QF's Asia announcement

[markis10]

Totally agree with that markis, but I think the 747s will be around for longer than the next year or so..

Should get an update with the results announcement in a week or so , perhaps "and our good friends at Emirates have provided access to some 777s so that we can replace those gas guzzlers on the DFW route with something that can take more load at less costs, allowing us to continue our four pillars strategy including enhanced servicing of Asia and beyond, by retiming our flights so connections with our One World Friends are now worse such as Hong Kong to LHR, despite their being 5 flights ex HKG " etc etc.

 

[JohnPhelan]

My guess is they probably didn't expect the big backlash from customers especially in PER and SA, as well as the media beat up around it all.

The media response in Queensland has been very positive - The Courier-Mail even included a short editorial praising the changes! (Of course, BNE actually gains international flights out of the change).

 

[cosi]

Question

With the reduction in QFi Flights, I wonder if QF will revisit the rule of 4 Eligible flight (Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar segment) counted towards status attain/retain.

I will now struggle to get the necessary 4 sectors as a result of the demise of the Per-HKG flights.

I also enjoyed the QF on board personnel and always felt I was already home when boarding the QF flight in HKG

 

[sjd]

Question

With the reduction in QFi Flights, I wonder if QF will revisit the rule of 4 Eligible flight (Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar segment) counted towards status attain/retain.

I will now struggle to get the necessary 4 sectors as a result of the demise of the Per-HKG flights.

But they have "enhanced" the number of flights with EK code share.

 

[codash1099]

Question

With the reduction in QFi Flights, I wonder if QF will revisit the rule of 4 Eligible flight (Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar segment) counted towards status attain/retain.

I will now struggle to get the necessary 4 sectors as a result of the demise of the Per-HKG flights.

I also enjoyed the QF on board personnel and always felt I was already home when boarding the QF flight in HKG

Don't hold your breath. I think the QF medium term game plan is to withdraw from international operations (maybe except for one or two destinations) and farm out the rest to EK. Their fleet numbers are in decline and they simply won't have the capacity to run a meaningful QFi. They'll keep enough of it to act primarily as a sales agent.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Should get an update with the results announcement in a week or so , perhaps "and our good friends at Emirates have provided access to some 777s so that we can replace those gas guzzlers on the DFW route with something that can take more load at less costs, allowing us to continue our four pillars strategy including enhanced servicing of Asia and beyond, by retiming our flights so connections with our One World Friends are now worse such as Hong Kong to LHR, despite their being 5 flights ex HKG " etc etc.

You do provide an interesting possibility of ex-EK 777s making an appearance once some of the 747s start flying off in to the sunset. It would seem unlikely though.

 

[markis10]

You do provide an interesting possibility of ex-EK 777s making an appearance once some of the 747s start flying off in to the sunset. It would seem unlikely though.

I suspect if it happens it will be a let lease, if it happens at all! EK are taking delivery of a 777 a week at present....

 

[Must...Fly!]

I suspect if it happens it will be a let lease, if it happens at all! EK are taking delivery of a 777 a week at present....

Yes, it is quite impressive.

However at some point their older planes will have to go, given their access to unbelievable amounts of free capital. Part of the deal QF made could be for some leasing at favourable rates.

 

[ajw373]

If QF was actually serious about Asia they would be refitting the A330's with SkyBed II and Y+ not just talking about possible refits.....

Waiting for 787's in MAYBE 2016 is not a real option

Also don't forget the 787 is a small aircraft, so would really struggle to put in business, premium economy and economy in any great numbers.

 

[dajop]

Don't hold your breath. I think the QF medium term game plan is to withdraw from international operations (maybe except for one or two destinations) and farm out the rest to EK.

I disagree, I think like most airlines these days, QF will end up consolidating services just to go to/from their hub. If you live in the other cities, you'll either have to resign yourself to taking a busride between terminals at SYD or go with the Asian or ME carriers.

 

[casanovawa]

As Markiss has said, there is no fleet growth for QF, it's all about downsizing to save QFi..

Once people leave QF for another carrier be it SQ/EK they will be unlikely to come back

Unfortunately it usually takes a lot more money to win customers back than to keep them, so pretty short sighted on Joyce's part to be saving a few bucks now with any illusions of grand plans in the future...

 

[casanovawa]

Has anyone else noticed its been eerily quiet from QF since the announcement (other than replying to the media).

My guess is they probably didn't expect the big backlash from customers especially in PER and SA, as well as the media beat up around it all.

Goes to show how out of touch that bunch are....

 

[eastwest101]

Unfortunately it usually takes a lot more money to win customers back than to keep them, so pretty short sighted on Joyce's part to be saving a few bucks now with any illusions of grand plans in the future...

Goes to my point/opinion that the customers, capacity/fleet and economy of scale are the leading future indicators of what your airline will look like in the medium to long term......

If you get it right - these three components become a virtueous circle all helping each other out, if you cut them, then its also a perpetuating circle - but going down.

 

[markis10]

Goes to my point/opinion that the customers, capacity/fleet and economy of scale are the leading future indicators of what your airline will look like in the medium to long term......

If you get it right - these three components become a virtueous circle all helping each other out, if you cut them, then its also a perpetuating circle - but going down.

Rewind 14 years to Ansett.............

 

[Pushka]

I have seen Red Roo reading the thread. No comment though.

 

[eastwest101]

Rewind 14 years to Ansett.............

Actually Ansett was in trouble from 1989 onwards when they got involved in a big war with part of their work force that shut down the entire airline industry in Australia for a while. Subsequent Sir Peter Abels, News Corp and Air NZ shennanigans in the 1990s were just delivered the coup-de-grace and were robbing the corpse, from what I heard.

 

[markis10]

Actually Ansett was in trouble from 1989 onwards when they got involved in a big war with part of their work force that shut down the entire airline industry in Australia for a while. Subsequent Sir Peter Abels, News Corp and Air NZ shennanigans in the 1990s were just delivered the coup-de-grace and were robbing the corpse, from what I heard.

I think you missed the point, look at AN 14 years so re fleet age, management and policies then look at QF today!

 

[Must...Fly!]

I think you missed the point, look at AN 14 years so re fleet age, management and policies then look at QF today!

I have a suspicion as to what you mean, but could you explain it? I wasn't alive then! (And google is being unhelpful)

 

[eastwest101]

I think you missed the point, look at AN 14 years so re fleet age, management and policies then look at QF today!

Yes I agree - the fleet age and diversity that AN had before its demise would not have helped. As for the management and policies - well I will let those ones slide through for others to comment on, but I can see the point you are making.

i.e. "Those whom ignore the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them."

But I have also seen a few papers around that - as sad as it was - the demise of AN "shook up" and cleared the way for more competition and changed things forever in the australian airline industry. But I think it was also a lot of other factors that did as well.
This site makes a very interesting read:

http://sgp1.paddington.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/cover_stories/transcript_955.asp

 

[Ontime]

I had a Hong Kong Perth Sydney flight changed to Hong kong Sydney with no loss of original routing status credits and the 12000 point inconvenience bonus. However I was booked to Hong Kong via Melbourne and the new timetable means my Sydney flight now leaves at 6.00am instead of 9.30am because the Hong Kong Melbourne flight now leaves at 9.35am instead of 1.30 pm. I explained to Qantas that I travel to the airport by train and the time of arrival at the airport would be 5.35am. I was then offered a 6.45am flight which they advised me would meet the transfer time constraints. I informed the agent that I dont like to be rushed and as a premium passenger enjoy the first lounge to relax before a flight. I suggested that they book me on the Sydney Hong Kong direct flight and just pay the original routing status credits. From my perspective this would be cheaper for Qantas and remove the tight time constraints which I always avoid. I was informed that this was a timetable change and as such I would have to accept the flights offered. Obviously all within the rules but from my perspective not very customer friendly and lacking some common sense when the problem is caused by widespread changes not the usual situation involving one off timetable changes. All my flights were in business.