Flight number QF436 23.5.22
Route Melbourne (MEL) to Sydney (SYD)
Aircraft type Boeing 737-800
Class of travel Business (Economy)
Seat number 25C
On-timer performance 70 minutes late
Star rating *
Flight cost $1728-36 (return)
Airport experience
Whilst in the taxi on the way to the airport Qantas sends us a text advising that our 12:00 noon flight has been cancelled. As we arrive at the terminal at 10:05, a second text advises that we have been put on a flight departing at 14:30. A quick check of the flight status board indicates that this flight is already showing as delayed. With the prospect of 5 hours in Melbourne airport not appealing, we contact Qantas Premium. After 30 minutes on hold we are advised we can secure seats on the 11:00 flight if we accept a downgrade to economy and pay an additional $193.57.
Melbourne airport has changed very little in recent times, with a slightly odd Terminal 1,2 and 3 layout with T1 for Qantas Domestic, T3 Virgin and other domestic carriers and the international T2 terminal squeezed in between. We check-in at the counter after queuing for 10 minutes. Initially this is not possible as our changed flight has not been updated. After a further 10-minute delay, we are given boarding passes. Security was quick – much better than Sydney airport (but that is a very low bar).
Qantas Business Lounge remains a nice place: much cleaner and seemingly more specious than the frankly dirty and very tired Business Lounge in Sydney. Again, unlike Sydney, no need to queue to access the lounge. Food fine but nothing special: lukewarm, slightly wet scrambled eggs and bacon available to self-serve, together with toast, pastries and muffins. Fresh fruit salad and some yoghurt also provided as well as fresh, whole fruit. Single serve basic preserves for toast on offer, so if you want peanut butter or vegemite you will be disappointed. The single barista is working hard as evidenced by the long queue for coffees.
Boarding is both late and chaotic, with no policing of the priority lane. It becomes apparent that the flight is full as Qantas has ‘combined’ two flights into one. Several passengers have US sized cabin luggage which then needs to be checked in, adding to delays. As a result total boarding time takes over 25 minutes.
On landing in Sydney, we are told that there is a queue for gates, so we wait just on a side ramp for about 20 minutes. Amazingly the inflight entertainment is still active, so this enables me to finish another episode of a drama series. After exiting we make our way to the luggage carousel. Unknown to us this is only labelled by an earlier flight number that had been combined with our flight, which causes us and several other passengers some confusion. After another 25 minutes wait the carousel starts and predictably our bags arrive last, very wet and with the priority tags still visible......
The hard product
The Qantas 737 fleet is long in the tooth and despite refurbishment this is all too visible. There are 12 J class seats in a 2-2 arrangement with the remaining economy seats 3-3. There is no longer a barrier between J and Y class, with just one toilet in the front and 2 in the rear. The J class seats recline but that is about it in terms of comfort. Bizarrely the Y class seat, although much narrower, seems more comfortable with better seating material on this return flight. I suspect this had been refurbished more recently. There is a small screen in the seat back in front which is used to show the safety video. On our outgoing flight the system is then turned off with no explanation. On this return flight the system worked well with a good selection of films, TV and streaming shows. Wifi was available, but the logon process is quite clunky, slow and needs to be repeated each time you wish again to check for emails or download a streamed song or video. Once connected, the speed is also slow.
The soft product
The cabin crew, usually the best feature on any Qantas flight, perform their duties satisfactorily but really seem to just be going through the motions, frustrated by those passengers with large bags or who are slow moving. No staff offered to help with coats or bags at any point. Despite many passengers annoyed by delays and cancelled flights, all behave impeccably.
The ‘meal’ service in Economy is coffee, tea, water or juice and a packet of small biscuits. J class is served a more substantial 'meal' of a sandwich or salad with bread, water, coffee, tea, wine, beer and a single Lindt chocolate. Tea is drinkable but the coffee terrible, with UHT milk only available.
Qantas Boeing 737-800 Business Class (Downgraded to Economy)
Airport experience *** (Melbourne); * (Sydney)
Hard product **
Soft product **
Final thoughts
When flights between Sydney and Melbourne become this stressful an difficult, meaning it takes most of the day to travel between the two cities just 1 hour flying time apart, Qantas clearly has a significant service problem. The goal seems to be to combine as many flights as possible to maximise profit at the expense of the customer. The hard product cannot be quickly addressed, but this flight reminded me of many US domestic flights in the past with the same casual, take it or leave it approach to customer service. It has really put me off flying domestically in the short-term.
Route Melbourne (MEL) to Sydney (SYD)
Aircraft type Boeing 737-800
Class of travel Business (Economy)
Seat number 25C
On-timer performance 70 minutes late
Star rating *
Flight cost $1728-36 (return)
Airport experience
Whilst in the taxi on the way to the airport Qantas sends us a text advising that our 12:00 noon flight has been cancelled. As we arrive at the terminal at 10:05, a second text advises that we have been put on a flight departing at 14:30. A quick check of the flight status board indicates that this flight is already showing as delayed. With the prospect of 5 hours in Melbourne airport not appealing, we contact Qantas Premium. After 30 minutes on hold we are advised we can secure seats on the 11:00 flight if we accept a downgrade to economy and pay an additional $193.57.
Melbourne airport has changed very little in recent times, with a slightly odd Terminal 1,2 and 3 layout with T1 for Qantas Domestic, T3 Virgin and other domestic carriers and the international T2 terminal squeezed in between. We check-in at the counter after queuing for 10 minutes. Initially this is not possible as our changed flight has not been updated. After a further 10-minute delay, we are given boarding passes. Security was quick – much better than Sydney airport (but that is a very low bar).
Qantas Business Lounge remains a nice place: much cleaner and seemingly more specious than the frankly dirty and very tired Business Lounge in Sydney. Again, unlike Sydney, no need to queue to access the lounge. Food fine but nothing special: lukewarm, slightly wet scrambled eggs and bacon available to self-serve, together with toast, pastries and muffins. Fresh fruit salad and some yoghurt also provided as well as fresh, whole fruit. Single serve basic preserves for toast on offer, so if you want peanut butter or vegemite you will be disappointed. The single barista is working hard as evidenced by the long queue for coffees.
Boarding is both late and chaotic, with no policing of the priority lane. It becomes apparent that the flight is full as Qantas has ‘combined’ two flights into one. Several passengers have US sized cabin luggage which then needs to be checked in, adding to delays. As a result total boarding time takes over 25 minutes.
On landing in Sydney, we are told that there is a queue for gates, so we wait just on a side ramp for about 20 minutes. Amazingly the inflight entertainment is still active, so this enables me to finish another episode of a drama series. After exiting we make our way to the luggage carousel. Unknown to us this is only labelled by an earlier flight number that had been combined with our flight, which causes us and several other passengers some confusion. After another 25 minutes wait the carousel starts and predictably our bags arrive last, very wet and with the priority tags still visible......
The hard product
The Qantas 737 fleet is long in the tooth and despite refurbishment this is all too visible. There are 12 J class seats in a 2-2 arrangement with the remaining economy seats 3-3. There is no longer a barrier between J and Y class, with just one toilet in the front and 2 in the rear. The J class seats recline but that is about it in terms of comfort. Bizarrely the Y class seat, although much narrower, seems more comfortable with better seating material on this return flight. I suspect this had been refurbished more recently. There is a small screen in the seat back in front which is used to show the safety video. On our outgoing flight the system is then turned off with no explanation. On this return flight the system worked well with a good selection of films, TV and streaming shows. Wifi was available, but the logon process is quite clunky, slow and needs to be repeated each time you wish again to check for emails or download a streamed song or video. Once connected, the speed is also slow.
The soft product
The cabin crew, usually the best feature on any Qantas flight, perform their duties satisfactorily but really seem to just be going through the motions, frustrated by those passengers with large bags or who are slow moving. No staff offered to help with coats or bags at any point. Despite many passengers annoyed by delays and cancelled flights, all behave impeccably.
The ‘meal’ service in Economy is coffee, tea, water or juice and a packet of small biscuits. J class is served a more substantial 'meal' of a sandwich or salad with bread, water, coffee, tea, wine, beer and a single Lindt chocolate. Tea is drinkable but the coffee terrible, with UHT milk only available.
Qantas Boeing 737-800 Business Class (Downgraded to Economy)
Airport experience *** (Melbourne); * (Sydney)
Hard product **
Soft product **
Final thoughts
When flights between Sydney and Melbourne become this stressful an difficult, meaning it takes most of the day to travel between the two cities just 1 hour flying time apart, Qantas clearly has a significant service problem. The goal seems to be to combine as many flights as possible to maximise profit at the expense of the customer. The hard product cannot be quickly addressed, but this flight reminded me of many US domestic flights in the past with the same casual, take it or leave it approach to customer service. It has really put me off flying domestically in the short-term.
