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.