Qantas brand badly tarnished

[Zanzara]

'Qantas's brand is very, very tarnished': Travellers suffering through disruptions as industry scrambles to find workers


'Qantas's brand is very, very tarnished': Travellers suffering through disruptions as industry scrambles to find workers

Interesting article about QF (and also to an extent VA). Covers a few issues. Pretty shocking to hear that due to issues with the weight of fuel, a whole QF flight took off from Darwin without a single passenger‘s bag & they didn’t inform anyone until they had landed at LHR.

 

[aikman]

It may be tarnished but it is still the market leader.

Qantas had the highest market share in April 2022

After briefly conceding the position of market share leader to Virgin in January 2022, Qantas carried 37% of domestic passengers in April 2022 (up from 31% in January 2022).

Passengers are obviously still flocking to Qantas in droves.

 

[Zanzara]

It may be tarnished but it is still the market leader.


Passengers are obviously still flocking to Qantas in droves.

Would be interesting what % of overseas travel they have (or managed to retain) QF brand is pretty robust, regardless.

 

[UP4014]

I'm not sure anymore tarnished than anyone else after covid shut downs, lay offs and equipment being parked up.

 

[serfty]

I'm not sure anymore tarnished than anyone else after covid shut downs, lay offs and equipment being parked up.

I suspect telephone support is one area that has really tarnished the Qantas brand more than other airlines.

 

[AussieJasmine]

I wouldn't say it's all that bad. None of the airlines have really stood out during Covid, and in the wider world outside of flying, most companies' customer service (esp call centres) have taken a nosedive off a cliff into a nice solid pad of concrete, while Qantas has several advantages.

* It's the only airline in with anything approaching a real international hub within Australia, especially when combined with JQ.
* It's the only Australian airline that's part of a major alliance.
* They've got the most comprehensive domestic network.
* They're the only Australian airline with truly global brand recognition, and it's generally positive. In the UK QF is generally regarded as a reliable, comfortable and somewhat understated choice.

 

[serfty]

@AussieJasmine , I would suggest they are only perceived advantages when they really are not.

* It's the only airline in with anything approaching a real international hub within Australia, especially when combined with JQ.

What Hub? Oh, you mean Sydney. There are other airlines serving Australia from Sydney and other ports. e.g. SQ has at least four flights daily to SIN from MEL. Other than that, any reference to JQ does not compute as you are putting apples and oranges in the same bucket.

* It's the only Australian airline that's part of a major alliance.

There are other airlines serving Australia that are part of major alliances. AJ is relying on "Australian Airline" in an effort to "get away" with providing what is inferior service.

* They've got the most comprehensive domestic network.

True, and I would use them when needed. However, that is another facet that AJ is leveraging in an effort to "get away" with providing what is inferior service.

* They're the only Australian airline with truly global brand recognition, and it's generally positive. In the UK QF is generally regarded as a reliable, comfortable and somewhat understated choice.

I would ask what UK denizens would say if they had to experience the issues that prompted the ABC article referenced in this thread.

This year was the first I have ever set foot on an Singapore Airlines Aircraft, and was very impressed.

I post this after over 2000 RPT flights, 1200+ of them on Qantas.

 

[RichardMEL]

I would think one global airline that appears to have come through covid with a very good reputation (in general) is QR. They never stopped operating many flights - including to/from Oz and were often the only options to get people places when many others had cut back a lot or fully.

Yes, I know, THAT deplorable issue occured that is genuinely upsetting and horrible (and I am not female so can't pretend to comprehend fully) and let's not forget that, though I also tend to feel that was mostly a Qatari government action and not QR per se (though they are both one and the same in many respects too.. so grain of salt/). At any rate I fully understand and respect various folks not wanting to go near the carrier with a barge pole.

Those issues aside, hopefully very very isolated, it would be one brand that has stood up well.

Back OT to QF though.. they still have a huge share just because of their size in the dom market, loyalty tie ups, and the fail on VA1 and VA2 still being relatively weak(but getting much better it seems).. Rex .. floundering I reckon, and Bonza still a no show(and who knows how that will go anyway).. so QF would have to have grounded the whole airline (oh wait...) to lose a huge amount of market share in the domestic space... it's just how it is (see Air Canada as example).


Internationally though QF's market share is under 40% IIRC and dropping. look at carriers like QR and SQ who are upping capacity and flights to major AU cities (and even smaller ones, like return to CNS with the Max).. I noticed at MEL the other day there were 4 SIN flights on SQ - 2 of them in the space of 3 hours. That is very impressive. Mother QF only the one (plus JQ).

Add in carriers like UA also ramping up (SFO-BNE, SFO-MEL, SFO/LAX-SYD) and others, there's a whole lot of other options for international than QF and JQ - often with better product, or better connections to where folks want to go.

I do agree the general issues over the past few years, but SPECIALLY the past six-nine months post opening up has exposed more and more ongoing issues to the general populations (eg: issues with call centres, flight credits, etc) and this has definitely tarnished the brand (not to mention your CEO blaming customers and all of these PR faux pas)

 

[UP4014]

I suspect telephone support is one area that has really tarnished the Qantas brand more than other airlines.

Yeah you could be right on that, I've only needed phone QF once this year. Booked about 12 flights and cancelled 4, the refunds went through so quickly I didn't need to call them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

serfty… make that six (yes ‘6’) daily flight by SQ on MEL-SIN. Compared to one on qantas?

But i note a significant downgrade in SQ’s economy catering… more in line with QF there’s days with just a simple hot plate and roll, followed by ice cream. Gone are the days of a full meal tray

 

[Jousams]

I'm not one to jump on the anti-qantas brigade and I think a lot of it, has historically, come from pretty malignant racism and homophobia directed at Alan Joyce (which given his status as a well paid white male, seems to be okay...?).

But at the moment, things are just a mess at QF, they have been for over a year, promises to fix things have been broken and there is no end in sight. Its becoming more and more apparent that his leadership is becoming untenable and there needs to be some pretty significant change from the top down...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But at the moment, things are just a mess at QF, they have been for over a year, promises to fix things have been broken and there is no end in sight. Its becoming more and more apparent that his leadership is becoming untenable and there needs to be some pretty significant change from the top down...

But planes are full, profits high, members happy with status extended, or coming cheaply via double status promotions.

The image problems aren’t affecting the bottom line, nor are they likely to given all of the above.

 

[Phoenix-1]

I'm not one to jump on the anti-qantas brigade and I think a lot of it, has historically, come from pretty malignant racism and homophobia directed at Alan Joyce (which given his status as a well paid white male, seems to be okay...?).

But at the moment, things are just a mess at QF, they have been for over a year, promises to fix things have been broken and there is no end in sight. Its becoming more and more apparent that his leadership is becoming untenable and there needs to be some pretty significant change from the top down...

I'm curious, what racism has been directed towards Alan Joyce?

 

[theblank]

It may be tarnished but it is still the market leader.

I think qantas has been a leader in tarnished brands for well over a decade, and they continue to exceed expectations in that regard.
Alan Joyce can certainly hang his hat on this achievement.

 

[Happy Trails]

I'm curious, what racism has been directed towards Alan Joyce?

I have to confess that I did once post that he should go back where he came from.
Though I meant Jetstar, not Ireland, so not sure if that counts.

 

[Franky]

serfty… make that six (yes ‘6’) daily flight by SQ on MEL-SIN. Compared to one on qantas?

But i note a significant downgrade in SQ’s economy catering… more in line with QF there’s days with just a simple hot plate and roll, followed by ice cream. Gone are the days of a full meal tray

Pre CV19, SQ also had 4 flights daily to Singapore seasonally, compared to QFs 1 plus another every second day from memory…

 

[Jousams]

I'm curious, what racism has been directed towards Alan Joyce?

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce Tells Mark McGowan: "Oiy Ghatta Lheok Afteh Moy Fooken Sharrholdars, Boddy!"

More to come.

www.betootaadvocate.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1501700309080768512

 

[oz_mark]

No one will remember in a year, and people will still be booking Qantas. (and complaining about the price etc.)

 

[jakeseven7]

No one will remember in a year, and people will still be booking Qantas. (and complaining about the price etc.)

Agree, again, but lets clog up the forum with yet another thread on it .

 

[Zanzara]

Agree, again, but lets clog up the forum with yet another thread on it .

Chickens are coming home to roost. Blistering reports on QF in the AFR today. Compares Qantas to Fawlty Towers after millions in subsidies, not flying throughout the pandemic, toxic industrial relation policies and being completely unprepared. Most importantly it actually recognises long suffering passengers, consolidating flights, cancelations and dreadful service.