Attn: New QFi CEO.

[Platinum A332]

What I would like (has been mentioned here) - is some creativity!

Flights/Operations
- Increased flights into Asia (Beijing, Seoul, Guangzhou, Kuala Lumpur), Manila and Jakarta to daily, increased frequencies (including earlier/daytime flights) to Hong Kong and Singapore.
- Leverage SYD to be a hub connecting Asia and South America (mentioned earlier) - given the strength of CX in Asia and LA in South America, Sydney could be leveraged to be a premium hub, especially with upgraded lounge and transfer facilities (F lounge is good, J lounge needs improvement for a flagship).
- Operate international terminal connecting flights via SYD (such as MEL-SYD-DFW, SYD-ADL-SIN) amongst other things - reason for this is to ensure passengers connecting from other cities at least don't have to transfer terminals in Sydney and can clear luggage at their final destination. This is a short-term measure until Sydney gets a new airport/restructured terminals (knowing Sydney, such a thing might not arrive till 2126)
- Partner with CX to operate one-stop flights into major European cities and China via HKG.
- Launch a partnership with AY and QR to allow decent connections into smaller European cities.
- Expansion of SIN Hub with intra-Asia flights feeding from the Australian network (no, not on the orange cancer).

Product
- First Class on more flights - back on QF 107/108, and on QF 7/8 to begin (even with a reduced cabin such as 6-8 seats a la CX and SQ)
- A new Business Class product - the Skybed is not only uncompetitive, it is space inefficient. Get a fully flat bed product that allows direct aisle access while increasing seat capacity at the same time (Cirrus product at CX springs to mind, as well as the LX product).
- Don't remove dedicated bathrooms for W on the A380.
- Consistent product! What you offer to HNL is the biggest joke in the aviation industry!
- Car transfers at Australian airports (at least in Sydney to start off with being the group hub, so a J/F/Platinum customer doesn't have to take a bus when connecting between flights)

 

[medhead]

Make JQ pay for any major maintenaince requirements for the A330s before they are returned to QFi
Try some targeted competition with JQ as a test of giving your loyal customers choice. BNE-Japan?

- leasing A330's and

Why? The A330s are coming back from JQ. Besides return on capital is a problem spending more on aircraft, even as a lease, seems unrealistic.

- refurbished lounges

Already announced

- drop the fee to become a member of QFF

The fee has effectively been gone for years.

- special promotions for bronze members to get silver status.

- 5 day notice on upgrades for international flights.

Already happening.


Sent from the Throne

 

[mannej]

There goes the problem.

Why do you think continuing the focus on being so Sydney-Centric will work so much if it isn't working now?

 

[openseat]

I'd offer the suggestion about ending the LHR fixation for Europe travel. How about looking at hubs on the eastern end of Europe for more efficient transfers either Berlin with AB and/or HEL with AY. Part of that might mean swallowing your pride and buying 777 (200LR?) for a one stop flight from Oz.
Restore a FCO service with a smaller plane (please don't make it JQ!).

Having said that, I'm pretty much a defector from QF when it comes to Euro travel and tend to use EY, SQ or TG for FCO.

 

[dajop]

Restore a FCO service with a smaller plane (please don't make it JQ!).

Having said that, I'm pretty much a defector from QF when it comes to Euro travel and tend to use EY, SQ or TG for FCO.

Why FCO? Great leisure/visiting friends & relatives destination, but what about the pointy end? A lot of airlines seem to focus more on MXP as far as Italy goes. If picking another European destination, surely MXP, AMS, CDG or ZRH (or adding DUS or BER for AB connections) would be contenders ahead of FCO? In any event strategically I think QF are better off not investing too much into Europe, EK, QR & the like are making that market increasingly tough, better to focus on the other continents.

 

[ChrisCunard]

Why FCO? Great leisure/visiting friends & relatives destination, but what about the pointy end? A lot of airlines seem to focus more on MXP as far as Italy goes. If picking another European destination, surely MXP, AMS, CDG or ZRH (or adding DUS or BER for AB connections) would be contenders ahead of FCO? In any event strategically I think QF are better off not investing too much into Europe, EK, QR & the like are making that market increasingly tough, better to focus on the other continents.

If QF can get into DXB on a codeshare with EK it would solve a lot of problems.

Sure, they wouldn't fly point to point on QF metal, but PER-DXB, SYD-DXB, MEL-DXB etc on a QF airplane, and then onwards to "everywhere" on an EK 777 isn't that such bad a prospect!

 

[777]

If QF can get into DXB on a codeshare with EK it would solve a lot of problems.

Sure, they wouldn't fly point to point on QF metal, but PER-DXB, SYD-DXB, MEL-DXB etc on a QF airplane, and then onwards to "everywhere" on an EK 777 isn't that such bad a prospect!

Seems to be an almost direct copy of the DJ/EY strategy. I can't imagine OW would go for it, and i can't imagine either airline's pride would make the integration simple. But who knows.

Anyone got thoughts about the link up already announced with Malaysia?

 

[smit0847]

Most of these suggestions involve QFi spending hundreds of millions of dollars they don't have to spend and wouldn't even if they did (power socket in every seat on every plane? Honestly!?).

So, here are some suggestions that are a little more realistic (from someone who hasn't flown QFi in nearly 3 years after a horrible SIN-MEL 747 experience).

- Your A380 product is good and as good or slightly better than many of your competitors on these premium routes (LHR, LAX, SIN, HKG) across various classes. However, when choosing between premium carriers on these routes (CX, SIN, QR, EK etc) you are usually much more expensive. Realise that on these premium routes if you want customers to pick QF over other premium carriers you have to offer a similar price. For non high-status pax price is a huge deciding factors between premium carriers.
- Realise most people who don't live in Sydney don't like transiting through Sydney. It may be extremely convenient for you operationally but your competitors realise how much customers value direct flight and many offer more direct flights from MEL, BNE and PER than you do.
- Realise not all of your OW partners are amazing. While it may be a joy to travel on CX and JAL, I would never continue on from BKK or HKG with BA, nor would I fly anywhere with AA (I have a similar position on DL with VA so would choose VX where possible). I know you can't choose your partners as its OW or nothing but don't assume customers will happily go from Y+ on an A380 at LAX onto Y on AA to MIA, SEA, BOS etc.
- Change the HNL to a 330. This is the easiest change you could make.
- Try and work out a way to get rid of your elderly, unionised cabin crew. I have absolutely no idea how you would do this (incentive them to move onto shorter-term contracts maybe?). The future of QFi is not in your old, grumpy, lifeless, smug staff. They think the world owes them something and have ridden the gravy train long enough. The role is largely glorified hospitality yet they think they are entitled to regular 90% off J travel all the time and should be given several days layover to explore the cities they fly to (not to mention only have to fly the routes they choose to work). In hospitality everywhere else, it's unskilled and staff are easily replaced. Why are airlines so different? Look at how much difference the energy of a young workforce has made at VA.
- Think about what you can offer your customers that your competitors can't. Australian staff is the obvious one but as per above, its currently not working (I would much prefer a Singapore girl than a matronly Cheryl from Doncaster). Wifi is something - your competitors haven't really jumped on it. You acted quickly on buying A380s which was initially great but now your competitors have caught up. Even things like an extra inch of seat pitch in Y than your competitors would be a big advantage (with corresponding advertising like VA did with their seat width - 'the most leg room of any Y across the pacific' etc)
- Realise LHR is not the only destination in Europe and that, as mentioned above, many customers don't like BA (nor do they like LHR). Yes lots and lots of people travel to England for historical and family reasons. However its about as far west in Europe as you can get meaning backtracking and wasting more time. You are adding an extra stop through an average airport when your competitors in Asia and the Middle East offer one-stop to many, many destinations in Europe. There is no one 'major' destination in Europe (apart from, arguably LHR), so wherever it is you fly in Germany (I don't even know where I'm so disinterested) still means an extra flight to anywhere else in Europe where, again your competitors offer one-stop.
- Realise most legacy carriers around the world are struggling. This is because they have old-fashioned staff, processes, attitudes and priorities in one of the most challenging, constantly changing industries on earth. Imagine putting these staff in a social networking company - they couldn't keep up with the rate of change. An airline is not that different.

I fully agree that the role of CEO of QFi is one of the most difficult jobs in Australia.

Good luck.

 

[dajop]

If QF can get into DXB on a codeshare with EK it would solve a lot of problems.

Sure, they wouldn't fly point to point on QF metal, but PER-DXB, SYD-DXB, MEL-DXB etc on a QF airplane, and then onwards to "everywhere" on an EK 777 isn't that such bad a prospect!

What about QR/DOH instead of EK/DXB, albeit it could get confusing with QF codeshares on QR services. They seem too to have a strong European presence, but unlike EK they don't at the moment have a big number of services to/from Australia that already feed services at their hub.

 

[smit0847]

What about QR/DOH instead of EK/DXB, albeit it could get confusing with QF codeshares on QR services. They seem too to have a strong European presence, but unlike EK they don't at the moment have a big number of services to/from Australia that already feed services at their hub.

This is what I wish VA had done instead of hooking up with EY. (Unless services from PER have started yet) QR only have 1 flight to Australia per day. In return for QR giving up this/not increasing their frequency, VA could expand their long-haul operations and operate daily 777 services to DOH from SYD, MEL, BNE and PER to feed QR like they do at LAX (rather than that weird and rather pointless single SYD-AUH service they currently run). Or else QR could operate a flight every night and VA could operate a flight every morning meaning 2 x daily one-stops to Europe.

 

[Must...Fly!]

QR are starting ops ex-PER on 3 July

 

[atreides]

If routes ex PER are a guide for the rest of the country then there is a lot of work to be done. On PER-SIN route they are pitching 2 flights/day against soon to be 4/day with SIA, it's possible to do a day trip to SIN with the competition. PER-HKG is only 2 flights/week! Connections intra-asia are minimal. I believe there is a high demand for intra asia business flights ex PER - Indo, Sin, Thai, Viet, Phil, China, Japan. Try get to those destinations on QAN with a realistic business itinerary, I don't bother to check anymore.

PER HKG needs to be taken seriously or dropped. I regularly fly to HKG for business but often end up on CX due to the better scheduling of aircraft.

 

[dfcatch]

I agree with whatever Trippin-the-rift said.

I'm not sure exactly what he said, but I'm sure he's right

 

[11sjw]

I agree with whatever Trippin-the-rift said.

I'm not sure exactly what he said, but I'm sure he's right

You sound like Shorten....

 

[dfcatch]

You sound like Shorten....

Well, when I stand next to Trippin-the-rift, I look quite shorten too

 

[Batesy]

Fix the ongoing saga that is the QC member access to BA lounges. If the new CEO fixes this they can stay.

 

[JohnPhelan]

- audit of dropped routes and restorations of any routes that were dropped that could be deemed to be profitable

As if QFi dropped any routes on which it was making a profit!!

 

[JohnPhelan]

Fix the ongoing saga that is the QC member access to BA lounges. If the new CEO fixes this they can stay.

This will require a new CEO at BA, not QF!

 

[ChrisCunard]

This will require a new CEO at BA, not fQF!

If BA can't come to the party then find a new partner IMO. BA pax seem to be getting a far better deal out of the QF/BA enhancements than QFi pax are!

 

[dfcatch]

As if QFi dropped any routes on which it was making a profit!!

I seriously doubt that QF weren't making a profit on CNS-SYD!!