A Dear John Letter to my Mistress.

[Dyslexic traveler]

My sweet Qantas Oneworld

We have been together for 30 years, you have always had my complete loyalty.

I have enjoyed our time flying together around Australia and the rest of the world, but things change and I have to tell you something.

I have just booked my first flight with Virgin Domestically and also booked a trip to Egypt with Etihad,

I feel a little sad at doing this, and a little like I’m cheating on you my sweet partner, I have been with you longer than any women.

Should I feel this way? I suppose its like a lot of relationships after so many years we have drifted apart, I just do not love you like I did.

My blind and undying loyalty was just not returned, a relationship has to be two sided.

You see My new domestic mistress she offers me better value and business class, priority boarding Priority Check-in and I get the feeling she wants me to be with her.

As for finding an international mistress, well I feel I may just play the field for a little and try out a number of options, after all I’m still young and there a a lot of fish in the sky.

So my sweet Qantas I will always remember the wonderful times we have had, we will always be friends, maybe some day when you see that that the Irishman is no good for you, we may have a chance at trying again.

Do not be sad, we will always have, MEL,LAX, HNL, JFK, LHR , HKG, CDG, SIN, SYD, OOL, ADL, PER, FCO, GOV, DFW, DRW, NRT and lots more.

The Dyslexic Traveler

 

[The Rok]

maybe some day when you see that that the Irishman is no good for you, we may have a chance at trying again.

I suppose if Sir Alan Joyce was born in Australia Qantas would be the worlds No1 Airline?

I have no problem with the rest of your post but that one is a load of codswallop. Qantas's problems including but not limited to Poor fleet choices, scaling back of in flight services, scaling back of International destinations, reduction in FF rewards and raising prices began long before AJ took the hot seat, it is simply a cop out for some people to continually blame him for everything.

There are 3 distinct problems with the performance and direction of Qantas.

1. The board… cough stinks from the dead down.

2. Middle management - Comfortable, not able to change their ways, unwilling to adapt

3. The front line staff….. Stuck in the dark ages… All about them, I want I want I want….

 

[mannej]

Lets not get the Irishman debate started again...

 

[Dyslexic traveler]

ROK

I think i was just having a little Tongue in cheek fun. However I do not think that the front line staff are a problem, every one I have met on the front line at Qantas has always been great, as you say it comes from the top down.

 

[TonyHancock]

I think if Alan Joyce was taller things would be much better!

Only one problem - The Board. They appoint senior management, senior management appoints middle management and that is where front line staff get their direction from. Joyce and Clifford have demonstrated that they do not care about customers why should anyone else? That many front line staff do care is a credit to their own desire to do a good job.

 

[Dyslexic traveler]

I think if Alan Joyce was taller things would be much better!

Only one problem - The Board. They appoint senior management, senior management appoints middle management and that is where front line staff get their direction from. Joyce and Clifford have demonstrated that they do not care about customers why should anyone else? That many front line staff do care is a credit to their own desire to do a good job.

So true Tony.

 

[simongr]

Just for accuracy you might have been flying QF for 30 years but OW for only 13 years six month and handful of days.

Good to see someone putting their money where their mouth is.

I would genuinely love to see an update 12 months from now!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I spoke to someone recently who has a "daughter or son" working at QF, pretty (very, very) high up. Was told that there are issues at the board and senior management levels, "Not willing to change", "Stuck in their ways"...AJ can only do so much with 1 hand tied behind his back....

I am also starting to come to a cross roads. I am tied in with the QF branded Credit Cards and am thinking of making a switch to Virgin next year, all in. The big issue l have with VA, no Alliance Partner in Europe.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I can sympathise wayne bourke.

I too have been forced to flee the QF coop, basically because the middle east is a bit of a black hole for them and the VA-EH combo mad a lot of sense.

Don't think of QF as a mistress however, more of the dear old red rat that I've been married to for (seems like) forever. Gets a bit techy and dragonish from time to time but mostly an amiable associate,

VA however behaved in a very mistress-like way, enticing me away from the wife with a WP status match and free upgrades. Shameful! And then gave me SCs to travel to places like AUH and DXB.

Cheers skip

 

[JohnK]

Well I have been to Virgin and I have been to other airlines who fly internationally in the past 12 months or so.

And my findings?

Qantas may well be in trouble as a company but the alternatives are not much better if better at all.

 

[drewbles]

Well I have been to Virgin and I have been to other airlines who fly internationally in the past 12 months or so.

And my findings?

Qantas may well be in trouble as a company but the alternatives are not much better if better at all.

I've flown BA, CX, AA, NZ and VA all long haul economy in the past few months. QF Economy is good, VA is much better. BA is BA (ie, Bloody Awful), CX is great (non hard shell seats), AA is so-so, NZ is OK but seat pitch is shocking.

QF's A380 Y service is good yes, but it's not good enough to stop me moving to VA (especially when I can get Y+ for $3200 just about every day MEL-LAX and unless it's on sale, QF is consistently $4500 or more).

I'd say there's plenty of options around. As for premium cabins, the F on the A380 is lovely, but so is CX F, and SQ. And let's face it, J is just fine these days (J is the new F, and Y+ is the new J).

 

[casanovawa]

I don't think anyone would dispute that the problems started at Qantas before AJ came along, but i think people are looking for someone who will acknowledge the problems and start to lead the company out of them, even if this often can't be a quick fix...

I think people are increasingly thinking that AJ isn't the man to do that (his nationality or height notwithstanding) as it will probably take some real inspired leadership rather than just managing the company... The board may be a big road block in this, but its pretty faceless in terms of most people sheet the day to day, and even the big picture where to from here stuff, home to the CEO... If the leadership is lacking at the board level then its even more important for the CEO to provide it...

Pity you can't clone the Branson's and Trump's of the world... They may not be perfect and have made their share of mistakes, but i imagine they could fire up even some of the most jaded of staff, or put in place the plans to shift them out for new blood... They don't seem to suffer lots of fools gladly??

 

[777]

Do not be sad, we will always have, MEL,LAX, HNL, JFK, LHR , HKG, CDG, SIN, SYD, OOL, ADL, PER, FCO, GOV, DFW, DRW, NRT and lots more.

I wouldn't say *always* ... At the rate things are going you might have about half of those in a few years time.

 

[straitman]

I suppose if Sir Alan Joyce was born in Australia Qantas would be the worlds No1 Airline?

I have no problem with the rest of your post but that one is a load of codswallop. Qantas's problems including but not limited to Poor fleet choices, scaling back of in flight services, scaling back of International destinations, reduction in FF rewards and raising prices began long before AJ took the hot seat, it is simply a cop out for some people to continually blame him for everything.

Why not simply accept the post in the manner it was written. A little poetic licence here and there but overall a reasonable thought of how and why Qantas have gone from being the #1 in most peoples eyes to one of the field that people look at.

It is the same as if I go to buy anything. If all else is very similar I will probably buy from the one that gives me the best warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

[JohnK]

QF Economy is good, VA is much better.

Haven't tried VA long haul yet so cannot comment.

QF's A380 Y service is good yes, but it's not good enough to stop me moving to VA (especially when I can get Y+ for $3200 just about every day MEL-LAX and unless it's on sale, QF is consistently $4500 or more).

The clincher for me is the amount of points I could earn on Qantas and what I could redeem for those points.

e.g SYD-HKG return on an A380 would earn me ~18,000 QFF points and I usually travel ~4 times a year so after 2 years I have ~144,000 QFF points which is enough for a Oneworld award in economy and all I need to do is pay the taxes and surcharges. Not bad for an ~$850 airfare. And if I start to play around with the routings then I can earn more points.

Assuming that the 2 products are similar I would be kicking myself for choosing anything else. And to be fair the Qantas product and service while not fantastic is still more than adequate for the price paid....

 

[TonyHancock]

The clincher for me is the amount of points I could earn on Qantas and what I could redeem for those points.

e.g SYD-HKG return on an A380 would earn me ~18,000 QFF points and I usually travel ~4 times a year so after 2 years I have ~144,000 QFF points which is enough for a Oneworld award in economy and all I need to do is pay the taxes and surcharges. Not bad for an ~$850 airfare. And if I start to play around with the routings then I can earn more points.

Assuming that the 2 products are similar I would be kicking myself for choosing anything else. And to be fair the Qantas product and service while not fantastic is still more than adequate for the price paid....

Fair comment.

 

[amaroo]

I would genuinely love to see an update 12 months from now!

Same here.

Many times you hear the grass is greener......will be nice to hear if it is!

 

[whatmeworry]

Lets not get the Irishman debate started again...

Oh to be sure to sure!

I think if Alan Joyce was taller things would be much better!

Only one problem - The Board. They appoint senior management, senior management appoints middle management and that is where front line staff get their direction from. Joyce and Clifford have demonstrated that they do not care about customers why should anyone else? That many front line staff do care is a credit to their own desire to do a good job.

From the little sneak peek I have seen in the QF organisation, their problem is too many employees from another era. These employees can be seen in every level of the organisation. These employees have had it for far too long too good on the QF gravy train with high wages/salaries and generous benefits. Most of these employees would not have a clue how real businesses in the world operate. If I was AJ, I would move as many of these employees into ancillary companies and sell them off.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Same here.

Many times you hear the grass is greener......will be nice to hear if it is!

If I remember I will comment after the first trip to AUH in VA - hope it is good because I will have booked the second such trip before flying the first. QF has a pretty damn good Y+product IMHO. But the VA clincher for me was reasonable cost, reasonable (?) accom in Y+, schedules that minimised transit times and suited my working week (Sat-Thu), not to mention they actually fly to the middle east.

Cheers skip