What does one get for premium pricing?
It depends.
Considering Qantas and Jetstar have had the benefit of the public purse, (in or not in the public interest), should we use them more often to get back a greater share of what it is costing all of us to have a national carrier?
My most recent return flights were OS with a different carrier. Both flights landed on time, complete with checked baggage.
I hesitated to add this satirical article published in response to the ACCC case linked above, but I think it is too apropos to pass by it.
I recently flew domestically Brisbane - Townsville with Qantas 1100km each way. The Boeing was full both ways.
One week later I flew Virgin Economy-X to NZ 2400km each way to a prime winter location. Another full plane each way. Yes it cost more. Around $150 more for the return air fare.
One more way to get that special Qantas premium feeling! 
Stuff happens.
in Europe, there is mandated compensation for such a downgrade, but that is not the case in Australia.
It was not the transiting pilot’s fault, nor necessarily QF’s fault (although they should fall on their sword for the customer), it is that we pax apparently have zero recourse excepting what an airline offers. 5000 pts would be insulting to me if I were downgraded from business to premium economy or economy even with a part refund reflecting the fare difference.
On another front Allan Joyce has taken his $millions 2 months early to duck out of the limelight. The Chairman of the Board parties on largely unscathed and Vanessa Hudson is on the hot seat.
Aircrew, pilots and cabin staff are considered ‘must fly’, as are critical maintenance staff, and the airlines will relocate any passenger out of business to the back of the plane if necessary.
In my case flying ‘ocb’, on company business, I was moved out of business and back to economy a few times. But also moved into the cockpit jump seat a few times too. Which was a fun thing.
I would presume that the passenger had used FF points to upgrade to business class which is why he was selected to be moved, rather than a full-fare business class passenger. Many business class passengers are travelling as part of corporate deals between companies and the airline and would not be downgraded.
And why points offered as compensation rather than fare refund.
That presumption is plausible but not confirmed by the article that states he ‘paid’ for the business class seat although the manner of ‘paying’ could include points. regardless if all the business class pax paid in ‘cash’ one would still have had to have been downgraded, usually those least responsible for higher revenue. First ‘no status’, then bronze, silver, gold, platinum.
My bold-
he was offered 5000 Frequent Flyer points and an apology after a letter of complaint.
Whether this bit was before or after the complaint is unknown. Qantas confirmed it has apologised to Mr Jones, and offers, including a partial refund, were made available.
One of the salient bits is that in the EU pax are entitled to compensation, we are subject only to the benevolence we can extract from the airline that is usually light on, to be polite.
Airlines flying in Australia operate under the rules applicable set by the Gov, not by those that apply in other jurisdictions. So blame the Gov, not Qantas.
If somebody had to be bumped out of Business class, or for that matter off the flight altogether to provide a last minute seat, who would the airline rather get a complaint from?
A retired person, or an angry union if one of their members was downgraded, or an angry corporate customer?
Another measure might be the strength of complaint from my frequent travelling companion isolated and next to someone she does not know. A likely comparison the words from The Mourning Bride, by William Congreve.
An even less desirable outcome would be if it was one or more legs of a long haul flight. I suspect the response would be to ask for another flight or not go at all. For someone travelling often it might suit to go with the swings and roundabouts if there was an offer of an equal or better complimentary upgrade on a future flight. For less frequent Frequent Fliers of whom there are a great many, Qantas appears to be offering something the customer may never be able to use or of lesser immediate value, pointless!
In reality i could argue i lost employment because Qantas double billed me, spent at least 16 hours on multiple. Calls and forms
Call staff and complaints team don’t care and seem to have a deliberate effort to avoid anything in written form emails summarising your discussions seems to be banned.
Rates 16 hours at my salary far exceeds the value of the ticket, but my failure to get the money out of qantas caused me to lose my job.
Not necessarily unique to Qantas, but may help explain their attitude to customers.
Qantas again in the news defending their selling tickets for already cancelled flights.
While apologising again to affected customers, Qantas said it will defend itself against claims it broke consumer laws. … Whether the court accepts this as a defence for still selling tickets on flights that the airline had already cancelled will be interesting to see.
Apologies are cheap. Reputation is hard earned and for now my impression is it would be difficult to get worse, but they seem intent on trying. For those not clicking through despite selling already cancelled flights they claim it is OK because at some point they can offer the affected pax a reschedule on the closest flight or a refund. No worries about the pax not getting where they needed to be when they needed to be there - weather and maintenance problems aside.
Qantas will accept a $250 million fine, with no admission they engaged in any illegal activity.
It was just an unfortunate mistake in operations. And Covid was to blame.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Qantas, AKA the Federal transport Minister, will ensure that no regulations are put in place to force airlines to treat customers properly, and fully compensate them for these BAU practices.
Pretty special view of their business. I wonder if this would ‘fly’ anywhere?
I think Ms Hudson is in for a tough time resurrecting a QF positive reputation even without this. FWIW I have a ‘confirmed booking/ticket’ on a QF flight next year. I wonder if there is one scheduled or I am just holding rights to be exercised at QF discretion? I accept they could reschedule a few hours +/- because it is months away it but I would not accept if the flight never existed in the first place, or as they were happy to do, cancelled that flight in 2022 before I bought it.
Hopefully not about to catch on.
Is it possible those in the plush leather chairs around the Qantas management tables have little appreciation - first hand experience of being an average customer?
Qantas and Jetstar might do well to mandate all board members, management and key staff resort to discount economy fares and seating. Lounge access not permitted.
An observation from the AGM. Nothing has changed at QF excepting the executive photo.
Mission accomplished. AGM out of the way. QF share price up nearly 2% by close. Preferred directors reelected, and, the new CEO elected to the board.
So, no change.
Not quite - the same.
The greater jeopardy - assuming it’s still the sane, (oops) same Qantas in 12 months.
Results later showed that 83% of votes were cast against the remuneration plans, marking one of the biggest rejections on record for any Australian company, even rivalling those lodged against some of the country’s big banks after an inquiry exposed widespread misconduct in the financial sector in 2018 and 2019.
“This is obviously a very clear message from shareholders,” Goyder said.
The vote is well above the 25% required for a first strike, leaving the airline vulnerable to a second strike next year, which could trigger a board spill.
Assuming that they are sane now. The new CEO defending selling cancelled flights with thin legalistic arguments doesn’t look like a well considered position.
I presume you meant ‘same’, or is it ‘sane’ as posted – ‘still’ implies the former.
The board have essentially been given a ‘bad boy’ at the AGM that at the end of the day is ‘strike one’; they get a ‘strike 2’ before anything happens to them.
Hudson started with promise that lasted but days and then has assumed most of Joyce’s persona, arrogance and all. Whether it is her or the influence of a detached self serving and seemingly arrogant board is unknown.
The former, although ….
