself.

 

[Forg]

#1 has always been the case hasn’t it? I didn’t think QF were particularly an outlier on the food front … maybe the others you’ve experienced all improved their Y food while QF spent the last decade wallowing? QF’s aircraft are getting pretty old … they seem to keep ‘em forever & when was the last time they started flying something new prior to the A220’s? … and apart from the A380’s have they done a refurb for anything long- or short-haul?

AA for example must have improved, my wife was unimpressed compared with QF, but the last time she’d have been to/from the US would’ve been 2016-2017 or thereabouts.

In fact … I suspect QF had a hard-and-soft-product push some time in the late 90’s through early noughties, earning themselves a bit of premium-product loyalty which they’ve squandered.
Dad used to fly 3-4 times a year to mostly SE Asia & the USA in the mid 70’s through mid 80’s and he avoided QF like the plague due to cost & value.

 

[AIRwin]

when was the last time they started flying something new prior to the A220’s?

B787?

 

[Gold Member]

Because customers keep buying tickets, including yourself.

Ignorance is bliss.

 

[Happy Dude]

Because customers keep buying tickets, including yourself.

It really is that simple.

 

[tdimdad]

In the Y food offering with a special diet, QF is well on par with others I've come across in recent years. CX and AY are equally poor. JL is the only one I'd think of happily having again.

 

[jastel]

#3 is only a Qantas safety issue, rest of planet doesnt really care.

 

[muppet]

#3 is only a Qantas safety issue, rest of planet doesnt really care.

To be fair, “rest of planet” also happens to be where the aviation related fatalities are

 

[jastel]

Yes - but none of which would be caused by a passengers blind being open or shut.

 

[dajop]

1. The QF economy food and entertainment system is from the 90's and no wifi (I'm aware this is coming). How are they still getting away with this? (A330 to LAX)

To be fair, I'd say it's more from the 00's. Easy to forget that in the 90's IFE was either projector screen or overhead screens playing individual movies/TV shows. It then progressed into 8-12 channel individual screens, playing programs on rotation, not on demand. It wasn't until the early 2000's that carriers started moving to AVOD. Having said that, as an Australian living overseas, the one thing I do like about Qantas is having a range of Australian content. Unlike most carriers who, if you are lucky, you might get a little British content, whilst everything else in the English selection is American.

As for the food it is most definitely not from the 90's, No way. I think you used to get more food then, and more bits and pieces on your tray.

 

[elanshin]

#1 has been a known situation for a while. But in Y its solidly middle of the pack besides wifi. But i will say that just because an airline has wifi doesn't mean it's usable. Ive had other airline wifi kinda work as well - to the point that you know its there, but not good so you end up not using it.

Entertainment and food are both middling and subjective. Neither great nor terrible. If you want to try terrible on both fronts try flying the chinese main 3.

#3 i was surprised about too. I like watching my takeoff rolls and views, but AA doesn't really police it so its a window seat person controls the shade situation.

 

[CaptJCool]

QF has about 15% of international PAX from/to Australia which includes NZ

THE VAST Majority do not fly with QF O/S

BITRE stats

International airline activity

Summary Time series

www.bitre.gov.au

However
For fairness
In 2019

https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/international_airline_activity_cy2019.pdf

QF was 17.4%
JQ 8.7%

Down around 3% from 2009

From 21-22 report


Ever sliding lower but wait no no no

https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/international_airline_activity_0424.pdf

For April 2024 nearly 30% but more huge component for NZ


The USA definitely competitive
Europe via Asia or Middle East 25,000 versus around 800,000 with other airlines

 

[jkhastings]

It really is that simple.

It's also due to a lack of competition, especially out of BNE. AA is just as bad. Such a shame SG or EK can't fly that route. I realise Cathay fly the route but you are going backwards via HK. Virgin Australia was brilliant back in it's day going to the USA.