The Spirit of Disappointment: CHOICE awards Qantas shonky award

[Lead Balloon]

CHOICE has awarded Qantas with a Shonky for constantly disappointing customers on almost every front. (https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/the-spirit-of-disappointment-choice-awards-qantas-shonky-award)

The Australian airline has failed customers with its unusable flight credits, delayed flights, disappearing baggage, and endless call wait times.

“If there was ever a company that appeared to deliberately be going out of its way to win a Shonky Award, it’s Qantas,” says CHOICE travel expert Jodi Bird.

“People are still paying premium prices to fly Qantas, but it’s clear from the complaints we’ve heard, they’re not getting a premium service.”

Granted the pandemic paused the majority of flights for travellers, but an investigation by CHOICE in April this year found that Qantas and Jetstar together were sitting on $1.4 billion in unused consumer flight credits and future bookings.

“Qantas has made it difficult and confusing for their customers to use flight credits for cancelled travel. This includes forcing many people to spend extra money, putting limits on available flights, being unable to make bookings using credits online – the list goes on,” Mr Bird said.

Further investigations by CHOICE, found that telephone wait times for Qantas were embarrassingly long compared to their competitor Virgin.

“Our research revealed on average, you’ll be on the phone for 21 minutes before your call is answered, and up to 50 minutes. By comparison, Virgin came in under a quarter of that average time with five minutes wait, and a maximum of 13 minutes,” Mr Bird continued.

Following their investigations, CHOICE has called for greater protection for all travellers."


“The laws that left travellers in cancellation chaos throughout 2020 remain the same today,” CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland said.

“Businesses are allowed to write the rules, so anyone who has paid for travel that is then cancelled needs to wade through unclear terms and conditions, as thousands of Qantas customers have been left to do.

“CHOICE has put forward a clear plan to governments about how to ensure that people are treated fairly in the travel market. We now need federal, state and territory governments and industry to work together to make travel easier and fairer.”

[Icarus2001]

I am not a fan of much that the EU espouses but they have it right in terms of consumer protection.

As a population we have allowed our government to let airlines off the hook.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/faq/index_en.htm

[mikewil]

I am not a fan of much that the EU espouses but they have it right in terms of consumer protection.

As a population we have allowed our government to let airlines off the hook.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/faq/index_en.htm

The EU takes things to the extreme in many cases though, like banning Apple from selling their iPhones/iPads with their own charging plug, instead forcing them to use the USB-C plug. Might sound like a great idea (not having to find a special charger), but long term it stifles future innovation. Anyone here with a Macbook? I wouldn't like to be forced to use USB for charging on that after the 'innovative' magsafe plug has saved its bacon from my clumsiness numerous times.

I take your point though, Australia is pathetic when it comes to protecting consumers and serving vested interests. Look at the crocodile tears that they cry about having to spend an extra $5 for a lettuce at the supermarket but tiny hotbox s**thole in western Sydney costing $300K more than it did 2 years ago is perfectly fine.

[Climb150]

Please explain to me how mandating USB C is stifling innovation? Sure wireless charging is great but you you need a data port on a phone as well.

Also, what's the correlation between lettuce and real estate prices?

[Ladloy]

Please explain to me how mandating USB C is stifling innovation? Sure wireless charging is great but you you need a data port on a phone as well.

Also, what's the correlation between lettuce and real estate prices?
The whole forum is the 'Old man yells at cloud' meme.

[Climb150]

The whole forum is the 'Old man yells at cloud' meme.

I am actually old enough to be "old man yells at cloud" but the amount of people in my demographic that still think it's 1985 is astounding. That's what happens when the world moves on and you don't. You get confused and yell at anything. Mostly clouds!

​​​​​Qantas still think it's 1985 too and treat people like trash because they still think everyone loves them no matter what. This can't last forever.

I was in LA recently and met a few Australians who told me they absolutely did not fly Qantas for all the reasons stated above. They had flown Philippines, United and Singapore.

[Global Aviator]

Well in 1985 wasn’t Qantas still a government airline? Did QF really treat people like ****e in the 80’s? I’m a little young but certainly remember QF/AN in the 90’s and great service.

Yep many have dropped the ball coming out of Covid and still using it as an excuse. Qantas and Virgin would be in serious trouble if there was ever a serious competitor that concentrated on customer service.

If Bonza fly some serious routes with frequency betcha Bazza, Shazza and Sheila get flying. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aim at Bali.

[Climb150]

I didn't mean they treated people like trash in 1985. My point was back then everyone thought Qantas was awesome and could do no wrong. Qantas still think that everyone loves them no matter what the circumstances.

It's true many airlines exited covid badly but Qantas seem to think they can blame passengers, staff and just about everyone else for how they handle the situation.

They are so out of touch now it's almost comical. As I mentioned in my previous post, when flying international people have a choice and they aren't choosing Qantas as much as they used too.

[tail wheel]

I'm surprised Telstra didn't come second in the Shonky Awards.

Interestingly, both ex Government Corporations.

[morno]

They are so out of touch now it's almost comical. As I mentioned in my previous post, when flying international people have a choice and they aren't choosing Qantas as much as they used too.

I guess all those heavily booked international flights aren’t backing up your statement then….

[777Nine]

Well it’s pretty simple. They dominate domestically and no one can get close to them. Virgin went bankrupt trying to compete and their current offering is paired back (which what it should have been) and they’re not exactly a direct competitor anymore. They’re somewhere between Jetstar and Qantas (which is where they should have always been IMO).

We haven’t the population to suffice more airlines which is why we find here we have these large companies that almost create a duopoly (thinks Coles & Woolworths).

Yeah Qantas’s service currently sucks, but they aren’t going to go bankrupt for it. It’s not really hard to run a company that doesn’t really have many competitors and off which don’t have the history or finances that Qantas does.

[Super Cecil]

I guess all those heavily booked international flights aren’t backing up your statement then….

All airlines of any brand are fully booked. I gave Qantas a good go for years, lost baggage, dirty aircraft, no inflight service to speak of with over worked and under appreciated aircrew drove me to other airlines. I would rather not fly than fly with Qantas now.

[tossbag]

I guess all those heavily booked international flights aren’t backing up your statement then….

Not hard to sell out an international gig when the competition is doing it on a factor of 10 times to your one. Pretty pathetic really when your national airline during covid becomes Qatar because your national airline is more focussed on ******* over its staff.

[dr dre]

Not hard to sell out an international gig when the competition is doing it on a factor of 10 times to your one. Pretty pathetic really when your national airline during covid becomes Qatar because your national airline is more focussed on ******* over its staff.

Actually that was 2021. Now QF back to the number one (https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/International_airline_activity_0822.pdf) spot for international passenger numbers (that’s mainline not group) and that’s still without half the 380s back, the extra 787s to be delivered and even the 330 not running at full capacity yet.

[Climb150]

I guess all those heavily booked international flights aren’t backing up your statement then….

I said many people are choosing not to fly Qantas now.

Qantas flights being heavily booked may just mean that Emirates, Singapore etc were fully booked and not available so Qantas was the only choice. It could also be that most of those heavy booked Qantas flight are from people finally getting to use those credits they didn't want but forced to take.

[tossbag]

Actually that was 2021. Now QF back to the number one (https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/International_airline_activity_0822.pdf) spot for international passenger numbers (that’s mainline not group) and that’s still without half the 380s back, the extra 787s to be delivered and even the 330 not running at full capacity yet.

Yep, of course they are, matching United's new schedule to the States no doubt. What? United is just one American Airline flying between Australia and the States? Nooooooo

[AerialPerspective]

Not hard to sell out an international gig when the competition is doing it on a factor of 10 times to your one. Pretty pathetic really when your national airline during covid becomes Qatar because your national airline is more focussed on ******* over its staff.

Oh, yes, and QATAR is such a glowing example of customer focus being the representative of a nation that practically uses indentured labor of immigrants (virtually slavery except for a token few $ thrown their way) and it's owner molests women at their border and maintains archaic laws for offences that aren't offences at all.

Sorry, QF is not perfect, but I'm not going to have them compared to the national carrier of a country that bases it's laws on late Bronze Age and Middle-Ages myths.

They think because they sponsor a few sporting teams and use that to buy their social license that the rest is just excused. I would send my family on QF, one of the reasons is I know there's a pretty good chance my daughters won't be molested by border staff if an errant infant turns up somewhere unexplained.

[AerialPerspective]

Well it’s pretty simple. They dominate domestically and no one can get close to them. Virgin went bankrupt trying to compete and their current offering is paired back (which what it should have been) and they’re not exactly a direct competitor anymore. They’re somewhere between Jetstar and Qantas (which is where they should have always been IMO).

We haven’t the population to suffice more airlines which is why we find here we have these large companies that almost create a duopoly (thinks Coles & Woolworths).

Yeah Qantas’s service currently sucks, but they aren’t going to go bankrupt for it. It’s not really hard to run a company that doesn’t really have many competitors and off which don’t have the history or finances that Qantas does.

Agree. I think you mean 'support' more airlines. 'Suffice' doesn't really fit that sentence. But no matter what, regardless of competition, as a largely Australian owned company, I'd rather have a profitable Qantas than a dominant VA with that bearded clown showing up for good news but disappearing when there's a crisis.

Joyce will be gone soon enough, it's not like QF hasn't had a few bad CEOs in it's history and it's always recovered. Hopefully the next CEO will be more John Menadue than James Strong or Geoff Dixon.

[Global Aviator]

Which national airline?

Scotty from marketing has done a brilliant job and the world really does think that QF is Straya’s national airline. As for not flying during Covid it’s been done to death, government airlines flew, most non gov did not, unless actual revenue was coming in. When QF flew it was repat flights/ cargo flights, etc. Only the likes of SQ, QR, EK continued with full government backing. Ok yes a lot more to it but I get sick of hearing about Strayas national airline. Not since what was it again 92 when it was privatised has it really been a true flag carrier.

It’s no more Strayan than Bazza, Shazza and Shelia.

P.s. No skin in any of the games above!

[tossbag]

Sorry, QF is not perfect, but I'm not going to have them compared to the national carrier of a country that bases it's laws on late Bronze Age and Middle-Ages myths.

Won't ya? Sorry bro but I just did.

[C441]

Whilst I regularly read of the public's dismay at Qantas being provided with $2bn (AUD) during Covid and not providing an ongoing service to repatriate Australians caught overseas, I read an article in the last few days that indicated United* received $54bn USD in government assistance to continue operating across the world, including Australia. It's hard to compete with that…..

*United was one of a number of US companies that received similar, substantial assistance.

[Climb150]

Whilst I regularly read of the public's dismay at Qantas being provided with $2bn (AUD) during Covid and not providing an ongoing service to repatriate Australians caught overseas, I read an article in the last few days that indicated United* received $54bn USD in government assistance to continue operating across the world, including Australia. It's hard to compete with that…..

*United was one of a number of US companies that received similar, substantial assistance.

United received paycheck protection money to keep people employed. There were strings attached. The money United got went to payroll to keep people employed. Qantas got money and stopped paying people anyway. Big difference

[43Inches]

Is somebody fitting 'shonky' hot brakes to Dash 8s now? Or was it some 'shonky' toes pushing the pedals the wrong way...

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/qantaslink-aircraft-catches-fire-at-sydney-airport/news-story/ecf314fea7599da604649426c7e5c5bf

PS if it was an Evacuation as per the company release there's an awful lot of hand baggage exiting the aircraft as well and only one door in use. Looks more like a normal disembarkation to a standoff point.

[Blitzkrieger]

Better to have shonky brakes than shonky engines. 3 have gone bang in a few months for the big sister link craft. Those franco-canuck shiny ones can’t come soon enough.

[slats11]

A lot of colleagues are moving away from QF. People are absolutely done with lamentable customer service.


I'm heading to US next week, and using a US carrier.


Qantas will retain its supremacy domestically. Internationally however, things look more troubled. QF lost a lot of market share into Europe to the various gulf state carriers. I suspect it will lose some US market share to ANZ and US carriers.

[C441]

Internationally however, things look more troubled.
Not in the Premium cabins. There are very few seats available in Business or First on most days to Singapore, London or LAX for the foreseeable future.

[Eclan]

I no longer fund the national carrier which no longer deserves the consideration. I will fly with the ME carriers or American if headed the other way. They (the national carrier) don't care so everyone's happy.