Well – this is the first blog posting, as I begin my six month adventure in Shanghai. Unfortunately it is about how much Australia’s so called “great” flag carrier QANTAS suck!
Dear QANTAS Customer Service,
I recently arrived into Shanghai on QF 129, on the 17th of February 2008, albeit after a less than stellar performance from your organisation.
Check-in, in Melbourne went pretty smoothly, it was fairly routine all except the part where your staff were unable to issue me a boarding pass all the way to Shanghai. According to your check in staff (at counter 27) there was some sort of “computer error” and I would have to pick up my boarding pass in Sydney, happily you were able to confirm that my bags were checked all the way through to Shanghai Pudong. It is at this point where I believe the wheels fell off completely, however I was not to find this out until much later that evening.
Landing in Sydney, I headed straight for the transfer desk to pick up my boarding pass. The lady at transfer tells me I need to go to another area to get my boarding pass, for no reason other than that she can’t be arsed interrupting her phone call. After refusing to move on, she issued me with the pass after much sighing and wringing of hands. I’m so sorry that my 2 minute’s here was such an inconvenience for your staff.
After clearing Customs I then queued up with the masses at security. Performed the octopus routine, juggled 2 pieces of carry on, a laptop a phone, and my overcoat, got them all on the X-ray and I was then told to go back, to the back of the line and unpack my carry on for a re-scan. The extremely “well trained” and “courteous” X-Ray operator had spied liquids and or gels in my bag. On closer inspection the suspect liquid turned out to be 7 hard drives, a Kensington lock, network cables, wireless router, iPod charger, iPod and the associated menagerie of cables and chargers. All of this had to be X-Rayed, piece by piece. A total joke when this same bag had been X-Rayed in Melbourne and deemed fit to fly. Not QANTAS fault, but just another example of the crap the traveling public have to put up with.
I arrive at the first class lounge, get checked in and head straight for the Day Spa, where more “premium” QANTAS service awaits. I walk into the spa and there is a bloke using a laptop at the desk, which I presume is reception. He doesn’t even look up or give me any kind of acknowledgment, until I ask him if this is reception and what treatments are on offer. In curt, clipped tones he proceeds to tell me that there is no bookings available until 10:50am and that wont leave me any time before my flight. No offer to put me on a waiting list, or offer to slot me in if there is a cancellation, again service I’m used to as a Platinum frequent flyer. Incidentally my flight departed at 12:00pm, a full 30 minutes late. After waiting in the lounge from 10am, I couldn’t be accommodated. Are you feeling the Premiumness! I am.
Flight was pretty uneventful, until I landed at Pudong. Waiting at the carousel, watching the number of people reduce, getting that sinking defeated feeling in the pit of my stomach as me and 3 others are the last men standing. Manage to find the baggage counter and lodge my report, no explanation is offered, the whereabouts of my bags are unknown. Normally I wouldn’t be too worried, but this time my life is in those bags, as I am moving here for 6 months.
Given that the only proof I had that my bags existed was a thin green paper form, with unreadable chicken scratch writing, I decided to further cover myself by sending some feedback on the QANTAS website. I outlined my situation, described my bags and provided the baggage receipt numbers. I still have not heard back from QANTAS, a full 24 hours later.
Googling “QANTAS lost luggage” also gave little comfort when all I can find is an article called Qantas: proud promoters of worst-practice baggage tracking and this person who’s bags were lost on a direct flight from Canberra to Adelaide, which if I was a betting man is probably not Australia’s most heavily trafficked air routes.
So thanks QANTAS for a truly premium experience. If I fly you again I’ll be feeling the sincerity when the “special” welcome is issued to all QANTAS frequent flyers. After this experience it would seem that QANTAS is indeed Australian for shit.
Your blog was so accurate on this. I was sent from the US to Australia to work for a few months and from day one Qantas was horrible. They lost one of my bags and it took four days to get it to me. In flying back to the US to get my family the “lost” the first leg of my trip (Canberra to Melbourne) in the computer and made me purchase it again! I could go on forever. Suffice it to say that being a veritable monopoly discourages good service and good pricing. It was also cheaper for me to fly to other countries than to fly within Australia. That’s because they actually have to compete on international routes.
Qantas really are hopeless. I had a OneWorld ticket so of course every airline pretends that they have NOTHING to do with this, including Qantas, who I booked it through. Regardless of which airline I called, I was directed to Qantas, who took a totally hands off approach. Not to mention the 30 odd minutes I had to wait each time for the privilege of speaking to someone from Qantas who knows less about their internal procedures than I do – they must sleep through training where as I get hands on, all expenses paid (by me) experience!
I will never ever fly Qantas again for any reason. The organisation that makes that much of a profit while screwing people in every which way does not deserve to be supported. They are hopeless to travel with, it creates so many unnecessary stresses in order to keep their shareholders happy.
I hope Qantas/Jetstar and all the other airlines like American TANK. Its horrible to say, but when I flew EasyJet, I was so overwhemingly happy with the experience and I think my future of flying is with airlines like that, who despite not giving a shit about comfort, give more of a shit AND comfort!
A copy of an email sent to Richard Switzky Qantas Head of Customer Service today.
22nd October 2008
Dear Richard
Thanks for your prompt reply and I thought I would write to you direct to share my thoughts about loyalty programs, membership and Qantas.
I have been a Qantas FF for many years. I have used you domestically and internationally for a long time.
I have travelled with you through your various viscitudes and changes – ever loyal and ever a believer in the flying Kangaroo.
I have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars with you, both mine and the various companies I run.
I have observed the manner in which you have changed in recent years. How shareholders and certain executives interests were placed ahead of customers.
I flew with you as the age of your aircraft deteriorated.
I flew with you as your attitudes to customer service diminished.
I flew with you as meals became of poorer quality and when an apple and an ice cream were considered to be a meal.
I flew with you and received the same treatment, service and food as those who flew on heavily discounted fares.
I flew with you as you withdrew services to various domestic and International ports, replacing them with Jet Star.
I flew with you during the early teething problems of Jet Star.
I flew with you as you tried to convince investors that the deal with Babcock and others was a “good thing” for the company.
I flew with you as your treatment of cabin crew conditions impacted their “love” for Qantas and were in turn transferred to passengers.
I flew with you as your attempts to drive profits to shareholders came at a cost to your lifeblood (loyal customers in case you had forgotten).
I flew with you despite the frequent changes to your loyalty program.
I flew with you despite the fact that the only way I could ever use “points” with any degree of certainty was to use them for upgrades.
I flew with you during your poor treatment of your own employees – cutting their wage growth, whilst attempting to line the pockets of executives and others.
I flew with you during increasingly disturbing and frequent ‘safety’ incidents.
I even remained loyal during a huge decline in on-time efficiency and ever increasing flight delays and cancellations and still flew with you. But I do admit that this year on at least 10 occasions whilst I was booked with you I flew an alternative (Virgin) at the last minute as you had once again cancelled/delayed a flight. Perhaps those flights had they been on time or not cancelled would have got me over the line regarding FF status – who knows!
In short I flew because I was loyal.
But no more! Why? Because I now realise that Qantas and loyalty are not co-joined.
I realise that Qantas has sadly ‘lost the plot” and has embarked on a course of action that will deliberately or not, increasingly alienate those that are loyal.
But now I know I have a choice. I have experienced Virgin and you know what they are OK. They do reward loyalty, they have newer planes – their food is no better or worse than yours, they are better on time, I can use their loyalty program with ease – they pretty much fly every where you do and they are less expensive and jeez they are also easier to like! And, I like them! They work for me, so this really is a farewell letter.
So you can say farewell to my loyalty, to my spend and where possible that of my company and where I can convince others, that of my peers.
Finally, may I refer you to a great book written by Jan Carlson of SAS airlines “Moment of Truth” – I suspect the executives of Qantas could do with either being introduced to it, or re-reading it.
This is my “Moment of Truth”. Goodbye Qantas – Hello Virgin.
Yours sincerely
Stephen Tunley
CEO
Mirvac AQUA
Stephen, Great letter. This blog posting must be getting a few google hits, it’s the most popular on the blog. Keep sharing your QANTAS stories here folks……..QANTAS, I want to like you, but Stephen sums it up very nicely
Stephen Tunley – my god, what an amazing piece of writing. Everything I ever wanted to say to/about Qantas summed up in one letter. The Evil Empire is beginning to crumble…finally. Long live Virgin Blue!
I am an ex Ansett employee now working for the rat and can’t believe how the staff are treated. We are just a number and if you don’t like it go. We are understaffed and over worked but as long as management get their bonus who cares. So it is hard to give good customer service when you yourself are treated like crap from the people running the show.