ABC 4 Corners on Qantas - Monday 5 September

[aus_flyer]

Snore. Nothing interesting in it.

 

[SYD]

Overall there were too many union reps interviewed. I'd have liked to see more former staff featured who were not union delegates.

Quelle surprise…

A bit like NSW rail striking over the ability to open doors on moving trains. But it’s safety….

 

[RichardMEL]

I quite "enjoyed" it (I have to put that in quotes because it continues to paint an all too familiar picture to us).

I am still trying to figure out Joyce's demands for a live to air or "single take" as they put it interview. What are the benefits to him? To put questioners off their track with spin and then uh sorry your 15 minutes is up and I waffled for 14? I am unsure. He sure seemed very testy at the questioning (as shown) during the financial results. While fair enough to give it some time then want to focus on the financial results (which were bad news too...) it seems heavy handed to have the jouirno removed? Really?

It's just so unfortunate that perfect storms have happened in my view.. many of them due to QF decisions, but others have also made things worse. It's just poor though.

I know in my own employment (nothing to do with QF despite the rumours ) for years my own teams have been cut back desperately with slashed resources and as usual expected to do way more than less. Now, I was not outsourced (well I outsourced myself by qutting, but that's another story ) or anything like that, but I can certainly relate to the pressures to perform voices by the LAMEs and others - just less people to do more work and the risks of errors well.. that's obvious. Don't need a oil cap demo on a tiger moth to demonstrate!).

The real debarcle of course has been the ground handling and call centres - both cost cutting exercises that have backfired massively on QF. Tech and cabin crews in the main have always been very good (and the stuff about multiple pay scales, sub contracting companies a la JetConnect etc is a thing, but this is hardly new in terms of QF, and while it affects individual crew members of course, it's not really something that affects the customers like the others do so I think it was a bit of a sideshow) but the ground handling obviously causing the vast majority of these delays, lost bags etc and we all know about the call centres (not mentioned by 4Q).

I suppose on the one hand one could view it as a bunch of disgruntled ex employees and that's probably the way QF is spinning it.. but I think we all know better - both from our experiences and knowing what's been going on to one extent or another.

It was an interesting show. I don't feel it broke any new ground in terms of things we know. Obiously highlighting examples of potentially dangerous things going on is unsettling for sure but to me at least, not that surprising.

Still QF will plow on. I doubt they will worry too much about it tbh.

 

[dylarr]

Here is the response from Qantas:

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/featured/qantas-statement-on-claims-in-four-corners-story/

 

[AussieJasmine]

Whether the policy of engaging cabin crew on widely different rates (QCCA,, legacy staff, UK, Kiwis) ever alters may be unlikely, but this was an interesting question posed by the journalist who was escorted out by security. Joyce clearly hated that question and looked like a kangaroo in a freight train's headlights when answering. Look at his body language: deep down, he knows it's wrong but in reply used a red herring about Q400s v larger planes, which wasn't the question.

Agree. That was a good, valid question and it was clear Joyce knows full damn well it's indefensible, but just can't bring himself to confront it. I'd like to see him taken up on the live interview offer.

Overall, I don't feel the show really broke any new ground about anything most people didn't already know. I don't feel it was lightweight per se, but just not really that much of a revelation either.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

I am still trying to figure out Joyce's demands for a live to air or "single take" as they put it interview. What are the benefits to him?

Like a politician he wants to control the narrative by demanding a live to tape interview - if things got testy Alan could simply interject and change the tone. This isn't the Four Corners format and any journalist worth their salt would always reject 'final cut' demands like this.

I found the story very weak as it simply reported on what most people already know - why did they not mention the terrible customer service, 4hr wait times on hold, flight cancellations leaving people stranded overseas, refunds not being issued / QF telling customers they can't have a refund but must accept vouchers!

 

[milehighclub]

stereotypical flight attendant made

Seriously?

 

[ozflier]

Any mention of how valueless Qantas points are becoming?

 

[Jean Prouvaire]

iView link: Four Corners: Series 2022 Flight Risk

YouTube link:

 

[Tropic]

One woke entity holding another to account ... zzzzzzz

 

[Rabs97]

iView link: Four Corners: Series 2022 Flight Risk

YouTube link:

The interview with the passenger was pretty poor. She put some valuables in her checked luggage and they lost it. Not a good look but she’s hardly alone and that’s something that happens on every airline, including VA, the airline that passenger now tells all her friends to fly.
She also said “fly Virgin cos QF cancels flights” - well so does VA! Statistically a few more than QF in recent months

 

[Scarlett]

Will ABC News be on in the QF lounges tomorrow morning or will Sky News have made a hasty return? Or, alternatively, would the contractors working in the lounge act on any hasty QF directive to switch over?

Just remember, your bags are being chucked about, or ‘carefully handled’ by representatives of the lowest bidder. Your lounge buffet is being prepared and replenished by reps of the lowest bidder. Increasingly, your in cabin experience is being delivered by reps of the lowest bidder (or more correctly, the lowest cost base crewing entity - and the lowest bidder cleaning company). Is maintenance being offshored because it’s going to the lowest (practical) bidder in Manila, or Singapore, or Dubai…

QF - The Spirit of Aus… no, The Spirit of Globalisation.
The Spirit of Outsourcing.
The Spirit of Swiss Cheese.
sorry, just getting silly now

Concur the show doesn’t really add to the decline of Qantas discussion, but is does keep a number of the same issues front and centre for longer and highlighted the Reason Model problem that might be more likely now than say ten years ago. Death of a Thousand Enhancements indeed.

 

[Rabs97]

Will ABC News be on in the QF lounges tomorrow morning or will Sky News have made a hasty return? Or, alternatively, would the contractors working in the lounge act on any hasty QF directive to switch over?

Sky has already declared war on QF for promoting the vaccine. The cooker brigade has truly taken over there.

QF’s clientele is premium travellers, usually higher incomes, you usually get a higher income from being better educated and intelligent, and they don’t watch Sky after dark shouting about whatever crazy conspiracy they’ve just cooked up.

I think every media organisation is taking pot shots at QF so the ABC is as good as any, and it’s probably the TV media most popular amongst their premium customers. They won’t broadcast that particular episode, and this will be forgotten pretty soon I reckon.

As an aside I’ve seen the ABC on more screens in lounges than I have Sky, and that’s when Sky was their official broadcaster of choice. Lounge managers taking matters into their own hands.

 

[VHOEJ]

Watched it and expected more - it was all about outsourcing. I know it was only an hour show but no mention of refunds/credits/call centres or a lot of the other issues.

Agree the first 'passenger' interview was cringe - next check in your valuables!

 

[Batterytraveller]

Will ABC News be on in the QF lounges tomorrow morning or will Sky News have made a hasty return? Or, alternatively, would the contractors working in the lounge act on any hasty QF directive to switch over?

It’s been 7 or 9 in the mornings when I’ve been in recently.

 

[NoName]

Thought it was basically a nothing story in the sense there was nothing we don’t already know. As for the guy being escorted out of the results presentation well I’m not surprised. When you hog the microphone asking off topic questions what do you expect? Being booted out was likely exactly what he wanted.

 

[LondonAussie]

While fair enough to give it some time then want to focus on the financial results (which were bad news too...) it seems heavy handed to have the jouirno removed? Really?

It sends a message to the other journalists in the room, they won't want to risk the same happening to them so they'll avoid asking any similarly tough questions.

 

[justinbrett]

Anybody else notice the massive queue shown in the opening shot at the international terminal wasn’t even for Qantas? Ended at E which I think is Emirates. You could definitely tell it wasn’t the QF counters.

Thats the kind of thing that AJ wanted to avoid with a pre-recorded interview, where its cut and spliced in a way to take things out of context. Oldest trick in the book. There’s no greater truth than airing a live, unedited interview.

 

[bladeau1981]

Typical union beat up story, I'm not saying the staff don't deserve better (and the outsourcing has gone way to far now), but it isn't going to make anyone who wasn't already aware or interested want to investigate more. It is not a coincidence this has aired a week before dnata employees strike.

There are obvious systemic problems within Qantas now and the failure of Virgin (even though they are still flying, all be it as really a domestic option only) has made them more brash. The airline industry needs better consumer protections and minimum compensation for things like lost bags, bumped flights, cancellations etc., not just Qantas but any airline that departs from an Australian Port. This should have been brought up at least but I guess the union task masters just wanted a piece to try get better conditions for their staff.

I smell more than just the strike next week on the cards unfortunately.

 

[UP4014]

Snore. Nothing interesting in it.

For us maybe nothing new, but for people who don't get on a commercial airline forum every day to check out what QF's latest failing may be it's an eye opener.

What the program showed was the theme is similar to many comments on AFF regards the subject and gives it a much wider audience.