CEO retiring, what changes at Qantas would you like to see

[drron]

That's a function of Australia media. This is why I don't have a TV or watch the news here in Australia. Every time I see the news playing at the QF Club, I want to stick my head in an oven and set the temperature to 250 degrees. Half of the pieces are glorified advertisements and the other half is third rate journalism. And I can say that as my sister is a journalist so I think I know quality journalism when I see it. Certainly no Walter Cronkite's here.
-RooFlyer88

Are there any Walter Cronkites left in the USA. I doubt it. They basically all spout the accepted "truths". Mostly disinformation.

 

[Daver6]

Seems to be that way.
Also Qatar wants to service airports already served by EK, instead of looking at Adelaide,Gold Coast etc.

QR have serviced ADL for years. EK did prior to Covid but haven't resumed services. Someone pointed out in another thread that OOL isn't big enough to handle non-stop flights to DOH (whether that's accurate or not, I don't know, but since I read it on the internet it must be true )

 

[Seat0B]

The main change I would like to see is treating all customers with respect, including respect for their time.

If you call Qantas because you need something that can't be done or found online, you should be able to get through to someone - quickly - who knows what they're doing and gives correct information the first time. I don't think that's too much to ask, but has not been the norm for the past several years.

and they should not even THINK about charging you for phone booking....I've had to argue that many times, and they often leave me feeling like they did me a favour when I would happily have done whatever it was online, if only I could.

 

[Seat0B]

I can't see this as being a priority for Qantas as they have more fundamental problems to address (such as the ones already raised in this thread), but as someone who's going to hit Lifetime Gold shortly, I see little reason to continue to chase Platinum every year and fly Qantas internationally.

If LTG members had a significantly lower Platinum re-qualification target (say 600 SCs every year instead of 1200), I would likely continue to pay the Qantas premium and even continue to do status runs each year. As is, I'm much more likely to use OneWorld partner airlines for overseas trips, and not worry about chasing status every year.

I totally agree! I think they are missing out on quite a lot of revenue from people in this bracket. I know that as soon as I drop back to LTG (which could be as soon as April 2024 given my surprise leukaemia diagnosis resulting in all travel cancelled for next 6 months), I will have little/no incentive to stick with Qantas unless they improve their offering, their pricing and their service.

 

[elanshin]

I totally agree! I think they are missing out on quite a lot of revenue from people in this bracket. I know that as soon as I drop back to LTG (which could be as soon as April 2024 given my surprise leukaemia diagnosis resulting in all travel cancelled for next 6 months), I will have little/no incentive to stick with Qantas unless they improve their offering, their pricing and their service.

Not that i disagree that something could be done between LTG and LTP, but in reality I don't actually believe that this is a large group of people.

Corporate that fly QF will still force you to fly QF. Those that don't have their flight policies. LTG to LTP while I'm sure are plenty of people here, it's probably a hyper niche market for QF to deal with.

Lost sales is lost sales, but I'd imagine there are lower hanging fruits to go after.

 

[Tiki]

Being able to change reward bookings (ie. change legs, dates, routes etc) online rather than having to call up.

It's frustrating having to call up multiple times as a Bronze member, only to be told that the reward seats I can see online aren't available on their end.

I had to do this over 100 times to get my reward seats changed to different flights etc.

It's literally a lottery to find a good personnel as a Bronze member.

Other than that if the above is unable to be done, probably have some Hobart calibre call centre agents in every contact centre to assist Bronze / Silver members with bookings.

Also, maybe having e-ticket numbers show up in the Qantas portal would be helpful rather than having to resort to using Royal Jordanian's website etc.

Especially if a partner (looking at you AA) changes the itinerary giving you a very tight connection in DFW. In case of schedule changes, married segments should be automatically divorced and let us book our own changes online with same city pair. It was so frustrating to have the perfect connection for me available in the correct award class on the unwanted changed segment but not being able to change to it because another segment was no longer available as an award and they insisted on keeping the 3 segments as a married itinerary. I had to fight with them for weeks to get it changed properly. And good thing because the first flight (MTY-DFW) was delayed 3 hours and I would have missed the rest of the itinerary (DFW-MIA, MIA-BON) and ruined my trip to Bonaire.

Just let us do it online!

 

[Seat0B]

Not that i disagree that something could be done between LTG and LTP, but in reality I don't actually believe that this is a large group of people.

Corporate that fly QF will still force you to fly QF. Those that don't have their flight policies. LTG to LTP while I'm sure are plenty of people here, it's probably a hyper niche market for QF to deal with.

Lost sales is lost sales, but I'd imagine there are lower hanging fruits to go after.

I get what you're saying, but my +1 retail travel spend on Qfi is about $30-40k per year, now we are all but retired. That is an absolute f@cktonne of corporate rate MEL-SYD flights. Plus, most corporates that I know have a BFOD for overseas travel too.

 

[MARTINE]

I totally agree! I think they are missing out on quite a lot of revenue from people in this bracket. I know that as soon as I drop back to LTG (which could be as soon as April 2024 given my surprise leukaemia diagnosis resulting in all travel cancelled for next 6 months), I will have little/no incentive to stick with Qantas unless they improve their offering, their pricing and their service.

All the very best for your health @Seat0B
Sorry to hear your recent diagoses.
Sending virtual hug

 

[Larko1]

CL for P1 members at a certain SC level... Maybe 7k, maybe 10k...

Also, just realised that the new CEO's initials match the (Aussie) regos. VH. Does Joyce Drive in Sydney get renamed?

F.Y.I.
Excerpt from The Street Names of Botany.
name
Joyce Drive, Mascot, New South Wales
description
: Joyce Drive, Mascot, New South Wales
: Named after Frank B. Joyce - Botany Alderman (1949-61), Mayor 1949-53. Former President of Sydney County Council. Located on the north eastern boundary of Kingsford Smith Airport extending from Qantas Drive to General Holmes Drive.

 

[hugamuga]

I would like a small layer of foam between the seat frame/tray table and the leather on the ex-jetstar Qantaslink A320, the seats are just so unbelievably uncomfortable, I don't understand how anyone can find that seat design acceptable.

 

[wandering_fred]

Given the current level of government "concern" with Qantas, perhaps it is now time that the WA government gave an ultimatum on the move to T1/2 in Perth. So my list for QF management:
1- a committed time schedule for moving to T1/2 in Perth
2- PremY seating on all future wide body planes - both domestic and international
3- Holders of life time status permitted to "earn" the next higher level of status at the "renewal SC level" ie LTS earns Gold at 600 LTG earns WP at 1200. Alternatively LTS has two QF double SC coupons and LTG four double QF SC coupons per frequent flyer year. Each coupon can be applied to an online booking PNR containing QF flights.
4- At least one open (and human run) check in desk at all capital city airports while QF flights are open for check in.
5- Check in kiosks that actual PRINT boarding passes if capable of printing baggage tickets
6- If the customer can not do something on line, calling to have the action completed has no additional charge. Call backs should provide a tracking identification code.
7. Off shore call center supervisors should have the same level of training, skills and authority as a senior staff member at the Hobart call center. Call backs should provide a tracking identification code.

Enough wandering
Fred

 

[sww199]

Some changes I would like to see, from the basic to the aspirational:

1. QF HQ treating staff better. They really are the backbone of the airline and I have noticed a considerable deterioration in staff morale, both on the ground and in the air. This used to be my favourite part of flying QF, but was butchered during the pandemic and I think has not returned.
2. Increased cleaning in lounges. I have seen some some chairs in disgusting condition across the lounge network - soiled and stained. It is unacceptable.
3. Rethinking lounge design. Some of the recent QF lounge overhauls have seen the removal of privacy and light, in exchange for open plan cafeterias. This completely undermines the point of a lounge - which should be a place to seek some peace and quiet before being stuffed into a metal tube. See, eg, Melbourne domestic QC. I hope QF hires new architects for the upcoming lounge redesigns.
4. Increased space in lounges. I have seen QF pushing hard to sign up new members to Qantas Club - offering discounts and sales etc. Likewise, from time to time QF offers incentives to get FFs into higher membership tiers where they will receive lounge access. That's fine, but you need to account for an increase of members in your lounge design. My experience around the country at peak times in the lounges is of lounges packed to the brim with minimal free seating, long queues to get food and drinks. Sometimes I frankly prefer to wait at the gate.
5. Bringing back international flights on QF metal to ADL. I suspect this is a matter of fleet utilisation, and with limited fleet the focus will be on growing larger markets like SYD, MEL, BNE. But in any event, ADL is still the primary port for some 1.7m+ residents in SA. Even SQ has a second daily flight ADL-SIN in peak times. Maybe things will change with the A321.

 

[Mr H]

Bringing back international flights on QF metal to ADL.

This is likely to change now QF has an Australian CEO. Ask any Australian about cramming bodies into small cylindrical spaces and they will immediately think of South Australia.

 

[SnowMum]

I’m too angry at Jetstar and Qantas to care what they do next.

 

[HS-TQE]

1. Bringing back international flights on QF metal to ADL. I suspect this is a matter of fleet utilisation, and with limited fleet the focus will be on growing larger markets like SYD, MEL, BNE. But in any event, ADL is still the primary port for some 1.7m+ residents in SA. Even SQ has a second daily flight ADL-SIN in peak times. Maybe things will change with the A321.

May be a medium term target with QF's A321XLRs, although in the 20J (Recliners) 180Y Domestic/Short Haul International configuration at least for ADL-SIN.

Post automatically merged: Sep 5, 2023

What caused the Qatar fight in the first place? Was it the Emirates tie-up or something else?

And didn't improve with QR eventually partnering with VA (replacing EY as the primary partner).

It's going to be a while before QR/QF shows any form of civility between each other, especially with the speculation of a QR buying a stake in VA on a 'indefinitely deferred' IPO.

 

[AndyC1970]

A simple request. Edible food that does not look like it has been both vomited and coughped out of a rabid monkey with some undetermined pox. And portions not aimed at people the size of leprechauns.

 

[Seat0B]

All the very best for your health @Seat0B
Sorry to hear your recent diagoses.
Sending virtual hug

Thanks @MARTINE. Luckily it’s rare but chronic hairy cell type and responds well to treatment which starts on Monday. Bad for the next little while, but then should be good.

 

[CaptJCool]

Lounge Design
NOW NEEDS TO CATER FOR SINGLE TRAVELLERS
seeing they ditched the Bring a friend privilege
Too many two seats tied up by one person

 

[dylarr]

- I would like to see at least WPs not have change fees or perhaps a one time fee-free change able to be done.

Removal of change fees (for both revenue and rewards bookings) would be up the top of my list - a lot of US based airlines introduced this across a broader range of fare categories post-COVID.

Lower ticket prices would also be on the top of my list as well.

 

[dylarr]

An updated app that includes bag tracking (e.g like AA and UA)

Qantas have confirmed this will be coming by the "end of the year" (we'll see).