Another week, another, well where do I start…..

February 18, 2012 1 Comment

I was looking at my schedule yesterday and I have flown 59 legs this financial year, that is 59 trips to the airport, 59 scans and security screening and 60 times boarding (yep, that is not a misprint!).  It Friday and I am on my way home for another week,  You will be pleased to know that this week, Qantas got the plane allocation scheduling back on track and I did not have to go through the ringer to get my favourite exit seat.

1H12

The big news of the week as the 1H12 Results delivered by Alan Joyce on Wednesday.  No real surprises in the commentary from Qantas.  Fuel was more expensive than ever, softer inbound demand from the UK and Europe, strong outbound growth (we Australians do love to travel) and robust domestic demand (see previous point).

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The notes from Qantas noted that the Industrial dispute last year cost the airline $194m.  In the corresponding 1H11, the mess with Boeing and the A380 Grounding cost the airline $55m.  On top of this, the fuel bill went up $444m across the whole group for the period.  I can not help but think that if Alan Joyce had not grounded the Qantas fleet last year, the EBIT for the Qantas segment would be closer to $200m and Group EBIT in the region of $420m.  Now I am not privy to how Qantas keep their books and how the accountants came around the loses for the grounding but I can not help but think that it just does not add up and the PR team are being liberal with the facts.

You too can get all the commentary from Qantas at the Qantas Investor section of the web site.

Air Australia

Hardly competition but Air Australia (Strategic Aviation) brought the administrators in and left a number of Australians trapped in exotic locations.  Qantas and Alan Joyce to his credit has indicated that the stranded travellers should turn up at Qantas /Jetstar desks and Qantas will look to get them home.  It is nice to see Qantas using it’s considerable fleet for good and win some PR points in the process.  Nothing like reinforcing the brand to trapped travellers.

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Generic Error @QantasAirways, Start Over…..

February 6, 2012 3 Comments

I do not seem to be able to get a break.  Since going Gold, the service has fallen off a cliff and to say it is a high cliff is an understatement.  Last week I lamented the leg room on the 737-800 fleet. If you are more than 190 cms you are in a whole world of trouble.  It would appear that the smaller 737-400 have more room.  To this problem, I ensure that I get exit rows and this is where the problem has been.  When I checked-in on line I had already booked a an exit row seat but due to a aircraft change,the seat was now a regular seat.  The exit rows were blocked out.  Check in and try and change my seat – Generic error, please call a help desk!

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The Qantas help people are all smiles and no action.  despite what the website said, the airport people have blocked out the exit rows and you will have to ask for a seat when you get to the airport.  Get to the airport, no exit row seats, “next time you should use the online seating on the website to select a seats you status level will give you access to the exit rows”.  Hang on or more appropriately, WTF!  Web site says no seats, 131313 say ask at the airport and airport staff say use the website.  These people have been taking classes from 5 year olds.

The next screen shot says it all.  If some one from Qantas can explain how this works, I have a numerous numbers of followers who would be interested in the explanation.

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The dilemma this week is do I change to a row that I think may have an exit row or do I make the assumption that Qantas actually have some control over the reservation system as the past two weeks have not been good examples of Qantas customer service in action.

On a lighter note and probably a little unfair!

For those of you who live in Melbourne, this one is for you: Spot the difference!

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Ah, and in the morning I have the delight of an inflight breakfast. Yum……

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Ground Hog Day, again!

January 26, 2012 1 Comment

Three weeks back in the saddle with Qantas and it is like Ground Hog Day. Welcome to my life as Punxsutawney Phil!

I reached another milestone with Qantas, they have sent me Gold Membership card with all the trimmings.  The first time I took the “new” status out for a spin was today.  I had managed to bag an exit row and at 192 cm’s (6’4″ on the old scale) I find it rather uncomfortable on the 737’s and yes,you guessed it, they changed the plane and we got a new seating configuration.  A plane change is not necessarily a bad thing except, 11A was now forward of the exit rows. Sir, welcome to Gold!

Qantas also seem to have adopted new suppliers for the boxed food.  We got, what only can be described as pressed tomato biscuits with a yogurt dipping sauce.  In the good old days (last year) it was inedible Panini’s.  Being a past export of boarding school, I generally do not have food hang up’s as I would have passed away somewhere between my 11th and 12th birthday from malnutrition. But this is getting out of hand.

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Week ending Friday 20th January 2012

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Week ending Friday 13th January 2012 and if you are wondering, the dipping sauce is “Zucchini & Lentil”!

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I can safely say that I have managed to avoid breakfast in flight for the past 28 weeks of travel.  Under normal circumstances, you would be entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket but not in this case.  I actually think I would pay a premium NOT to eat the breakfast.  Qantas have also taken the last and remaining item off the breakfast menu that was eatable – the reconstituted material formally known as a muffin.

Didn’t Tiger Airways get grounded in 2011?

Last year, Tiger Airways, the budget carrier and 4th player in the Australian aviation market was grounded for failings within it operations that CASA felt caused an “unacceptable risk” to the Australian flying public.  I have previously noted that Jetstar have it’s share of issues Jetstar botched landing at Melbourne Airport | Pilot pressure caused errors. This was one of a few reported last year. So, if you are an “Australian” operator with a large fleet, CASA will develop some sort of Stockholm Syndrome and look the other way.  I hope I am wrong but the press is not always flattering, particularly for Jetstar. I wear a “badge of honour”, never flown Jetstar (yet)!

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The Qantas 2011 swansong

January 25, 2012 1 Comment

 

Originally wrote this as my final number for 2011 but events over took me and I just found the draft so I thought I would put it up anyway.

I was going to be melancholy about my final week on Qantas this week as this is my last week of travel for the 2011 calendar year.  I was going to talk about the good things Qantas do, the massive infrastructure and the employees who in their own ways go out of their way to help hapless travellers, such as my self.  I could talk about the magnificent engineering facilities that the Sydney Qantas Club overlook but at 7:20 this morning (Dec 12, 2011), that all turned to dust.  Someone had fed the Gremlins again after midnight and after closing the door, giving us the safety demonstration we were back at the gate where we sat.  Some time after 8:00 AM we were herded back to the Qantas Club for more coffee for which I have had so much this morning, I am starting to show the early symptoms of caffeine poisoning.  We then sat in the club while the next flight for Canberra left – allegedly no seats but I could not happen to notice that Joe Hockey and Malcolm Turnbull who were on our original flight were no where to be seen on the later flight.  So much for no seating on the later flight.

What irks me more than anything else is the contemptuous way in which we get treated.  If I am 5 seconds late for a flight I have pay additional fee’s or in some cases, purchase a new ticket.  If Qantas screw up, we, as passengers still get messed around.  Their is no come back on the airline as the provider of the service.  Today is an annoyance and I will miss an important meeting with my client and this equates to a economic loss for me as I bill bill by time and sitting in airport lounges is not a productive use of my time as this equates to non-billable time.  A few weeks back Bruce, a colluge of mine in Canberra, had a booking for Qantas to Sydney the Jetstar to Maroochydore.  The Qantas flight from Canberra was cancelled, so Bruce was bumped to the next flight.  This caused him to miss his connecting Jetstar flight.  Do you think Jetstar could care.  No, he had to purchase a new ticket yet it was Qantas (who by the way own Jetstar 100%) who caused him to miss his flight.  Good one Alan!

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