"What you have seen in media headlines may have left you with the impression that our response to the challenges before Qantas is to retreat, or just cut back,” Joyce told the American Chamber of Commerce in a speech in August. “That’s not the case. We are undertaking a wholesale transformation of Qantas to make it better and stronger, the premium Australian airline for our times. “Our domestic and international Qantas customers want a great product, both in the airport and on board the aircraft. They want modern, intuitive service – world class service which is distinctly Australian. We aim to deliver just that all the time.
“Which is why we have embarked on a wholesale, multi-year program of investment, training and innovation.”
Joyce says Qantas’s average fleet age is now the youngest it has been since privatisation in 1993 – “younger than the fleets of Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa and the three major American airlines”.
“By the end of 2012, 11,000 Qantas domestic and international frontline staff will have completed our new customer service training program.
“We are shaking up the service culture, loosening the ties, giving our people greater opportunity to freestyle and respond to our customers and their needs.
“We have put in place a ‘closed loop’ feedback system that allows us to evaluate our service based on advice from a panel of almost 13,000 Frequent Flyers.
“We have asked some of our best people to become in-flight coaches, and observe and mentor cabin crew in flight. Customer feedback on those flights is fantastic, and our people are loving the opportunity to showcase their skills.”