Qantas “The Best in the World “ according to Alan Joyce [in 2012]

[kangarooflyer88]

Whilst perusing Youtube I found this clip from Uncle Alan where he claims Qantas is simply the best in the world, "Our product is the best in the world. You look at our lounges, best in the world, you look at our network - the best in the world, you look at our frequent flyer scheme - the best in the world. It's very hard to beat the best in the world!"

Given my experiences flying QF and attempting to use QFF points to book something more than a basic domestic economy flight or perhaps odd domestic upgrade to J versus other airlines including Virgin, I find that hard to believe.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Vic]

THE VIDEO IS OVER TEN YEARS OLD.

9,843 views Apr 24, 2012

 

[drron]

THE VIDEO IS OVER TEN YEARS OLD.

Makes no difference. My last QFI flight was early 2013. QFF ceased to be my primary airline loyalty program in 2007.
I realised then that there were better options than QFI and QFF.

 

[Vic]

Makes no difference. My last QFI flight was early 2013. QFF ceased to be my primary airline loyalty program in 2007.
I realised then that there were better options than QFI and QFF.

As you've clearly demonstrated this thread is not timely or new. The difference is relevance. commenting about a 10 year old video today is irrelevant.
I bet there is already a thread about this video.

Edit:
YEP here is the original thread Virgin Australia's New A330 - Flat Beds in J
Last reply 25 April 2012

Thread merge????

 

[drron]

As you've clearly demonstrated this thread is not timely or new. The difference is relevance. commenting about a 10 year old video today is irrelevant.
I bet there is already a thread about this video.

Edit:
YEP here is the original thread Virgin Australia's New A330 - Flat Beds in J
Last reply 25 April 2012

Thread merge????

Not really irrelevant. QF has gone downhill from there.

 

[Vic]

Not really irrelevant. QF has gone downhill from there.

I'm pretty sure Joyce didn't see the future of 2022 when he said those words in 2012...

 

[p--and--t]

Not really irrelevant. QF has gone downhill from there.

If you haven't flow QFi since 2013, not sure you are qualified to comment ?

 

[samh004]

I found this clip from Uncle Alan where he claims Qantas is simply the best in the world

He wouldn't be a good chief executive if all he did was say their product was inferior to everyone elses

 

[kangarooflyer88]

THE VIDEO IS OVER TEN YEARS OLD.

I'm pretty sure Joyce didn't see the future of 2022 when he said those words in 2012...

I guess the point of this thread is to ask the community, has QF really gone from being the best in the world to a second or third rate airline as some state on this forum? Or alternatively, has it always been a struggle to find awards on QFF, to be left to fend for yourself when a partner cancels an award or to be left stranded in Timbuktu?

-RooFlyer88

 

[transpactraveller]

He wouldn't be a good chief executive if all he did was say their product was inferior to everyone elses

Yes exactly, like every world leader who is always going to say their country is the best in the world.

 

[drron]

If you haven't flow QFi since 2013, not sure you are qualified to comment ?

Why not? I can still read and talk to people who do fly QFI.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Why not? I can still read and talk to people who do fly QFI.

Tend to agree with you here. For someone to make the claim that their airline is the best in the world when it comes to things like frequent flyer programs, that's something we can directly compare real easily. Pull up the Qantas award chart from that time and compare it to the award chart from Singapore, Air France/KLM, or any other airline and make the comparison. Were you able to book J saver awards cheaper on SQ than QF back in the day? What about things like airline status? What were the published benefits of QFF back in 2013 versus other airlines? What I will say is back in 2013 it was a heck of a lot easier to get airline status with United and others which strictly used miles flown to calculate status instead of this convoluted status credits contraption. In terms of on board experience, well certainly you could compare trip reports from that period on Youtube versus with other airlines and make the comparison. Now if we were to look strictly at the present experience of QF versus other airlines, I think that would be very easy to do, too. Just look at the award availability of a bunch of sample bookings. Consider the lounges at SYD versus those at AMS or LAX.

Back to the main point that Uncle Alan was making, he claimed QF is the best airline in the world overall and in terms of things frequent flyer programs. This would imply (I would think) that they are better than Lufthansa, better than Air Canada or Singapore to name but a few airlines in all respects. Again, that we can compare objectively.

-RooFlyer88

 

[p--and--t]

has QF really gone from being the best in the world to a second or third rate airline as some state on this forum

Just completed a months touring overseas on 6 airlines and 13 sectors. Absolutely QF is not third rate. Was it the best of all the experiences, no, there was one airline better, but the others worse.

Or alternatively, has it always been a struggle to find awards on QFF,

Without AFF the recorded information and generous assistance of its members, it would have been difficult to have achieved the 3 wonderful around the world sojourns to 5 continents and the places I wanted to see utilising One World Classic Bus awards to the limits of their allowances for sectors and miles. The average punter would have been definitely behind the 8-ball. Mainly I believe because many cannot even visualise what it actually possible using these unique awards and work their way around the many rules that a TA would hide from them if they were paid tickets.. My strong suspicion is that would apply to the vast majority of points collectors in every frequent flyer scheme. AFFers are a different beast.

to be left to fend for yourself when a partner cancels an award or to be left stranded in Timbuktu?

Guess I have been lucky, and while I have experienced many shortfalls in service by the majority of airlines, including the so called 5* and 4*, I have used in more than 70 countries, I have never been left "stranded". QF has (in the main) has always proactively addressed changes and cancellations made by other carriers including at least a half dozen in my latest trip by MH and QR. Sometimes the proactive change wasn't to my liking and I have rung and changed to something I liked better. In near 50yrs of flying I have not been left stranded or abandoned by QF or any other carrier. (AN once decades ago through mechanical failure beyond their control delayed me 24 hrs and put me up in a 5* hotel in DWN).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Certainly premium economy was a world leader at the time. It was business ‘lite’ in every sense. But the business class product was outdated by then, with angled lie flats. First class was ok!

I think the lack of awards is more to do with covid rather than being able to compare like for like.

 

[p--and--t]

Why not? I can still read and talk to people who do fly QFI.

Hearsay?

 

[Guvner]

I daresay those who's experiences drron has spoken or read about reflect the real Qantas more than Alan Joyce's opinion does.

 

[Vic]

I guess the point of this thread is to ask the community, has QF really gone from being the best in the world to a second or third rate airline as some state on this forum? Or alternatively, has it always been a struggle to find awards on QFF, to be left to fend for yourself when a partner cancels an award or to be left stranded in Timbuktu?

-RooFlyer88

Well, to answer the basic question. Qantas has declined overall since 2012, without a doubt. The claims made back then certainly don't make think to compare to today - obviously from my earlier posts.

But it's all so subjective:
On board recently I've had better "recognition" that back in 2012. Business drinks when down the back and shadows, consistently. But then 10+ years at platinum, and now buying more business than economy fares.
Awards feel more difficult to find, but I always seem to find something. I've had to switch over to VA awards on SQ and EY for a particularly complicated series of flights next year. But then I've had no trouble grabbing a couple of qantas business awards up to singapore to link in.
I don't risk the re-ticketing problems by booking separate awards. This costs me in extra travel time and paying extra points.

For my upcoming international flights my pre-travel ranking is MH, QF, SQ=QR on board. there will be some ryan air or vueling in there somewhere - haven't booked. I think I'm ranking the lounges as MH, SQ, QF, QR. SQ marked down because I don't know what VA platinum is worth in terms of lounges.
But finding out is all part of the fun.

the website is complete coughE compared to 2012...

 

[transpactraveller]

Certainly premium economy was a world leader at the time. It was business ‘lite’ in every sense. But the business class product was outdated by then, with angled lie flats. First class was ok!

I think the lack of awards is more to do with covid rather than being able to compare like for like.

I remember when flying to LAX in PE years ago, it was basically the J food and drink service in a PE seat.

 

[Berlin]

I always find this Qantas bashing hilarious, especially if it comes from people who hardly fly Qantas and if, then in Economy as a Bronze member. Well.

From my recent experiences, both SQ and VA are as useless in terms of reward seat availability as Qantas is (talking only about premium classes and to North America or Europe here- Why seats to Bali are entirely irrelevant to me personally). Actually- if anything, the reward release option for Platinums is what makes Qantas the best out of this bunch. And what the onboard experience is concerned, Qantas is meh but mostly fine. SQ is way worse then what everyone says post Covid and I had 6 international flights with them over the past year- none really impressed me. QR is awesome but you have to deal with Doha which is a total nightmare, especially overnight when most connections are happening.

So muchness for muchness from my view. Of course, Qantas is far from perfect but which airline is? And as others have said, AJ wouldn’t still be CEO if he didn’t say ridiculous things like that- it’s part of his job.

 

[p--and--t]

But it's all so subjective:

Exactly.

Who is the question directed to. Platinums, Golds, Bronzes, QFd, QFi, business travellers, holiday travellers, recent travellers or older previous travellers, regular travellers, metro travellers, cash or points, regional travellers, those who travelled immediately after things opened up after Covid when everything was a mess, or those who skipped that, those who have actually travelled, those who have listened to a select biased self fulfilling group, AU residents or travellers into the country from elsewhere, those with wide ranging experience or those who follow a familiar pattern.

Even if we turned the clock back to 2012 and asked the same question, people would be in their own camps with their own opinions and would have trouble hearing anything different.

Experiences vary from journey to journey. Back in 2009 I thought my 2 sectors on MH were very good and I marked them highly. This year my 3 sectors were average to very very poor and muttered under my breath, last time I will travel with them. That was compounded by the booking problems I had with them, airport experience, onboard J experience, terrible filthy lounge showers, the difficulty contacting them and their lack of understanding of some of the rules (familiar?).

I didn't travel on any airline in 2020 and only limited travel in 2021. This year I had 2 sectors on QF and thought both of them good, not the best I have ever experienced but nothing I could really pick fault with. The 2022 booking experience was made quite awful by the initial call wait times and the inexperienced staff (Being Bronze, I never get Hobart). The call wait times seems to have been fixed but the lost experience to redundancies will take a long time to repair. However, looking elsewhere, bank call wait times were atrocious. Trying to deal with Flight Centre on a cruise booking in the last few weeks was an absolute nightmare littered with delays, oversights and errors, inexperience and short staffed.

For this trip and only this trip (and every trip will vary due to equipment, staff, weather, and a myriad of other factors) my ratings are as follows. They will no doubt change with the next trip

1. QR (onboard only - layovers/connections, cancellations booking issues are horrific)
2. QF
3. AT
4. MS
5. RJ
6. NP
7. MH