Qantas...again

Took another Qantas flight last weekend – this time international [to New Zealand]. Arrived at the airport on time and was absolutely dismayed at the length of the queues – there were hundreds of people in a long line crawling along at literally a snail’s pace. And were these hundreds of people being checked in by tens of super-fast, efficient check-in people? No, there were three, sometimes boosted to four, as some of them took breaks and others turned up. It was simply unbelievable!

Now I understand that Qantas is trying to keep its profit levels up, presumably by cutting service staff and actually, I had wondered if they’ve got to the stage where they’re such an efficient operation, that it might be a good company to buy shares in. However, by virtue of my recent experience, I think not.

By the looks of disbelief and sheer frustration, I would say they’ve taken their cost-cutting too far, to the extent that people will actually start trying to fly other airlines [just about any other airline] just to get some semblance of service.

The only positive was the inflight service; unlike most Qantas flights, the staff on this one were young, friendly and attentive – maybe years of customer complaints are finally leading to some improvements, at least in international!

But boy, they need to take a look at those queues!

Virgin vs Qantas

Took a flight on Virgin Blue the other day and what a pleasant surprise [as opposed to the tired and grumpy old Qantas]! They even seemed pleased to advertise their friendliness - part of their trademark is the line: "we’re happy to have your company"!

It may seem a little corny, and they're not perfect. But at least they try to make your trip as pleasant as possible, unlike the sour, miserable souls who crew the Qantas flights, and who are only there because they’re waiting for their pensions. The difference shows.

-A