qantas - new lows


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the last few months, i have had a number of flights. it seems the stumbling wombat does its best to drive customers away. they just get worse.

and one flight on virgin. that was organised for me (as are most) but i was staggered how polite and helpful the virgin people were.

on one qantas flight, other guys attending the same event flew virgin. it was to cairns. both planes leaving around the same time. both delayed by fog - fair enough. they take off within 5 minutes of each other. virgin goes direct. qantas claims conditions prevent that and they go via townsville. so we are many hours late. i have asked qantas why several times. they have completely ignored every request. good old qantas customer service. good luck finding it.

returning to brizzy on one of these flights, i had to meet some other guys not there yet. so i have 40 minutes. i go to the qantas club - i have been a member for over 20 years and am lifetime gold. i have done this before, when meeting someone or when someone is meeting me. i am turned away by the most obnoxious harridan imaginable. i sent details to qantas. basically, this toerag told me, in terms that could only be described as sneering and patronising, that this was “a departures lounge and not an arrivals lounge”. Each syllable was carefully and slowly enunciated just to increase the humiliation. I advised her what I thought of her and of Qantas and what she could do with qantas. a week or so later, i get a call from Qantas. Spare me.

Oh we are so terribly sorry. Should not happen, blah blah. Did I know who said this?

How the hell would I know?

Could I describe them?

Seriously?

Well, I will speak to Sydney to advise them of this.

Why?

Sorry, what do you mean?

Why will you speak to Sydney. It happened in Brisbane.

Did it?

Yes, but great to see you are on top of this.

Well, I will speak to Sydney.

Why? It happened in Brisbane.

Sorry, yes, Brisbane.

So can I use the club?

Well, the club is only for departures.

So no. what sense does that make?

We found people were using it too much.

You mean you were providing your long term loyal supporters with a service?

What?

There is nothing you’ve said to me that would give me any encouragement not to change airlines.

Really?

Goodbye.

today, i turn up and despite confirming with qantas that my luggage can go from brizzy via singapore to helsinki, the new policy (they assure me nothing to do with them but travel agents have told me that is another lie - they have the choice), because it is two sectors booked separately (one on points, the other paid), i will need to collect luggage in Singapore and then check in again. madness. they could not care less.

and then, despite arriving early so i could do some work, the qantas club is indefinitely shut. but we can use some postbox run by West China Camel Tours. so i am writing this on a slip of board (supposedly a booth) with the computer half on my knees in a hole not big enough for me to sit straight. mind you, it took 40 minutes to get this as the place was jammed packed and standing room only.

i really hate qantas and yet again they have done the impossible - lowered my regard for them. i encourage anyone coming to Australia to fly with anyone else. even West China Camel Tours. they can't be worse.

i'm off to dint their bar.

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The service of Quantas doesn't surprise me. I myself often fly with Virgin the past few years, always a real pleasure.

You seem to be on a growing hit list Ken, First Telstra, now Quantas. ;)

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4 minutes ago, MIKA27 said:

The service of Quantas doesn't surprise me. I myself often fly with Virgin the past few years, always a real pleasure.

You seem to be on a growing hit list Ken, First Telstra, now Quantas. ;)

i've been on both for years. mind you, the list might just be a smidge longer than that but no need to poke the bear.

this new fun policy of "screw you, why should we put your luggage on the next plane when we can really piss you about" will be fun coming home. i have about three hours in singapore. should be enough but...

and i see british airways will charge 25 pounds if you want to complain. no doubt the stumbling wombat will be in on that as fast as they can trip over themselves. and it will surely be their biggest earner.

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Don't worry Ken. It was 'heartening' to see the best foreign CEO in Australia, Alan Joyce, shaking hands alongside the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull with our Olympians when their chartered QANTAS flight landed in Sydney this morning.

It wasn't that long ago, I seem to remember, that Mr Joyce was asking the Australian Government for handouts for poor, old QANTAS.

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4 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Don't worry Ken. It was 'heartening' to see the best foreign CEO in Australia, Alan Joyce, shaking hands alongside the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull with our Olympians when their chartered QANTAS flight landed in Sydney this morning

john, perhaps this is the reason for our olympians and the wallabies all going like crap. they are sponsored by the stumbling wombat.

it is a wonder they even made their events in Rio if they relied on these dills.

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things are finally looking up. i have Miss Camel Tours 2016 well trained. some ice and then half the glass with rum and the rest orange juice (though you don't get a clean glass for future drinks).

i'm just really waiting for one of those stumbling wombat toadies to ask 'how has my day been?'. because i plan telling them.

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Just now, westg said:

get really pissed and wreck the joint Ken 

Enjoy :D

westie, olympic athletes on the turps could not damage this place - at least you couldn't tell. just went to the "facilities" (a euphanism for lord knows what) and there was more toilet paper on the floor than on the holders. and this is what qantas inflict on us.

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8 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

westie, olympic athletes on the turps could not damage this place - at least you couldn't tell. just went to the "facilities" (a euphanism for lord knows what) and there was more toilet paper on the floor than on the holders. and this is what qantas inflict on us.

I know mate...best not to expect to much..Qantas are as D grade as they come ....and what  we pay for their lounges is laughable

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Qantas are about to pay their staff a bonus that will cost $75,000,000 (yup 75 million bucks) for their outstanding service !!

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We flew Finnair from Helsinki to Singapore and then Qantas to Sydney back in May, business class.  They refused to give us the points.  Having tickets and boarding passes as evidence cut no ice with them.  

A few weeks ago, a friend took his family to Falls Creek for a week's skiing.  On the return, the flight was delayed and then cancelled, allegedly for adverse weather conditions.  This came as a great surprise to all, as apart from some ground fog early in the morning both Albury and Sydney were bathed in glorious sunshine.  They had to spend the night in a motel ... not at all surprised that Qantas were quite unwilling to share in the cost of this unwilling stay in scenic Albury or even a voucher for dinner.  

Basic rule: avoid Qantas and Shitstar.  Fly Virgin.  

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Can't speak to Qantas, but flying has just become pure misery. A real race to the bottom in terms of how unpleasant they can make the total experience. I envy people who live in Europe or the Eastern US where driving and trains are better options. 

 

Kind of a first-world problem, I know, but it still sucks.

 

 

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10 hours ago, Sunsmoke said:

@Ken Gargett You may enjoy reading this, or maybe not!!  http://www.bbc.com/news/business-37171850

 

 

it won't last. they'll stuff it up. they always do.

i did have one win. had not been able to get leg room seats and been checking for months - two became available late last night. so i had my aisle exit row with heaps of space. and no one next to me.

got asked on the flight by the hostess if i was getting off in singapore. yes, thanks to your lot, i told her. she chose to mock me. i really think she must have thought i was joking. needless to say, she never came near me for the rest of the flight and i suspect it will be years before she does that again. everyone else was very polite for the rest of the trip.

get to singapore and rush out to get the bag to check back in. goes well. but no finnair. i check at the qantas desk - no, they won't open for two hours. you'll have to wait. that was the bridge too far. singapore airport got to share my thoughts about qantas. and when i checked in with finnair, they assured me it was complete rubbish - they had no problem their end. it was simply qantas (who currently sit below the wallabies on the 'we are vile fetid swamp people' list) who are too lazy to check bags through. the lovely girl said that if i would prefer not going into that stable they call the qantas club here in singapore, they had just opened a new premium lounge and would i like to go there. oh yes. 

and have just watched a bloke get a tall glass and pour literally five inches of chivas in. he did add an ice block. no need to be crass about it.

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Ken, sounds like you had a bad run of numbskulls. Sometimes you get a jumped-up power tripper who thinks they're on the door to an exclusive night club instead of the grim sandwich press that is the Qantas Club. Domestically in Australia I find Qantas pretty good with the staff generally accommodating. Travelling internationally is where the flying kangaroo looks positively threadbare. Go one leg Qantas and the other Qatar or Emirates and the standard of service and overall professionalism is pretty staggering. The service industries generally seem to be an area of the Australian economy that's lagging behind the rest of the world.


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19 hours ago, Williamos said:

Ken, sounds like you had a bad run of numbskulls. Sometimes you get a jumped-up power tripper who thinks they're on the door to an exclusive night club instead of the grim sandwich press that is the Qantas Club. Domestically in Australia I find Qantas pretty good with the staff generally accommodating. Travelling internationally is where the flying kangaroo looks positively threadbare. Go one leg Qantas and the other Qatar or Emirates and the standard of service and overall professionalism is pretty staggering. The service industries generally seem to be an area of the Australian economy that's lagging behind the rest of the world.


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yes, the increase in service and just generally being polite and friendly on finnair was massive. plus their economy comfort seats - no extra charge - are actually seats with a touch more leg room so you can stretch a bit. chalk and cheese.

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Probably requiring another thread, however my recent dealings with (Australian Telco) Telstra have been so infuriating, labyrinthine and Kafkaesque that Franz himself would turn in his grave.

I checked my phone bill. Without exaggeration, it took 19 separate calls to secure an Internet connection to a Fremantle domestic residence and almost 6 hours of my time.


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1 hour ago, Williamos said:

Probably requiring another thread, however my recent dealings with (Australian Telco) Telstra have been so infuriating, labyrinthine and Kafkaesque that Franz himself would turn in his grave.

I checked my phone bill. Without exaggeration, it took 19 separate calls to secure an Internet connection to a Fremantle domestic residence and almost 6 hours of my time.


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I COULD GIVE YOU HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF HELL WITH THIS LOT.

FAVE MOMENT - I HAD HAD ENOUGH ONE EVENING. GOT THROUGH TO THE MUMBAI IDIOTS' HOME FOR THE BEWILDERED AND MORONIC. FINALLY ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYONE INTELLIGENT THERE TO WHOM I COULD SPEAK.

THE ANSWER - I SWEAR THIS IS TRUE - "NO SIR, WE ARE THE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT".

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