Has Qantas got its "mojo" back?

[JRT]

I've flown JQ plenty of times and really they aren't that bad. had some great crews too. had some soso ones as well.

As a mother with a small boy, flying to/from NTL, I second this. It really comes down to the crew on the day, and the situations they;ve had o deal with that day. While we pay for a service, and expect it to be delivered, ultimately we're all human, and all have off times.

 

[Must...Fly!]

First dom QF flight in about 6 months. While not really a direct comparison and only one flight it was certainly excellent for a red-eye (QF648 PER-MEL), so much so I am considering writing to QF about it....

Ok nothing special service wise, I was in Y after all, but all throughout the flight smiles were standard, it was quite stunning to see and something I really don't recall from the last times I have caught red-eyes on any carrier (usually it's grumpy people who retire to the galley at the first opportunity!). Nothing was too much trouble either from what I observed around me.

 

[markis10]

I am betting the feedback line for any airline gets mostly bad news, so I would suggest providing feedback about your experience, good service needs to be shouted about IMHO!

 

[serfty]

... On that note, why can air NZ fly point to point from most NZ cities to most Aus cities yet QFi (using lower paid jetconnect NZ crew) cannot?

... because they could not make any money doing so.

Qantas abandoned NZ domestic some years ago, introducing the "orange cancer".

At the time there was DJ, QF and NZ cutting each others throats; NZ had an advantage with a strong lock on government/corporate travel.

I could fly QF from AKL to WLG for under NZ$40 without any issue.

Now all that's left is NZ and JQ, with JQ on some few main trunk routes only.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Well flight two included an aircraft change after boarding so it was behind a little to start with. Can't really compare a 3 hour sector with a 1 hour rush job after a metal change, wouldn't be fair.

Though it wasn't the best overall, as our aircraft when u/s, we swapped with the B767 that was allocated for the next MEL-SYD flight at 9am - which meant we didn't receive breakfast, but instead a snack. Hardly the end of the world, but I didn't eat at the terminal expecting something half decent...never mind!

 

[drron]

I am betting the feedback line for any airline gets mostly bad news, so I would suggest providing feedback about your experience, good service needs to be shouted about IMHO!

But it might help if QF showed that they appreciated the compliments.18 months ago I complimented QF re a staff member at MEL who went way above what was needed.Have never heard back.Yesterday I sent an email to AA complimenting the crew on our LAX-DFW flight-they were really good.I looked at my emails 30 minutes later and already there was a personalised reply to my email.Of course the fact that today I was ringing them about using my last 2 EVIPs had nothing to do with the praise.

 

[Mollycram]

Ok nothing special service wise, I was in Y after all, but all throughout the flight smiles were standard, it was quite stunning to see and something I really don't recall from the last times I have caught red-eyes on any carrier (usually it's grumpy people who retire to the galley at the first opportunity!). Nothing was too much trouble either from what I observed around me.

Our QF10 flight from Singapore was rubbish on Tuesday night....the crew barely cracked a smile the entire flight. One of the FA's scowled the entire 7 hours. Breakfast consisted of a Danish and a green inedible banana. The advertised yoghurt was MIA. 15 minutes before landing we had to ask for immigration cards as our entire section (upstairs in y on a refurbed aircraft) had been missed. When we politely asked for express cards (we were going straight to work so a quick exit was going to help) the CSM told us that they were only for platinums....to which we we replied, "we are". He looked us up and down and replied that he didn't have us listed and that he had said hello to all the platinums on our flight. All in all, not a QF flight that I want to remember.

 

[The Rok]

Our QF10 flight from Singapore was rubbish on Tuesday night....the crew barely cracked a smile the entire flight. One of the FA's scowled the entire 7 hours. Breakfast consisted of a Danish and a green inedible banana. The advertised yoghurt was MIA. 15 minutes before landing we had to ask for immigration cards as our entire section (upstairs in y on a refurbed aircraft) had been missed. When we politely asked for express cards (we were going straight to work so a quick exit was going to help) the CSM told us that they were only for platinums....to which we we replied, "we are". He looked us up and down and replied that he didn't have us listed and that he had said hello to all the platinums on our flight. All in all, not a QF flight that I want to remember.

I would of taken his full name and provided feedback to QF. Back to the training academy for him.

 

[jetlagger]

Our QF10 flight from Singapore was rubbish on Tuesday night....the crew barely cracked a smile the entire flight. One of the FA's scowled the entire 7 hours. Breakfast consisted of a Danish and a green inedible banana. The advertised yoghurt was MIA. 15 minutes before landing we had to ask for immigration cards as our entire section (upstairs in y on a refurbed aircraft) had been missed. When we politely asked for express cards (we were going straight to work so a quick exit was going to help) the CSM told us that they were only for platinums....to which we we replied, "we are". He looked us up and down and replied that he didn't have us listed and that he had said hello to all the platinums on our flight. All in all, not a QF flight that I want to remember.

Mmm interesting how they missed that one..
Sounds similar to my recent experience on QF19 SYD/BNE dom/int sector. I was coming off an international QF flight transiting in SYD INT. When I politely asked for an arrival card for BNE INT, the FA exclaimed 'YOU ARE IN AUSTRALIA - YOU DON'T NEED IT" in a very condescending manner.
I then proceeded to the galley where other flight crew were seated reading New Idea. Ok fine.. I asked again, I was politely given the arrival card 'Sure not a problem" with a smile.
This is the type of inconsistent service values that I often find annoying at least.

 

[eastwest101]

I would of taken his full name and provided feedback to QF. Back to the training academy for him.

Agree - this is why there is a feedback mechanism. If indeed this is the attitude of a probably small minority of crew, they need to be held to account, improve or find another form of employment.

 

[TonyHancock]

But it might help if QF showed that they appreciated the compliments.18 months ago I complimented QF re a staff member at MEL who went way above what was needed.Have never heard back.Yesterday I sent an email to AA complimenting the crew on our LAX-DFW flight-they were really good.I looked at my emails 30 minutes later and already there was a personalised reply to my email.Of course the fact that today I was ringing them about using my last 2 EVIPs had nothing to do with the praise.

I left very positive feedback about two QF CSM's and FA's last weekend and ticked the box saying I didn't want a response. Lo and behold I got a phone call thanking me for the feedback.

Our QF10 flight from Singapore was rubbish on Tuesday night....the crew barely cracked a smile the entire flight. One of the FA's scowled the entire 7 hours. Breakfast consisted of a Danish and a green inedible banana. The advertised yoghurt was MIA. 15 minutes before landing we had to ask for immigration cards as our entire section (upstairs in y on a refurbed aircraft) had been missed. When we politely asked for express cards (we were going straight to work so a quick exit was going to help) the CSM told us that they were only for platinums....to which we we replied, "we are". He looked us up and down and replied that he didn't have us listed and that he had said hello to all the platinums on our flight. All in all, not a QF flight that I want to remember.

That is pretty ordinary. Definitely leave feedback and request a response.

 

[mannej]

But it might help if QF showed that they appreciated the compliments.18 months ago I complimented QF re a staff member at MEL who went way above what was needed.Have never heard back.Yesterday I sent an email to AA complimenting the crew on our LAX-DFW flight-they were really good.I looked at my emails 30 minutes later and already there was a personalised reply to my email.Of course the fact that today I was ringing them about using my last 2 EVIPs had nothing to do with the praise.

To that I say QF at their inconsistent best. I have received feedback from QF regarding similar compliments.

It wasn't a 30 minute response, but it wasn't 18 months without a response.

 

[jetlagger]

I left very positive feedback about two QF CSM's and FA's last weekend and ticked the box saying I didn't want a response. Lo and behold I got a phone call thanking me for the feedback.

It is always going to be very different for you at the front Tony, even without noting your evident DYKWIA humbled status & repore :mrgreen:

 

[drron]

I left very positive feedback about two QF CSM's and FA's last weekend and ticked the box saying I didn't want a response. Lo and behold I got a phone call thanking me for the feedback.

Unfortunately I am not Tony Hancock to QF.But maybe AA have me confused with such a famous person!

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

I reckon they are trying pretty hard. My wife and I were in the lounge in Bangkok recently waiting to board, seats 3A & 3 B. my name was called to come to the desk, when I went there they told me the IFE system was not working in one of our seats and they had changed our seats to 1A & 1B.

Got on plane and it was full in J, more than likely the persons now in 3A & 3B with dodgy IFE system were Qantas staff ??
Excellent service all the way back.
We have had consistently good service from genuinly helful happy people on all the flights we have been on including getting a personal visit from the captain in LAX in September when our seating in J was mucked up and the issued tickets ( we discovered after boarding the plane) were different from the ones booked on line and confirmed and were seating my wife and I separately in different rows.
Turned out the check in person in JFK had shifted a staff member into our window seat ( travelling by himself) for the LAX - SYD leg.
The CSM was not happy about it happening and said that full fare passengers( us ) should not have that happen in relation to travelling staff etc and had apparently called the captain who came and apologised personally to us etc and said " just wanted to make sure everything is fine"
The travelling staff member was shifted and we then had our original booked seats.
Partly my fault ( lesson learnt !!!) in that I had the online tickets I had printed out and simply did not double check the tickets issued to us in JFK as I did not even think I had to. Had I looked at the tickets in JFK I would/should have picked it up then
They fixed the problem, were very apologetic and gave us great service all the way back. I reckon they are well and truely on track and when you look at all the sales they are having their pricing is fair.

 

[simongr]

How far back to do you go?

Somewhere along the way you have to accept responsibility for your decisions or lack of decisions.

One example would be the 777 - they would have been a great fit if QF had known both the A380 and the 787 were going to be significantly delayed and that fuel prices were going to spike and there was going to be a GFC. AJ picked up that ball and ran with it.

 

[ajw373]

One example would be the 777 - they would have been a great fit if QF had known both the A380 and the 787 were going to be significantly delayed and that fuel prices were going to spike and there was going to be a GFC. AJ picked up that ball and ran with it.

Been debated before but the 777 models available when Qantas was looking at the 777 would not have suited Qantas routes and the models that have come since do suit but in niche form only. MEL-LAX and SYD-DFW for example. So really don't think the lack of 777's has been too much of an issue as the A330's have been good on the shorter more regional routes and the 747-400ER on the longer routes.

 

[NM]

Been debated before but the 777 models available when Qantas was looking at the 777 would not have suited Qantas routes and the models that have come since do suit but in niche form only. MEL-LAX and SYD-DFW for example. So really don't think the lack of 777's has been too much of an issue as the A330's have been good on the shorter more regional routes and the 747-400ER on the longer routes.

And remember that the initial A330 deliveries came at significant discounts offered by Airbus in recognition of the A380 delivery delays. I think this was a very strategic action by Airbus to ensure the 777 did not enter service in QF livery.

 

[oz_mark]

And remember that the initial A330 deliveries came at significant discounts offered by Airbus in recognition of the A380 delivery delays. I think this was a very strategic action by Airbus to ensure the 777 did not enter service in QF livery.

The initial A330s were ordered as part of the package of getting an A380 order from Qantas. It was a package price that Qantas couldn't pass up. So, those first A330s were not related to the A380 delays. If anything, they were there to allow Qantas to gain some Airbus experience.

 

[markis10]

It will be interesting to see what replaces the 747s, a decision must come soon given the lead time on some of the possibilities, and I dont think QF will walk into buying an untested design again. Garuda are looking at a 5 year average fleet age target (currently 6.5 years versus QF mainline at 10.6) as they renew and replace, and it looks like they are heading back to Brisbane next year to compete with Qantas, we live in interesting times.