Underwhelming experience

[haydensydney]

Wait.... people still fly Qantas? :mrgreen:

 

[Vinny]

Wait.... people still fly Qantas? :mrgreen:

Quick, look! She smiled.

 

[nlagalle]

Wait.... people still fly Qantas? :mrgreen:

Having just flown DJ in "J" I can say they still have a long way to go to even level QF in J.

 

[maninblack]

Having just flown DJ in "J" I can say they still have a long way to go to even level QF in J.

As J is a new product for Virgin I expect a few glitches and a learning curve. But really what do they need to do other than not spill your drink on you whilst serving it (actually that only seems to happen to me on QF ). Can't think of anything that happens in QF domestic J that is anything much to get excited about.

Typical QF experience in J.
1. You have priority check in (actually not on QF anymore), go to the lounge and there is some type of priority boarding. Same on DJ
2. FA says hello as you board and points toward your seat. Same on DJ
3. You get offered a newspaper. same
4. You get offered a drink. same
5. You get offered an ordinary meal. same
6. You get offered a coffee. same
7. You get offered more drinks. same
8. You watch the bad TV show or movie. (Most QF flights do not have personal IFE) same
9. You get off and the FA says goodbye. same
10. Your priority luggage might come off first...and might not. same

Differences, Virgin 738 seat is leather and has no footrest but is more comfortable. Virgin staff mostly smile, Qantas staff sometimes do too.

And almost forgot, Virgin give you your own coughpy cushion, QF you have to hope there is one in the overhead locker and that the last passenger to use it didn't sneeze and snot all over it.

 

[serfty]

...
4. You get offered a drink. same
5. You get offered an ordinary meal. same
...

These are not the same.

4. QF have a greater selection of beverages

5. The ordinary meal on Qantas is often more interesting - in an ordinary sort of way.

 

[Per_Travels]

Nothing at all?

I dont believe you.

TPE-LAX is over 14000km.

Sorry - should have clarified this a little more - couln't provide me with a meal that I would have eaten (if I'd been hungry). I was sitting at the back of J both times and there was only 1 out of the 3 or 4 choices left by the time it got to me (this happened on the Perth KL leg and twice on the TPE-LAX leg, dinner and brunch). i.e. they still had some food left but non that I would have eaten (again - I wasn't that fussed because I wasn't planning on having anything anyway).
It was a last minute booking (the weekend that Qantas was grounded) which may have explained the lack of cartering on the flights.

Hope you believe me now (but not really that bothered if you don't )

 

[mannej]

In all fairness, comparing the J product on a DJ/VA 737 compared to the QF 737 (forget the 734) is very subjective at the best of times. The same goes for the widebodies as well.
A friend recently flew on the Virgin product, and commented on how the seats were uncomfortable, others don't like leather seats, yet you have people who say the Virgin product is better.
You would think that competition would give the people at QF (or any other airline for that matter) the cue to make sure that their product is not underwhelming as per the OP.

 

[maninblack]

It was a last minute booking (the weekend that Qantas was grounded) which may have explained the lack of cartering on the flights.

But not a lack of catering out KUL or TPE. That's pretty ordinary for a so called premium airline in J though I havehad similar experiences elsewhere on the odd occassion, even on QF. I don't fly MH so don't know what their service is like generally.

 

[nlagalle]

These are not the same.

4. QF have a greater selection of beverages

5. The ordinary meal on Qantas is often more interesting - in an ordinary sort of way.

QF have a much better selection of drinks

and the food is definitely better. Probably one of the best QF dishes I've had was the salmon fillet on Soba Noodles. I've had that going MEL-PER and also MEL-BNE

 

[serfty]

QF have a much better selection of drinks

and the food is definitely better. Probably one of the best QF dishes I've had was the salmon fillet on Soba Noodles. I've had that going MEL-PER and also MEL-BNE

... and I had Saturday evening AKL-MEL

 

[maninblack]

Probably one of the best QF dishes I've had was the salmon fillet on Soba Noodles.

That is barely a commendation. A bit like saying one of the best McDonalds dishes I have had is the French Fries.

But QF do have excellent wines.

PS. Get rid of the guy with the ponytail.

 

[nlagalle]

That is barely a commendation. A bit like saying one of the best McDonalds dishes I have had is the French Fries.

But QF do have excellent wines.

PS. Get rid of the guy with the ponytail.

Ok name me one DJ dish that is better than what QF serve in J....

and IMO it was streets ahead of the meat pie i was given last night on DJ!

 

[maninblack]

Ok name me one DJ dish that is better than what QF serve in J....

I have only had 2 morning flights on Virgin domestic J (the rest have been PE service) compared to perhaps 100 or so on QF so not valid to fully compare this aspect of service except to say I find the food on QF dom J pretty damn miserable...at this stage I would be happy with the pie or the NY sanga I would say. A good sandwich beats a bad attempt at "cooking".

 

[Per_Travels]

That is barely a commendation. A bit like saying one of the best McDonalds dishes I have had is the French Fries.

.

I love McDonalds french fries - if only the airlines would serve them they'd win plenty of business from me (certainly beats the Hungry Jacks version)

 

[maninblack]

Imagine deep fryers in aircraft galleys.

 

[Per_Travels]

Imagine deep fryers in aircraft galleys.

I hate it when reality interrupts my fantasies

 

[Julesmac]

I'm puzzled that Qantas (via RedRoo) doesn't seem to take on board the kinds of things mentioned on this post - (similarly on other issues of course).Unless I don't see responses. AFF consists of lots of people who fly - lots. Vast experience over all airlines both domestic and international. And though many of the threads can contain negative comments, if you had a business which relied on the goodwill of the public you would be seriously crazy to ignore discontented customers. Wouldn't you? Or does Alan not give a stuff? Why would you not keep an eye on the threads and Blind Freddy can see a theme relating to customer 'service' (so you would reassess crew training and try to gee em up a bit. If they can't be bothered being pleasant, let them retire. Ditto the food issue - reassess it. Guess Alan doesn';t fly down the cardboard box end of the plane. :!: Personally I would prefer a cheaper flight and bring my own salad roll.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

In all fairness, comparing the J product on a DJ/VA 737 compared to the QF 737 (forget the 734) is very subjective at the best of times. The same goes for the widebodies as well. A friend recently flew on the Virgin product, and commented on how the seats were uncomfortable, others don't like leather seats, yet you have people who say the Virgin product is better.

You would think that competition would give the people at QF (or any other airline for that matter) the cue to make sure that their product is not underwhelming as per the OP.

What about DJ's transcon flights to PER in the A330 - how does J measure up? On a side note I was told by a QF Plat One that he found DJ P/E better than QF J so wonder what he'll think of DJ's J class? :shock:

Ok name me one DJ dish that is better than what QF serve in J....

and IMO it was streets ahead of the meat pie i was given last night on DJ!

Did you have to wait 25 minutes for them to warm it up?

Imagine deep fryers in aircraft galleys.

Never mind in the aircraft galleys, what about the QP's or JL's? They can have a pancake machine so why not a deep fryer?

 

[simongr]

Never mind in the aircraft galleys, what about the QP's or JL's? They can have a pancake machine so why not a deep fryer?

I guess because French Fries would go soggy once cooked and left out. I have never seen self service fries at a buffet and have yet to find one of these machines:

Patata Chef Introduction

 

[awilcockson]

Never mind in the aircraft galleys, what about the QP's or JL's? They can have a pancake machine so why not a deep fryer?

Awesome idea!