Is Qantas losing its gloss?

[aaflyer]

This is my point. While I agree QF is significantly better that AA currently, I feel the QF is definitely on the way to what AA provide today.
I don't see AJ or any other QF leader giving me confidence that we will head in another direction for QF.

Everytime we see an "Enhancement" we are a little bit closer to the bottom.....

Cheers

AA have actually improved over the past 10 years in coach. F has been much of a muchness, but they have gotten a little better.
I don't see QF sinking to anywhere near as low as any of the legacy domestic US carriers anytime soon (that's what TT and JQ are for).

 

[drron]

At least half of my AA flights are international routes-NRT-US-Europe.Basically all of those are J or F awards.I get better service on AA as an AA plat than mrsdrron gets on QF as WP.

 

[straitman]

I don't see AJ or any other QF leader giving me confidence that we will head in another direction for QF.

Cheers

You have accidentally touched on the real problem.

Maybe you should have said "QF management" because Qantas does not have any real leaders which is undeniably their major problem.

 

[serfty]

AA have actually improved over the past 10 years in coach. F has been much of a muchness, but they have gotten a little better.
...

No ... Since September first, catering for F on AA became substantially worse (with the USair philosophy being applied).

 

[katiebell]

Qantas has definitely lost its gloss despite great improvements in cain crew attitudes, but lots of degradation elsewhere and contempt from management to top tier FF.

As stated earlier, they have abandoned many Australian ports and many international destinations. The deal with EK is not a substitute: it just encourages me to fly with other airlines as EK is on my blacklist and DXB about to go on it.

How is it that other legacy full service carriers, such as CX (which is not a state-run/subsidised airline) are able to expand thier network (ZRH from March for example) & QF keep contracting?

You cannot make a profit if you do not fly anywhere. When you do fly you have to offer a product that appeals to the customer at a price the customer is willing to pay. The better the product (in the customers' opinions & not that of management) the more you can charge. Until the QF board and management realise this there will be no future for QFi

 

[Himeno]

No ... Since September first, catering for F on AA became substantially worse (with the USair philosophy being applied).

Yep. AA used to give F meals on LAX-IAH. Now they don't.

 

[RAM]

Yep. AA used to give F meals on LAX-IAH. Now they don't.

Taking a play from the Q-Playbook?

 

[dajop]

There is a myth that seems to be persisting that QF have lost a lot of destinations recently, but sometimes this is exaggerated. It's more loss of routes and frequencies than destinations - particularly ex-PER. But over the last 10 years it hasn't been that drastic, those gone include SFO, FRA, BOM and EZE, but they added DFW, SCL and DXB. YVR could be another, but whenever QF fly there it seems to last only for a short while anyway.

If you go back 20 then it is more evident - as I think you can add CDG, FCO, PEK, KUL, NGO, KIX, HRE and TPE, as well as brief dalliance with YYZ, to the list.

 

[drron]

But it is not just loosing destinations it is also decreasing frequency and changing timings that are a problem as well as having to connect through SYD or MEL if from other states.
We dont like overnight flights so where are the QF daylight flights from Asia.There used to be one SIN-SYD but that is gone.Using SIN to get back to Australia you have the choice of 4 QF flights plus a BA flight.These leave SIN at 1920,1955,2020,2105 and 2325.
Then the awards.We have looked at QFF awards to/from SIN but end up on SQ.From BNE the awards can go quickly so they give you options of BNE-SYD-MEL-SIN or BNE-MEL-SYD-SIN.There are obviously BNE-MEL or SYD awards so why when going on to SIN do they give you 2 domestic sectors?Obviously simpler.

 

[serfty]

Taking a play from the Q-Playbook?

No - the "USair playbook" who have re-skinned as AA (or otherwise absorbed AA from the inside).

Last year USair's meal policy would generally provide meals in domestic First/Business class only on flights that were scheduled for 3½ or more; AA had meal service for domestic flights of 2¼ hours.

Earlier this year USair brought their block time back to 2¾ hours; while on September 1st, AA's was pushed to match this 2¾ hours - also the meals offered were severely attenuated in both quantity and quality.

Cue outcry - 7 weeks later there was announced some significant backtracking with block time brought back to 2½ hours and an indicated desire to improve quality of said meals.

 

[Bajar]

I switched from Virgin to Qantas mid 2013 and haven't regretted it.

Flighting Virgin ex. Darwin, Perth and Canberra I found nothing but delays and the staff attitude was atrocious. I'm happy to pay an extra $20-$30 per flight extra on QF for the service and (mostly) on-time running.

 

[dajop]

But it is not just loosing destinations it is also decreasing frequency and changing timings that are a problem as well as having to connect through SYD or MEL if from other states.
We dont like overnight flights so where are the QF daylight flights from Asia.There used to be one SIN-SYD but that is gone.Using SIN to get back to Australia you have the choice of 4 QF flights plus a BA flight.These leave SIN at 1920,1955,2020,2105 and 2325.:

Yes exactly. Frequencies, timing and city pairs are more the problem than destinations. In relation to SIN, you forgot the JQ wide body flights and the EK codeshares. At least you can get an EK codeshare to BNE at 15:15 the most "out there" timing of any QF coded flight to the east coast!

For MEL in addition to the 20:35 QF service we have an amazing choice of a JQ service at 20:00 and EK codeshare at 22:25! Which of course add another two to the list you provided, both in the same time frame.

 

[drron]

Yes exactly. Frequencies, timing and city pairs are more the problem than destinations. In relation to SIN, you forgot the JQ wide body flights and the EK codeshares. At least you can get an EK codeshare to BNE at 15:15 the most "out there" timing of any QF coded flight to the east coast!

For MEL in addition to the 20:35 QF service we have an amazing choice of a JQ service at 20:00 and EK codeshare at 22:25! Which of course add another two to the list you provided, both in the same time frame.

You are right but those options are just not on my radar.No way will I get mrsdrron on JQ *class and with me crediting to AA and enjoying JL and CX the EK codeshares I just forgot about.

 

[katiebell]

There is a myth that seems to be persisting that QF have lost a lot of destinations recently, but sometimes this is exaggerated. It's more loss of routes and frequencies than destinations - particularly ex-PER. But over the last 10 years it hasn't been that drastic, those gone include SFO, FRA, BOM and EZE, but they added DFW, SCL and DXB. YVR could be another, but whenever QF fly there it seems to last only for a short while anyway.

If you go back 20 then it is more evident - as I think you can add CDG, FCO, PEK, KUL, NGO, KIX, HRE and TPE, as well as brief dalliance with YYZ, to the list.

It is a loss of destinations: if you put in endless connecting flights it is possible to fly almost anywhere but where is the advantage of flying PER-MEL or SYD to get to SIN when you could be in SIN at about the same time you would arr on the east coast? Codeshares on EK & JQ do not count as QFi flights/destinations.

Timing is also a major issue. It would have been much smarter to invest in smaller aircraft (easier to get a profitable load factor & better frequency) rather than the massive A380 which very few airlines have chosen to buy.

I do not consider DXB a destination, just a dreadful transit point to be endured (my opinion for those who choose to disagree you are welcome to like it: I do not & have been there more than a dozen times).

 

[aaflyer]

No ... Since September first, catering for F on AA became substantially worse (with the USair philosophy being applied).

Which at least is now being rectified at least (I never thought AA F domestic catering was much to sniff at anyway, I typically didn't eat any of it).

 

[dajop]

It is a loss of destinations: if you put in endless connecting flights it is possible to fly almost anywhere but where is the advantage of flying PER-MEL or SYD to get to SIN when you could be in SIN at about the same time you would arr on the east coast? Codeshares on EK & JQ do not count as QFi flights/destinations.

Timing is also a major issue. ).

Timing yes. Frequency yes. City pairs yes. Loss of Perth as a city that QF serves internationally yes. But not much loss of destinations overall in the last 10 years. Call a spade a spade the number one issue is the removal of PER from the QFi map.

 

[chocolate radiation man]

I think Qantas is now as good as it has been in a long time, a long long time. My personal experiences are brilliant over the last 6 months. Lost its gloss? I think so. They have gone the smooth velvet look!

 

[Pleb Status]

I think Qantas is now as good as it has been in a long time, a long long time. My personal experiences are brilliant over the last 6 months. Lost its gloss? I think so. They have gone the smooth velvet look!

My experience has been the polar opposite. In the thirteen years I have been flying with QF, our relationship is now at its lowest point ever. I anticipate that I will fly less on QF in 2015 than anytime in the last ten years.

 

[lae]

As a long term Qantas customer who mainly travels regionally international and domestic nowadays has the Emirates alliance added any value to Qantas and its customers?

I am planning a trip to the UK and the US next year via Asia and would love to be able to fly Qantas on all legs but will definitely be trying to avoid Emirates as i don't believe they are.

 

[basso]

I think Qantas is now as good as it has been in a long time, a long long time. My personal experiences are brilliant over the last 6 months. Lost its gloss? I think so. They have gone the smooth velvet look!

I guess this may be true. The biggest gripes of WPs these days seem to be around seating assignments, and how Qantas are daring to place a barefooted, feet on bulkhead, hi viz wearing, deodarant not wearing bogan NB in a seat next to them. If that is the worst that is happening, I guess things are good.