Dear Mr Joyce...

[TonyHancock]

As for John Travolta I think he has been used quite well by Qantas, however, remember he is a pilot himself.

I think I would have preferred that the money saved by not using JT had been used to not "enhance" the FF program. (Even if it paid for a Barista!)

 

[EmilyHoward]

It could have been that my last QF flight the food was terrible, but based on that one thing alone they have lost a sale, and the sad thing is that it'll never show up as a problem on the bottom line... They will see that by changing catering companies they just saved $3 on the cost of my meal, and to them that is a good thing. They don't see the $20,000 which is now going to another airline.

Good point there!

 

[UP4014]

I think I would have preferred that the money saved by not using JT had been used to not "enhance" the FF program. (Even if it paid for a Barista!)

I don't think using John Travolta has been that bad, I'm not sure what $$'s involved but better spent than sponsoring yet another football event. I enjoy going out and watching his 707 roar down the runway, it is a classic.

 

[rechoboam]

I don't think using John Travolta has been that bad, I'm not sure what $$'s involved but better spent than sponsoring yet another football event. I enjoy going out and watching his 707 roar down the runway, it is a classic.

I actually think JT is a great actor particularly his first films. But it's "just" acting, and the brain surgeons, mining executives, and other societally just as important people who might need to travel a lot and pay for front seats surely arent bewitched by JT glamour enough to make it worth switching. I agree with the above posts, if they paid for a barista I would be really happy and would love the experience. That would be value-adding in every respect. My last trip to NZ I got the beautiful JT video, but not on my own IFE because there wasn't any, on NZ there was. Unfortunately that sums up the issue for me or particularly for my other half.

Edit: plus the man has his own planes (and runway) and lives in another country which has few, soon probably no, domestic QF services, I always find the video kind of fake, like if Jay Leno were standing in front of his car collection spruiking a taxi service!

 

[Limewood]

I'm sure many would also like more J award seats available say 4/6 months out rather than 10 or 12.

 

[dajop]

I don't really see the problem with JT. Never thought he was appointed or there for the Australian market, so of course most of us will fail to be impressed by the whole JT thing. However, I always thought it was about the Qantas brand in the US, harder to judge if successful or not. Savings by getting rid of JT probably wouldn't make a dent. I think someone suggested spending more on catering, instead, but of course even just spending an extra 30c per passenger - and only on MEL/SYD flights - that comes to around $1m per annum.

 

[LiamR]

Heh. Never got a reply from out friend Mr Joyce, funny that.

I've E-Mailed Borghetti a few times and I'll hear back from him within hours. Always encourages me to E-Mail him if I think I've been treated unfairly, or experienced some really bad service.

I think that sums up the views of Qantas & Virgin right there.

 

[Robert K]

Do you really want/expect the CEO of any company to handle complaint emails?

I doubt he's personally replying anyway. But if he is indeed doing it, then the only thing summed up is JB having too much time.

 

[drewbles]

Do you really want/expect the CEO of any company to handle complaint emails?

I doubt he's personally replying anyway. But if he is indeed doing it, then the only thing summed up is JB having too much time.

Explain why then, if this is your theory, Steve Jobs would reply to peoples email personally? Sure, he didn't respond to *every* person (such as the size/reach of the Apple brand he simply could not), but he did.

It's good business sense for the CEO to appear 'one of the guys'. I praise JB for this. I'm sure he doesn't respond to every person who emails him either, but it's great to see that he does stay in touch with us frequent flyers.

 

[Robert K]

Do you fly virgin because JB appears to be "down to earth"?

Apple isnt successful because Jobs replies to email.

*calming down*
sorry, didn't mean to be so pissy
just stuck in coffs harbour due to to engineering issues and am gonna miss my connection to tamworth.

But i'm still not gonna email AJ about it

 

[drewbles]

Do you fly virgin because JB appears to be "down to earth"?

Apple isnt successful because Jobs replies to email.

*calming down*
sorry, didn't mean to be so pissy
just stuck in coffs harbour due to to engineering issues and am gonna miss my connection to tamworth.

But i'm still not gonna email AJ about it

I fly an airline because they care about their pax and look after them. A culture of customer service is the same as a culture of safety at an airline. It must propagate from the CEO down to the people who mop the floors, ie, ingrained. If the CEO doesn't care, there's a good chance the attitude will largely filter down. Apple, well, Steve was responsible for most things that came out of Cupertino since he re-joined the company in the 90's when it was days from bankruptcy. I buy Apple products because they suit my needs, and it just happens to be Steve's fault

I emailed QF once a huge kudos for a staff member (as a WP), and never heard back. I emailed another one when I was silver and got a response thanking me and a personal response outlining the staff member I mentioned had previously won an excel award and would be nominated further.

And well I wouldn't want to be stranded in either Coffs Harbour nor Tamworth, so go drink in the lounge and forget about the missed connection (a good airline will take care of you there!).

 

[flyingdoctor]

"Focus on passengers, Qantas told."

That'll be a first e.g. a selection of recent headlines:
"FURIOUS passengers stranded at London's Heathrow airport accused Qantas of leaving them with no local assistance."
"FURIOUS passengers stranded in London say Qantas abandoned them without explanation."
"Choice slams $350 stranded allowance for Qantas passengers."

There does seem to be a yawning chasm between the dictionary definition of 'service' and what Qantas delivers. That's why I only fly with them or Jet* if I totally can't avoid it.