Yes, I don't disagree with you, I'm keeping my own options open on this as are many others. But whats QF to actually do? They seem stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The first thing they need to do is bring people back to the front lines (eg checkin \ bag drop)... The more points of contact a person has with a company, the more likely a company is to hear keywords which tell them what they need to do. This is the sort of stuff which surveys will never capture.
The second, realise that once the "cat is out of the bag" so to speak in terms of extra's for the airlines FFers, it will be very difficult to reduce the new higher level of service without risking losing your frequent flyers to other airlines. FFers are the people who through either extraordinary commitment to your airline (in the case of PS \ SG \ WP \ WP1) or via payment to confirm commitment (in the case of QP). Sure insist that your FFer's do actually fly a certain amount with QF, and not just other OW airlines (as they are not really your FFers) but even down at the PS level these guys have chosen to fly you again and again. (That or done a full fare F trip)
Third, make sure that every experience is the same. Bar any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances no pax should be leaving the flight and thinking (gee that FA really didn't want to be there). Make things consistant. This also includes making the food and drink offered on each flight the same. (exception, for morning flights offer breakfast, not last nights dinner). Plus seriously, is it really that much easier to hand out water and juice (as well as beer and wine) on SYD - CBR flights compared to also handing out softdrinks? Not everyone want's a beer on a 30 minute flight before having to hop into a car and drive (especially if you've had a couple in the QP before hand)
Fourth, there is a massive difference between a A380 skybed and a B737 convertable seat. Selling both under the business class brand is not going to win you any favours. Yes I know both Airbus and Boeing have been late in delivering promised models, in that case re-do the cabins of your current A/C's so they at least feel new. Pax don't care about how old a plane is, just how old the interior looks. The same with things like IFE... I booked a flight to PER last year, the A/C type was meant to have IFE, it got swapped out for one that didn't. This doesn't scream premium airline to me.
Fifth, if I'd wanted to book with JQ, I'd have gone to the JQ website. Having JQ flights mixed in with QF flights and sometimes with "QF" flights number attached can be very misleading. JQ do not provide a premium service, and thus there should be no risk that one could pick a JQ flight by accident. There are numerious complains on things like nonews from people who booked on the QF website but ended up on a JQ flight. Yes they should have looked at what they where doing more closely, but the reality is they are going to be rubbishing your "premium" brand to everyone they know because they paid for a QF flight (at QF prices, oftan the JQ option is the same price as the QF option via the QF website) and yet where given a seat and nothing more. Doesn't sound very premium to me.
Sixth, seriously, is a $10 lean cuisine meal too much to ask for? Yes it costs money to transport food on board flights, but you are charging a premium price for the service to cover such things.
Seventh, make your qantas clubs special again. When I decide to spend my time waiting down in the terminal to escape the noise of the QP something has gone wrong. Provide some decent food (on the ground where everything is cheaper), and thus you may not need to carry so many in-flight meals.
Eighth, the ticket price should include everything, and not just for the FFer's. After the ticket has been purchased (and with limited exception if the pax decides to take everything including the kitchen sink as checked luggage) there should be no additional fees. No fees to pre-select seats (sure lock off seats for your premium pax, but give everyone a chance to pick the seat they'd like. There are many airlines out there that let non-status pax pick seats for free), no fees to talk to someone by phone, no fees to check baggage (yes I know QF don't do this - yet). Emphasise on the fact that you pay an amount and that's it. (Don't just put up posters explaining that your "full service" as that translates to "what ever that means").
Ninth, routes which may seem unprofitable may have futher reaching implications if you hand them over to JQ... Treat JQ and QF as two separate airlines. Don't remind people that JQ is part of the QF group, don't let QF make concessions for JQ. Let them go head to head on a route and let the public decide, otherwise you risk pushing people over to other options if they don't like JQ, but feel forced to use them if they want a QF option.
Sure charge a premium for these things, but make sure that people know this is what they are getting for their $$$. You'll never win over the TT \ JQ \ AAX crowd, but that shouldn't be your aim. (as that's one fight you'll never win), but those mid level people who have some extra $$$ sitting around (but not enough to splurge on J or F) should be the ones you are targetting. They are the ones who could be QF's bread and butter. But they won't spend extra $$$ just because it's the patriotic thing to do.
But the issues with the Dallas flights being diverted to refuel, really should make you think about the systems and processes happening inside QF that would ever allowed this to happen in the first place. In my opinion, something is very wrong and I have decided to minimize my high mileage exposure to an airline which I see making decisions I find hard to follow.
