My first flight in FIRST by QANTAS was such a let-down, it certainly won't happen again!

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Didn't show me the bottle.
Came out already poured with a small tray of olives.
 
All I can say is that that has never, on several occasions flying QF F - most often out of SYD, been my experience.

Somehow, some way, for maybe some reason, something has gone badly off the rails in this matter.

With the utmost respect, I do have to say that I found the OP somewhat incoherent and lacking sufficient untempered description to fully understand exactly what did happen. Suffice to say, the general gist of it was contrary to any of my experiences.
 
With the utmost respect, I do have to say that I found the OP somewhat incoherent and lacking sufficient untempered description to fully understand exactly what did happen. Suffice to say, the general gist of it was contrary to any of my experiences.

Yeah to be honest I find it hard to believe so many things went wrong.
 
I don't get the perception that a big number of things went wrong, just that the OP found them particularly irksome.

And c'mon, if you can't rant about a bad F experience, what can you rant about?

I know I had pretty bad QF F trip once ... I think I wrote about it here somewhere.
 
All I can say is that that has never, on several occasions flying QF F - most often out of SYD, been my experience.

Somehow, some way, for maybe some reason, something has gone badly off the rails in this matter.

With the utmost respect, I do have to say that I found the OP somewhat incoherent and lacking sufficient untempered description to fully understand exactly what did happen. Suffice to say, the general gist of it was contrary to any of my experiences.

I think the story has been well and truly outlined ....

So who's "incoherent" with their English comprehension ??

You don't have stand on your soapbox ... I can hear you quite well .....

Oh, and your statement about " ..... your experiences ...."
Does that include THE FIRST experience too ???
 
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When no call in lounge by 10 mins past boarding time, I left lounge via way I came in. I forgot there may have been another way to board ... should every F pax know this in advance ?

If the boarding time to which you're referring was the one on your boarding pass then the lounge probably wouldn't have called the flight until some time after the ten minutes. The time on the boarding pass is for general boarding and while F pax can board at any time the lounge, in my experience, gives people a few extra minutes to down their Champagne, Martinis and squid.
 
You know, after some 100 + responses ....
My position hasn't changed .....

I would never fly First Class again.

It really doesn't matter what many of you throw back, I personally, was not sufficiently impressed .... therefore ..... as per the title of the thread ..... ( and unlike Arnie ) ..... I won't be back ( in F ).
 
You know, after some 100 + responses ....
My position hasn't changed .....

I would never fly First Class again.

It really doesn't matter what many of you throw back, I personally, was not sufficiently impressed .... therefore ..... as per the title of the thread ..... ( and unlike Arnie ) ..... I won't be back ( in F ).
More seats for us then I guess...
 
We are soooo lucky to have really first class first world problems! That's all one can say to this...

People from developing countries pay their fare too. Whether you're from a developing or 'first world' country would make no difference in this situation.
 
Would have thought, the paying / experienced F pax wouldn't bother with comment after comment, once the issue had been identified as either too trivial or just BS ......

Surely it's over here .....

Maybe return to 'normal life' elsewhere ??

*** However, when I return to Sydney on 10th March, I will phone QANTAS to speak with them. I'll report back ( honestly ) what they tell me.
 
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Would have thought, the paying / experienced F pax wouldn't bother with comment after comment, once the issue had been identified as either too trivial or just BS ......

Surely it's over here .....

Maybe return to 'normal life' elsewhere ??

*** However, when I return to Sydney on 10th March, I will phone QANTAS to speak with them. I'll report back ( honestly ) what they tell me.
but it’s what we do - have you seen how many pages there are on priority boarding :).

Good luck with Qantas - hope they give you something for not phoning the day before to book your Spa appointment, or at least tell you why it happened, which would be interesting information to share.
 
I don’t think referring to ‘first world problems’ ever adds to a conversation on AFF. After all, one might say that most of what we talk about naturally falls into that description, so it sounds disingenuous.

We are soooo lucky to have really first class first world problems! That's all one can say to this...
 
@Rick933 - I'm really curious and I know a few others here are (after reading the posts) - can you PLEASE provide more explicit detail on the "mexican standoff" at the gate?

I understand from what little you've written that you let the lounge 10 min post the stated boarding time (unclear if the flight was listed as boarding or not) and you arrived at the gate as Y was boarding....

what I am not clear on is what you expected at this point, and what occured? It seems like you expected the staff to somehow identify you and pull you out as an F pax and escort you personally or something? I'm unclear. You had some sort of interaction with the gate staff that you clearly did not seem happy with, and then you wrote something (also unclear to me) about pretending to look around for a boarding pass and waiting till the last boarded? I'm really confused...

could you enlighten us more on this?

I understand you did not get what you expected from your QF experience to Singapore. I'm curious on what you based your expecattions on? On other First Class experiences on other airlnes? On the idea that you shouldn't have to ask for anything (as you've stated earlier a few times)? I'm honestly curious. I one arrives at the gate and boarding is underway all that one need do is walk to the F signed boarding line and down it to have the BP scanned. That's pretty easy really :)

I also wouldn't try any funny business with staff in Singapore.. they have been known to call the cops :D

And I'm also a little amused that on the one hand you say the pre-dept champagne was rubbish, yet seem offended that you were not offered a refil before takeoff. Surely if it was that disagreeable you would have not wanted one?

I too have received "the call" from F hosts the day before flight, if an upgrade has cleared prior to that time, or flying in F. It's an absolute standard at Melbourne and Sydney in my experience. Are you sure your contact information was in the booking? If you were on an award ticket (with points) then that's not relevant to this service unless they did not have your contact details somehow (was the booking made through QFF or through another program, such as AA?)

The Spa has priority for F pax on QF services. It seems rather unlikely in a 5 hour period they somehow would npt be able to find space for a F passenger on their services, as that trumps all others, including P1 etc in my experience.

And expecting compensation for what exactly? unmet exectation? That's quite a long bow in my opinion. The flight took you there without incident, one presumes on time or near on time. You weren' asked about your coat or had some sort of experience at the boarding gate? I do not know if that is enough for compensation.

I can't help feeling your expectations were set a bit high that perhaps nothing could make you happy and perhaps other airlines would also fail to meet these expectations in some regards (as great as SQ is, for example, I never had a boarding call or anything in The Privtate Room and made my own way to the gate etc).

I am honestly very much hoping you can clarify what happened at the gate because it seems mysterious.
 
Ok, it seems that after around 140 responses to this thread, that some of the detail is getting lost or mis-interpreted.

So to clarify what seems to be the most 'concerning' issues for some people …

Firstly, my apparent poor choice of words, with "Mexican Stand-Off" at the gate …

I left the F Lounge the way I came in. I didn't see another way out, nor was I advised of one when I entered the lounge. Probably because I didn't think of a 'special' way to board the flight, and that my BP was checked on the ground floor, and not at the top of the escalators, where another service desk was. So I wasn't actually 'greeted' upon entering the lounge ( normal practice ? How would I know … my FIRST time here !! )

I did hear other flight boarding announcements during my time in the lounge. I did not hear my own flight announcement, and assumed there wasn't one coming, given I had just another 20 mins. to board.

I arrived at the nominated gate, and found the 300 + economy pax ready to board. There seemed to be a delay, and nobody was actually boarding with 15 minutes to go.

I stood back and looked for a F path or gate that was marked - didn't see one identified. I waited like everyone else, and spoke to another guy leaning against a wall. I asked if he had heard F or J called. He said no, and seemed 'less than impressed' himself. He identified to me, that he too, was a F pax.

There seemed to be some 'stuffing around', and then the call went out about seat row numbers …. which rows can board first.

Then the 'rush' started. I couldn't tell who was who, and I don't think the staff had the situation under control.

When it became apparent to me, that there was no F & J call to board, I approached a staff member checking BPs. I said:

" You haven't called for First or Business class before letting Economy on". My expectation would have been, for the staff member to quickly say 'sorry' and direct me to board right there and then …

No. I was told to go to the back of the line … ( and YES, I showed my F BP !! )

At this point I said:

" Then I will be the very last person to board then. You didn't let F pax board before Economy, so you can wait for me now. I WILL BE the last person to board this flight !".

Ok, so it was overly emotive. I was pissed off !!!

The CSM arrived after almost everyone else had boarded, and asked me what has occurred ( of course he spoke to the gate staff first )…

He walked me onboard ( after an apology of a sort ). He would of noted I was still wearing my jacket, but directed me to my seat without asking if I wanted it hung up … and the 'pre-poured' glass of bubbly and olives came out. That was it …..

My choice of words ( Mexican Stand-Off ) seems to had multiple members here thinking I was 'preparing for war' !!!

I think the other matters raised should be self-explanatory, but then it seems as if a number of Members have added detail to my story, and created 'the mountain out of the molehill' ….

Regardless of whether or not, there is a problem here …. I consider the CSM COULD OF, and SHOULD have offered me a bottle of 'something' to smooth me over. A number of you have said NO to that concept …. but I've had it before … so I expected it on this occasion.
( not for the same situation, but for situations where I assisted with a 'medical emergency' ( which was nothing more than a simple faint, due to dehydration and a waiting period. Plus, a bottle for changing seats after boarding, and one time for cabin staff spilling a drink on me … so they give you something WHEN THEY WANT TO !! )

I still want to press my point …..

That this was my first experience in F class ( and their lounge ), and I had expectations of a particular level of service that simply should 'flow' WITHOUT me having to seek out staff and specifically ask.

If I didn't arrive onboard via the F airbridge ( don't even know if it was operational on that flight ), then there SHOULD have been a 'tick off' by gate staff, as to how many F pax have already boarded …. AND WHO'S MISSING !! There's only 12 …. surely it wasn't too hard a task to put it over the PA at the Boarding Gate ???

As for the Spa service … I can't add anything to what I was told. I approached the top floor service desk to ask … and was told 'no vacancy' and five ahead of me on the waitlist. ( and no, I didn't ask at that point … 'how do I board' ? )

…. and the 'little things', like my ref to the pre-takeoff bubbly as "cheap" ….

Big deal !! So what ?? Does EVERY F pax know exactly what is what on the bubbly list. What if I didn't really want 'champaine' ( nor like it at all )… why can't there be a choice for F pax ?? I suppose I'm really saying … it was CHEAP of them not to take the time to offer me something I actually wanted.

A few Members here have asked … 'what was I expecting' …

Well, on one hand, I was expecting a FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE …. on the other hand, I didn't know what to expect ( as this was my first F class flight ) …. but I visualised an experience that just didn't fully materialise.
 
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Then I will be the very last person to board then. You didn't let F pax board before Economy, so you can wait for me now. I WILL BE the last person to board this flight !

Wow. I did have a passenger try this one on me in Melbourne once. It was a nice warning, as I had time to have his luggage offloaded, so that as he wasn't on board I didn't have to wait at all... it was really easy to close the door and go.
 
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