Is Qantas Actually Listening?

[MEL_Traveller]

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

notice i mentioned 'service recovery'. There was an issue prior to that for which the crew were trying to make amends

 

[penegal]

notice i mentioned 'service recovery'. There was an issue prior to that for which the crew were trying to make amends

At least they tried to made amends...

My last First Class flight was horrible, and they did not... speaking of which time to start a thread...

 

[QF WP]

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

As it will be for the majority of us...otherwise they'd need to reconfigure the planes

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.

True, that it the same thoughts as I have - alas only being a humble Gold, only when I travel in J (on mASA's) do I get what I would expect a Plat, P1 or CL to get every time.

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.

I have received onboard recognition - we must have been getting different CSS's. Completely agree with the final sentence, one of the major benefits - and for me, my personal walk to the Gate & Plane by a certain Lounge Manager in one port.

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

I have the opposite experience - you got an op up on VA - how??

"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.

Easy when Plats are travelling by themselves, but harder when families or work colleagues are on board and either similar status or on same/linked bookings.

 

[serfty]

This is my 20th year of Frequent flying and I have seen a lot of changes in those 1500 or so flights.

These days domestically I perceive both VA and QF as a similar experience for this WP in both Velocity and QFF. FWIW, I have not needed to renew my Qantas Club membership since 1996, always flying enough to re-qualify - now have Lifetime Gold.

In the last three or four of those 20 years I have seen a significant decline in QF catering, both in the lounges and in flight. The catering can be considered still somewhat better than VA's lounges but the generally 10%-20% price difference wins VA for me domestically.

With VA I can book a LAX to MEL award on VA for 47k/70½k/94k points and pay just $25 in +++.

So I go for VA generally because they are cheaper and velociy points have a higher value for me than QFF points. (Although yesterday I did book MEL-SYD on JQ for $35 (TT price match).)

I am happy to mix and match - next year I am Planning QF to LAX and VA return.

What all this means is that going forward my thinking is to mainly fly VA domestically, both for price reasons and reward program usefulness.

 

[penegal]

I have the opposite experience - you got an op up on VA - how??

Oversold and/or irrops - It was flying ex-CBR on a WOAG ticket in the winter months... Anecdotally VA only upgrade politicians, so I was as surprised as you are.

QF must have something in my profile that says "never upgrade".

SQ on the other hand are fantastic (but that isn't domestic).

 

[penegal]

My last First Class flight was horrible, and they did not... speaking of which time to start a thread...

Link:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....er-program/customer-care-dont-care-60978.html

 

[whatmeworry]

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.

I have seen them give champagne to platinums in Y who have taken exit seats.

 

[RAM]

I don't find anything funny about my claims - they are based on many years experience.

Self-evident statements are interesting - not a politician...

It would be disturbing if you did.

 

[whatmeworry]

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

We tend to Anthropomorphise the cats in the cat thread.

 

[hossein_au]

and they are also recognised onboard... that's part of being a status pax.. It's no different to any other service industry. so if they give the WP's a bottle of water or a more personal greeting thats fine in my book.

I cannot honestly remember when the last time was when I had a personal greeting on QF, domestic or international. My last few personal greetings have actually been onboard EK flights not QF. Not that I need the attention, but I expect, for example, to have an Express Card when I ask for one, rather than being looked down at and be given a card with the accompanying body language that distills "now shut up and go away" message rather than "we care".

 

[anna2103]

slightly off yet on topic, I wonder whether BA are listening to this thread. Upgraded yesterday on LHR to Berlin flight and flight only 3/4 full. Am OW emerald, and CSM thanked me, mentioned i was Qantas plat. Didnt have the heart to mention my divorce from QF meant that I am now an AA flyer but op up very much appreciated

 

[mickeyc747]

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

Which location Melbourne or Singapore, Better still tell them to send 2783 bottles to both

 

[hossein_au]

I think tend to offer drinks

PJs or Amenities are usually at a passenger's request

I have never been "offered" anything onboard from a higher class, never.

 

[penegal]

Which location Melbourne or Singapore, Better still tell them to send 2783 bottles to both

haha, the alcohol duty in Singapore is quite a bit more

 

[Archphoto]

I have never been "offered" anything onboard from a higher class, never.

Never got the Pjs or amenities kit offered (and I never asked), but on the odd occasion did receive a pre-departure drink and headphones. (I actually don't like champagne so rarely accepted that offer, but a newspaper and a nice whiskey was always welcomed.) :mrgreen:

 

[UP4014]

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

I've had some good luck, UA First usually sees me with a bottle of French red on exiting the aircraft in Sydney. A nice touch and the wine isnt too bad either.

Matt

 

[Anna]

Just to show we're all different, I think carrying bottles of alcohol is a nuisance and I usually politely decline if I'm offered one to take off the aircraft. Sometimes I will accept if it's at my home port and I don't have much else to carry. But usually not.

 

[drron]

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

Has happened to me on QF-there were PJs but none that fitted me.

slightly off yet on topic, I wonder whether BA are listening to this thread. Upgraded yesterday on LHR to Berlin flight and flight only 3/4 full. Am OW emerald, and CSM thanked me, mentioned i was Qantas plat. Didnt have the heart to mention my divorce from QF meant that I am now an AA flyer but op up very much appreciated

Possible.We are flying BA F this weekend on AA awards but mrsdrron has her QF number in the booking.I emailed customer care throu ba.com and got a quick reply back with the BA PNR so I could select seats.The reply included their toll free number to book Spa services.72 hours later a follow up email noting we hadn't yet booked spa services.To me this was good customer care.

 

[amaroo]

Possible.We are flying BA F this weekend on AA awards but mrsdrron has her QF number in the booking.I emailed customer care throu ba.com and got a quick reply back with the BA PNR so I could select seats.The reply included their toll free number to book Spa services.72 hours later a follow up email noting we hadn't yet booked spa services.To me this was good customer care.

Enjoy the CCR. Even with all it's faults it's still a nice space to be ensconced.

 

[Fantic125]

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

Not true Nick; remember in 2012 the Melbourne Psychologist and his wife who refused to board QF LAX-SYD because they didn't have XL F pajamas?