Is Qantas Actually Listening?

[MEL_Traveller]

Sounds like sour grapes to me....

you are probably right

on at least two occasions F class champagne has 'run out' and it wonder if the reason for that was CSMs offering glasses to platinums in business.

 

[nlagalle]

you are probably right

on at least two occasions F class champagne has 'run out' and it wonder if the reason for that was CSMs offering glasses to platinums in business.

Or was drunk out by F pax???

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Or was drunk out by F pax???

I doubt it - we had about a glass and a half each - with four pax in the cabin.

Personally I don't want CSMs having the discretion to hand out food, beverages or amenities to lower classes. And to be honest, the level of service in each cabin should be able to stand on its own.

 

[BD1959]

At least on virgin you can buy something else to eat on board if the free item is insufficient or unappealing. Best of both worlds

Tried to buy a sandwich on a recent SYD-MEL flight "Oh, we don't carry those when we're providing the snacks". Surprised me, I'd bought one on the same flight just two weeks previously.

Regards,

BD

 

[nlagalle]

I doubt it - we had about a glass and a half each - with four pax in the cabin.

Personally I don't want CSMs having the discretion to hand out food, beverages or amenities to lower classes. And to be honest, the level of service in each cabin should be able to stand on its own.

You also don't know how many bottles were packed. And in J i've never had champagne from F.. nothing wrong with the ones they serve there. I was referring more to Y... Oh and on the last flight I was given a set of F pj's but that was after they knew everyone in F had them..

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Oh and on the last flight I was given a set of F pj's but that was after they knew everyone in F had them..

uh huh... and if an FA spills food or wine on pax PJs and the pax wants another pair?

 

[nlagalle]

uh huh... and if an FA spills food or wine on pax PJs and the pax wants another pair?

I doubt they carry only 16 pairs of F PJ's.... Never heard them running out of them before..

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I doubt they carry only 16 pairs of F PJ's.... Never heard them running out of them before..

I don't know how many pairs they carry, or whether they are uploaded ex AU for both outbound and return. I know they have run out of business class PJs. The one time I flew business class (same flight where they ran out of PJs) I was offered a choice of either a bottle of wine or a bottle of champagne as part of a service recovery action on board. After choosing the champagne, the FA returned to say they had run out.

If they hadn't been offering champagne to Y class pax maybe I would have had my bottle to take home.

 

[JohnK]

Don't worry as one of the second class top tier passengers (plain old platinum) I am mostly ignored on Qantas flights.

There are a couple of very recent exceptions to that statement. That are in the "a swallow does not a summer make" category.

A very significant upgrade to First for a lowly Platinum?

I would rather have that upgrade than the welcome on board.

 

[Archphoto]

Having spent 5 years flying Y as work policy internationally, I was thrilled to reach WP the first (and subsequent times). The little touches handed out were unexpected, but made me feel "valued". Simply put, when you spend only 45 days at home in one year (often home for only 1 day), spending the other 320 flying around in cattle class and being offered a glass of champagne, and a set of PJs, helps ease the pain.

Long-Haul almost every week, is *not* a pretty sight when you're stuck in Y - add to that the (often) truly awful Y connections with XYZ Airlines, and it made me appreciate flying QF. My team of 3 spent approximately $500,000/yr with them (our boss always flew J); giving out a few extra pairs of PJs, a set of headphones, and a pre-takeoff drink to we poor sods in Y (we could have taken our business to another carrier), is not IMHO a crime - they recognise that WPs spend a lot of time in the air, and "Class" doesn't come into it.

I made (and retained) WP the hard way - last time I checked WP was WP, how you got there wasn't a concern. You flew the required SCs and for those of us who weren't lucky enough to do it in J or F, the pain was eased ever so slightly by the little touches shown by the CSM and for that, I was extremely grateful.

 

[penegal]

Domestic economy is a necessary evil in my line of work.

The little "extra touches" of service that you receive as a WP / P1 / CL in economy on QANTAS are one of the main reasons I choose to fly QANTAS domestic economy. Being addressed by name, given a water, and the occasional something from up front really make the experience so much better. This is really inconsistent, but on a good day, it is brilliant.

As a Virgin Platinum, they have NEVER provided any on-board recognition of my status. Some people may prefer the egalitarian approach, but frankly when you spend a lot of money, travel frequently and clock up a million miles every couple of years, it is these small things that really make the experience pleasant, and suggest that maybe the airline appreciates your business. The main advantage of choosing Virgin is the ease of upgrade to Business Class using points, or the 4 comp upgrades per year.

Frankly both airlines suck for [operational] upgrades. I have never been upgraded on QANTAS, and only once on Virgin.

"Shadow" seats are hit and miss on both airlines. Virgin seem to be better at "protecting" the front rows of economy, whereas QANTAS seem to be good and finding an impossibly large person to parachute into the middle seat 30 minutes before the flight. I am fully aware that shadows are by no means guaranteed, but they are an easy way to keep elites happy.

 

[nlagalle]

I don't know how many pairs they carry, or whether they are uploaded ex AU for both outbound and return. I know they have run out of business class PJs. The one time I flew business class (same flight where they ran out of PJs) I was offered a choice of either a bottle of wine or a bottle of champagne as part of a service recovery action on board. After choosing the champagne, the FA returned to say they had run out.

If they hadn't been offering champagne to Y class pax maybe I would have had my bottle to take home.

Then we can safely assume the CSM does and had plenty left over for F.. I actually haven't seen them offer PJ's to Y pax (and i've flown Y plenty of times long haul).

Again do you know they offered champagne to Y pax? or are you just assuming?

 

[penegal]

MEL_Traveller - I agree that premium classes shouldn't be "compromised" by offering something special to the lower classes, however normally there are plenty of amenity kits, PJs, and wine loaded. If they are loaded onto the aircraft I have no issues with them being "consumed" on the flight.

One or two glasses of wine is not going to break the bank to keep a customer happy.

 

[medhead]

A very significant upgrade to First for a lowly Platinum?

I would rather have that upgrade than the welcome on board.

A service recovery upgrade from business to first after 341 flights. But I wasn't really referring to that. I was referring to being allowed to use the business lounge when traveling in Y on the flight the day before. Use of the lounge was the first time I have been proactively offered a higher level of service on QFi. I mentioned the issue that resulted in the first upgrade to the CS when I was returning to my Y seat, not before.

 

[penegal]

Then we can safely assume the CSM does and had plenty left over for F.. I actually haven't seen them offer PJ's to Y pax (and i've flown Y plenty of times long haul).

Again do you know they offered champagne to Y pax? or are you just assuming?

I think tend to offer drinks

PJs or Amenities are usually at a passenger's request

 

[QF WP]

Anthropomorphising Qantas as an organisation is pointless

Not often I need to dive for a dictionary, my word of the day now - thank you!

 

[medhead]

As a Virgin Platinum, they have NEVER provided any on-board recognition of my status.

That is, however, consistent. VA are consistent.

This comment has nothing to do with egalitarianism.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Again do you know they offered champagne to Y pax? or are you just assuming?

I am assuming that is one of the possibilities after reading so many accounts of it on AFF. Why would that flight be any different?

The point is, as a premium passenger missing out on services or amenities, it shouldn't even have to cross my mind that the reason for that is because they may be being handed out to lower cabins. And we know for sure it does happen, regularly.

 

[nlagalle]

I am assuming that is one of the possibilities after reading so many accounts of it on AFF. Why would that flight be any different?

The point is, as a premium passenger missing out on services or amenities, it shouldn't even have to cross my mind that the reason for that is because they may be being handed out to lower cabins. And we know for sure it does happen, regularly.

And the only reason it may cross your mind is because you heard about it here.. and maybe you were unlucky too.. I've never had those problems when travelling in J with things running out.. so i can only go on my experience.

I can see you are upset about it, but more people feel it is better service to status pax to offer them a little something extra at their discretion...

 

[penegal]

um, correct me if I am wrong, but a bottle of wine to take home is not part of the "normal" service or amenities on a QANTAS flight ??


If it is, Red Roo, can you please dispatch about 2,783 bottles of your best Champagne to my home address immediately