Needed to be said….Mentour Pilot discusses the fall of QF

[Forg]

I obviously don’t know what happened; I thought a flight was cancelled not long before that flight, which had been put on as a special service for a sporting event, for claimed borked-‘plane reasons. And that it was too close to the game for timely alternatives to be offered?

 

[Sprucegoose]

I like his videos, and he captures the current sentiment well. Qantas is an iconic brand; however, nothing is forever, and complacency is a killer in any business or endeavor. Hopefully, Hudson can 'trim' the ship - aviation remains an emotive business in a vast country such as ours

 

[Melburnian1]

There's probably not as many overseas members as people think. There are however lots of Aussies holding QFF accounts that don't have very much activity on it.

You get it for free from various sources, for access to something or family member told you to sign up so you did.

Active engaged members is likely one stat we'll never get.

It'd be well below MyerOne active engaged members that I read yesterday was almost 78 per cent, based on who'd made a purchase quoting their MyerOne membership number within financial year 2023-24 that finished on 31 January 2024 (not 30 June as is most common in Oz).

 

[Forg]

It'd be well below MyerOne active engaged members that I read yesterday was almost 78 per cent, based on who'd made a purchase quoting their MyerOne membership number within financial year 2023-24 that finished on 31 January 2024 (not 30 June as is most common in Oz).

That could be ‘cos buying something at Myer normally means paying the market rate for that thing (or even less when on sale) whereas there’s not a lot you can buy from the QFF scheme that’s good value for points or for cash (aside: I’ve noticed that sometimes the wine deals are good), and flights aren’t purchased by us Great Unwatched very often (and with points is hard to do & with cash there’re usually cheaper &/or better alternatives).

Maybe also ‘cos the points don’t expire … so unlike the VA scheme you don’t have to hunt around for something that’s not too overpriced on their site if you’ve not booked a flight or the odd accommodation you can link the VA card with.

Aside - wow these new ads that completely mess with the format & remove the edit-box are annoying aren’t they?

 

[Sprucegoose]

It'd be well below MyerOne active engaged members that I read yesterday was almost 78 per cent, based on who'd made a purchase quoting their MyerOne membership number within financial year 2023-24 that finished on 31 January 2024 (not 30 June as is most common in Oz).

Be careful of AI-generated responses!

In the year ended 2023, 720,000 new members joined, with 74.6% (not 78%)
% using their Myer One card

Does Qantas report how many passengers use a QFF#?

https://investor.myer.com.au/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/dGngnzELxUikQxL5gb1cgA/file/MYR2723_AnnualReport_FA2_Web-Interactive.pdf

 

[Eastwick20]

Look there is definitely a big argument that bagging the home team airline is a national sport no matter where you are.

Between local media/local online forums in these countries and my own friends/family I see plenty of Kiwi's bashing Air New Zealand and plenty of Brits bashing British Airways all for the same things that we kick Qantas for, I'm sure other national carriers get the same to a degree.

That all being said, if this was an Olympic event Qantas would hands down win the gold for treating their costumers and own employees with absolute distain and arrogance.

Interestingly enough, there are still some ( higher end ) Red E Deal fares available BNE/SYD/ADL into MEL this Friday and Saturday so maybe they are throwing us a (very small) bone.

 

[elanshin]

I was listening to on air last week and they had the CEO of Air Baltic on. One of the quick fire questions was for him to name 3 airlines that hes impressed with and his answer was Jetblue, Swiss and Qantas.

I find it interesting that he has that perspective as a CEO that wants to have a more customer orientated airline brand.

 

[Quickstatus]

perspective as a CEO

what does he really want that is not said is probably closer to the truth....

 

[elanshin]

what does he really want that is not said is probably closer to the truth....

Yes and no. There are other airlines out there that are far more egregious than QF at maximising value at the expense of everything else.

If that was the angle you want, QF wouldn't be in the equation. I legitimately wonder what he experienced that made him think this way in the first place.

Edit: tldr for the interview he spent most of it talking about how he got to where he was (737 pilot moving up), how Air Baltic wants to be a fun experience and being a single type (A220) operations that also is wet-leased out to other airlines to enhance the brand because of the product they receive.

 

[Saab34]

Look there is definitely a big argument that bagging the home team airline is a national sport no matter where you are.

Between local media/local online forums in these countries and my own friends/family I see plenty of Kiwi's bashing Air New Zealand and plenty of Brits bashing British Airways all for the same things that we kick Qantas for, I'm sure other national carriers get the same to a degree.

That all being said, if this was an Olympic event Qantas would hands down win the gold for treating their costumers and own employees with absolute distain and arrogance.

Interestingly enough, there are still some ( higher end ) Red E Deal fares available BNE/SYD/ADL into MEL this Friday and Saturday so maybe they are throwing us a (very small) bone.

The bashing will probably never go away, it’s just a fact of being a duopoly, it’s that baggage that comes with it.

Woolworths and Coles are still copping it at the moment.

Qantas and Virgin with $2k return airfares for the GF, with that sort of pricing, the bashing will never go away.

Competition helps somewhat, keeps pricing down, standards are higher while more customers have options.

 

[RooFlyer]

Yes and no. There are other airlines out there that are far more egregious than QF at maximising value at the expense of everything else.

Fair enough, but which ones tout themselves as a full service airline?

 

[p--and--t]

Fair enough, but which ones tout themselves as a full service airline?

Guess depends on ones definition of full service airline and the comparative offering of said airline.

Some would say “fare includes carryon allowance, checked luggage allowance, and refreshments/meal depending on sector length.”

On that basis QF would qualify.

On reading thru multiple threads on here it would seem it would be hard to find an airline currently offering a responsive competent call centre.

Edit : spelling

 

[RooFlyer]

On that basis QF would qualify.

and of course they tout themselves as premium full service airline.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/network-and-partner-airlines.html#:~:text=Qantas%20operates%20Australia's%20largest%20premium,well%20as%20many%20regional%20hubs.

 

[p--and--t]

and of course they tout themselves as premium full service airline.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/network-and-partner-airlines.html#:~:text=Qantas%20operates%20Australia's%20largest%20premium,well%20as%20many%20regional%20hubs.

Well they charge premium fares

 

[drron]

But one of the Unions doesn't believe it is a premium workplace.

AMWU national secretary Steve Murphy said the airline’s engineers were “undervalued, underpaid and underappreciated”.
“If you’ve had a bad Qantas experience, well that’s nothing compared to how Qantas makes their workers feel every day,” he said,

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/qantas-engineers-alliance-set-to-strike-at-melbourne-airport-on-thursday/news-story/5d02fbca8b13e783c5b7bee051f70cbd

 

[justinbrett]

But one of the Unions doesn't believe it is a premium workplace.

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/qantas-engineers-alliance-set-to-strike-at-melbourne-airport-on-thursday/news-story/5d02fbca8b13e783c5b7bee051f70cbd

Name an aviation union (for either airline) that hasn't threatened strike in the last two years.

Virgin says flights on track despite engineers gearing up to strike

Hundreds of engineers working for the airline will walk off the job at airports across the country next week as they demand to be paid in accordance with the consumer price index.

www.smh.com.au

It's what they do.

 

[Forg]

Unions?

Weren’t they the things that recently strong-armed the NSW state government into putting “drivers” on the driverless trains which’ve been operating in Sydney faultlessly for 5 years and much longer elsewhere (eg. the 40yo DLR in London)?

 

[moa999]

Weren’t they the things that recently strong-armed the NSW state government into putting “drivers” on the driverless trains

That's still ongoing.
But the same union has now spent 5-yrs delaying the introduction of the D-Set Mariyung Trains over various issues.
Complex issues and possibly some valid arguments, but the overall delay, operational changes and physical changes will add up to a very large $ amount.

 

[drron]

Name an aviation union (for either airline) that hasn't threatened strike in the last two years.

Virgin says flights on track despite engineers gearing up to strike

Hundreds of engineers working for the airline will walk off the job at airports across the country next week as they demand to be paid in accordance with the consumer price index.

www.smh.com.au

It's what they do.

Though I am sure you didn't knock back any benefits that the Union negotiated in past employment.

And back in 1973/4 I was a Union boss. Took junior doctors in NSW out on the first Australian stop work meeting. And I am proud what I and the team secured for junior doctors. The benefits spread to all states. Though the State Health bureaucracies even in 2024 50 years after the decision have still not fully implemented it.

And of course QF doesn't have the greatest of records managing their staff in recent years.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF bashing is almost a national sport, but there are likely to be very few people outside Aus who would care to participate.

There are several national sports where no one cares outside of Australia