Has Qantas lost your business due to its failure to provide customer service?

[eastwest101]

Seem the market is talking at the moment - I have been looking at booking a load of flights domestically, and invariably/often, VA is as expensive, or more expensive than QF for Y class tickets, so can assume that with QF being rightly or wrongly in the media for all the wrong reasons lately, that people are maybe avoiding booking with QF, and might be booking VA (and JQ instead)? I have never seen so many city pair combos where VA is currently more expensive than QF before, and I had a bit of a double-take when I started seeing this...

Is anyone else booking flights at the moment and noticing the same thing? Ah just realized - most states have school holidays until the 24th April - airfares are back to normal after that... Seems a bit weird that most of my BFOD bookings coming up are with QF, VA don't seem to have the capacity and network reach in some places yet.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I would not be surprised if the VA fare situation you've seen is due to a higher level of cancellations in the weeks leading up to departure.

 

[eastwest101]

I would not be surprised if the VA fare situation you've seen is due to a higher level of cancellations in the weeks leading up to departure.

Do you mean that VA has also been canceling/consolidating a lot of their own flights? I am guessing that they might also be suffering crew shortages at the moment too, so might have more planes parked on the ground at the moment? Fewer seats available = upwards pressure on fares?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Do you mean that VA has also been canceling/consolidating a lot of their own flights? I am guessing that they might also be suffering crew shortages at the moment too, so might have more planes parked on the ground at the moment? Fewer seats available = upwards pressure on fares?

Yes that's what I am getting at. For instance last night I was looking for a friend, couldn't buy a seat to ADL or PER in either direction on VA. QF/JQ asking a motza of course but at least you could pay and get on a plane if you needed to.

 

[Anna]

VA can't compete equally with QF on the ADL routes. Fewer flights and until not that long ago, usually on smaller aircraft than QF. Eg Embraer on the ADL CBR route whereas QF had a 737. Maybe VA is a true competitor to QF on the eastern seaboard routes but not to/from ADL.

 

[Mattg]

VA can't compete equally with QF on the ADL routes. Fewer flights and until not that long ago, usually on smaller aircraft than QF. Eg Embraer on the ADL CBR route whereas QF had a 737. Maybe VA is a true competitor to QF on the eastern seaboard routes but not to/from ADL.

Nowadays, VA is flying 737s and QF is flying E190s on CBR-ADL.

QF does have more frequency.

 

[Harrison_133]

Flew MCY-SYD-MEL with VA last night. SYD-MEL (10pm, last one of the night) was cancelled while I was in the air from MCY, automatically booked onto the 6am flight the next morning. Hotel, shuttle and meal vouchers issued within minutes of arriving in the terminal in SYD. Very efficient.

When I went to baggage services to get my luggage, I said I’d been moved to the 6am. “Gosh, that’s early. Would you like me to move you to a later flight?” She happily moved me to an evening flight of my choosing, so I’m now enjoying a day in Sydney compliments of Virgin.

My point here is, even the VA baggage services desk has reservation powers to amend bookings yet Qantas can’t even muster up a service desk anymore to help passengers in a disruption. It’s these sorts of things that remind me why I avoid giving QF my business at all costs. My most recent experiences with QF just do not justify choosing them over VA.

 

[Anna]

Qantas can’t even muster up a service desk anymore to help passengers in a disruption

At MEL dom there was a QF service desk operating over the weekend, near the start of the gates. But when I asked, I was told it is only staffed until the last QF departure every day. It does not remain open for any QF arrivals that are later. So yes, bad luck for anyone arriving on QF later and wanting to sort out a QF disruption of any kind.

 

[justinbrett]

At MEL dom there was a QF service desk operating over the weekend, near the start of the gates. But when I asked, I was told it is only staffed until the last QF departure every day. It does not remain open for any QF arrivals that are later. So yes, bad luck for anyone arriving on QF later and wanting to sort out a QF disruption of any kind.

In Brisbane yesterday there was a BNE-CBR flight cancelled and the lounge announced that the SYD service desk were rebooking pax on new flights via SYD and MEL.

Perhaps it’s a progressive reopening of the service desks.

 

[serfty]

Perhaps it’s a progressive reopening of the service desks.

More likely it on a needs basis.

They staffed the service desk in the MEL J lounge recently for about 75 minutes when a 2pm flight to SYD I was booked on was cancelled.

 

[CMA222]

More likely it on a needs basis.

They staffed the service desk in the MEL J lounge recently for about 75 minutes when a 2pm flight to SYD I was booked on was cancelled.

Perhaps they should be called 'disruption desks' if they are not available to provide 'service' at other times.
.

 

[dylarr]

I'd assume nobody at the manned desks could handle any ticket related issues since that skillset is a higher pay grade and Qantas made all of those staff redundant, so you'll likely still need a chair if requiring ticket assistance. Their abilities are probably the same as whatever a check-in agent or lounge staff could do with Altea for Day of Ops/irrops.

 

[Vic]

Qantas hasn't really lost my business. I just had the good luck to have a bit of knowledge in 2020. I didn't cancel my major overseas holiday booking in July 2020. Instead I just kept accepting the changes until Qantas cancelled, and then I could get a refund. They messed me around last year with some bookings, but I also just played the waiting game. At the moment I have about $400 in vouchers with Qantas and like 4 booking.

I am flying more with VA, because well I do have a heap of travel bank with them. But also because I can get business with VA for less than QF economy. So I'm burning my travel bank and saving money to fly business.

I agree with you it does feel that way that they will just pick up a proportion of those 'casual / smaller' businesses - but without the human overhead that is required to pitch for and manage corporate accounts.

Those small businesses / sole traders will probably just buy straight off the website/amalgamator anyway and they can try and steer them onto the new version of QBR as well as an option too.

Sorry if this has already been answered, I haven't read the rest of the thread.
But it's not a new version of QBR. VA always had Accelerate. As best I can work out they've just added a rewards portal. Booking flights and look at existing business bookings, and review travel bank balances I have to log into the pre-existing Accelerate portal. So now I have two VA business logins, and one gives me a handful of points. Those handful of points for the business is all that's been added.
Personally the discounts for booking via the business portal are worth more than the points.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Seems like we're not the only ones complaining about poor Qantas customer service. From today's Australian Aviation:

A petition calling for Qantas to improve its customer service has gained 17,000 new signatures in the last three weeks alone, as customers grow increasingly frustrated with tied-up phone lines and broken online systems.

Will this force uncle Alan to do anything about this? Probably not. After all, it's those dumb rusty flyers who have the audacity to pay money for a Qantas flight online and expect to get from point A to point B with their luggage without delay!

-RooFlyer88

 

[TJM]

Yes, getting FF support is a debacle.

The WA border was not open until March 3 and therefore I could not take xx_XX with the double status credits until after that day and the original routing MEL-ADL-PER return in business with double status points is NOT SHOWING.

Elaine Denise emailed me to contact her which I did by phoning 131313.....five times now.

I tried to follow up on errors in the status credit activity

I called the FF Help Centre today - this was the fifth call to address screenshots showing incorrect status credits.

My anniversary ended on 31 March - starts on April 1 but was renewed on 23 April.

I am not confident with phone consultations without follow up verification by email.

(1) 2054 EXPIRED STATUS CREDITS - not 1854 ;
(2) no STATUS SUPPORT - STATUS CREDIT ROLLOVER;
(3) DOUBLE STATUS CREDITS OFFER NOT HONORED [BORDER WAS CLOSED] - the original routing MEL-ADL-PER return in business with double status points is NOT SHOWING.
(4) GREEN TIER INACCURACIES
(4) FF OFFICE SHOWING DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES TO MY WEB BROWSER AND TELLING ME I'M WRONG

WHO DO YOU GO TO OTHER THAN ANOTHER PROVIDER?

 

[sudoer]

The WA border was not open until March 3 and therefore I could not take xx_xx_ with the double status credits

If that's your PNR I would suggest editing it out.

 

[TJM]

If that's your PNR I would suggest editing it out.

THANKS sudoer

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

TJM, if you follow the musings on here, and on other parts of the media, your expectations of QF are too high.
Over the years, I joined QFF in 1997, they have enhanced, but they see it as enchancement/improvements over many different facets.
Unless it affects AJ himself, you won't get anywhere with QF/QFF.
Over the years, all they do, QF that is, do is to effectively reduce costs, and keep the funds they do have, but not admitting it.
See it this way, you are a WP with QF, which is one of the higher grade, if your query couldn't be dealt with, without personal intervention from on high, what hope have you got.
They are reducing the ability to print BP at the airport, reducing cost.
They are getting rid over time of their 330 from dom ops, reducing cost.
They are closing service desks at dom counters at Aust airports, reducing cost.
They have outsourced a lot of things, (ground handling, flights to Alliance, catering, call centres, even (most likely) aircraft cleaning, all reducing cost.
No plastic membership card, apart from the QTMC, reducing cost.
Years ago, flying ADL - SYD/BNE earned 15 QFF SC, but now only 10, ie, also reducing cost.

 

[TJM]

TJM, if you follow the musings on here, and on other parts of the media, your expectations of QF are too high.
Over the years, I joined QFF in 1997, they have enhanced, but they see it as enchancement/improvements over many different facets.
Unless it affects AJ himself, you won't get anywhere with QF/QFF.
Over the years, all they do, QF that is, do is to effectively reduce costs, and keep the funds they do have, but not admitting it.
See it this way, you are a WP with QF, which is one of the higher grade, if your query couldn't be dealt with, without personal intervention from on high, what hope have you got.
They are reducing the ability to print BP at the airport, reducing cost.
They are getting rid over time of their 330 from dom ops, reducing cost.
They are closing service desks at dom counters at Aust airports, reducing cost.
They have outsourced a lot of things, (ground handling, flights to Alliance, catering, call centres, even (most likely) aircraft cleaning, all reducing cost.
No plastic membership card, apart from the QTMC, reducing cost.
Years ago, flying ADL - SYD/BNE earned 15 QFF SC, but now only 10, ie, also reducing cost.

YOU are so across this. I sense I will need to take myself and my travel plans elsewhere. Years ago - read maybe 1983 I joined and the days of quality flying are gone unless you go to another carrier.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Will only get worst, imagine being squshed in a J seat, or a Y seat on their new ordered 321neo/220 on a dom flight.
PER - SYD/MEL/BNE, vv.