Monday 24 September 2007

Qantas? JetStar? Who the f@$% am I flying with?

Just a short missive to Qantas about a flight experience I had with them recently. I must admit, I wasn't exactly "on" when I wrote this, and anger tends to dissipate over time.

Rule number 1 when writing a good complaint: Write it as soon as you possibly can. Anger is a creative force.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wanted to bring to your attention a mild dissatisfaction that I had recently with flights bearing your flight numbers.

Recently, my wife and I flew from Tullamarine to Bangkok. We were advised when we booked the flights that these would be on JetStar, and this is perfectly understandable, given that it makes perfect business sense to operate code-sharing arrangements.

Our problems, however, started there.

Whilst our flights were on JetStar planes, the flight numbers we were given started with QF, meaning that for all intents and purposes, they were Qantas flights.

So you can imagine our surprise when we took our seats to find that all the normal things that we would expect on a Qantas flight were not there. On Qantas flights, we expect to find meal services, drinks as well as a blanket and pillow.

It, therefore, came as a bit of a rude shock to us to find that we had to pay extra for these on the flight. This is not what one expects when flying what is expected to be a Qantas flight.

While I am doing my best in this not to harp on about what is expected when operating a code-sharing agreement, the following should be noted: It is the duty of Qantas to ensure that where a code-sharing arrangement exists, an equivalent level of service is received by the paying passengers. The fact that JetStar was operating the service should in no way be any different than if the flight was operated by British Airways, Aer Lingus or Burkina Faso Air.

On top of this, at the end of the flight when we went to try to get food, we were told that this was for passengers who had ordered this in advance and that there was nothing for any other passengers, even if they were prepared to pay.

Given all this, we decided to pre-order for our return flight, and were pleased with the results, however as we were, as has been mentioned before, flying what was in effect a Qantas flight, this should not have been necessary.

JetStar operates clean, new planes with what is probably the most attractive cabin staff I’ve ever seen. This says more about JetStar’s recruitment policies than it does about me, but they were competent and did their jobs with a smile. It is a shame, then, that Qantas doesn’t ensure that JetStar provides the rest of the package.

Given that Qantas owns JetStar, one would think that you are in a box seat to ensure that Qantas passengers on JetStar flights are treated with an equivalent level of service to what they would be if they were on a Qantas flight. This would be a no-brainer with any other company where this sort of thing exists.

I hope that this email has been of some assistance. Please feel free to contact me if you require further information.

Yours sincerely, Dikkii.

Oh well, I'll see what I get back.

Disclosure: This blogger owns shares in Qantas.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

From Qantas? Dikkii, my good sir - the best yoou could expect is a warm turd wrapped in a sock. If you provide your own sock.

BJD said...

Had I not been as slack as I usually am I would also be writing a complaints letter to Qantas. On a recent flight from London I at one point asked for a drink which never came. On another occassion I hit the call button to ask for a drink and after 30 minutes when a flight attendant finally answered my call I was told the bar had just been shut and I couldn't have drink. Then after reboarding the plane in Hong Kong I was dripped on due to air condensation in the air conditioning. When I complained the flight attendant looked at me as if I was an idiot and simply stated the cause. She did eventually get a spare blanket so I could dry myself, but offered no apology.

Dikkii said...

Anon - your point is well taken.

Brendan - I suppose I really shouldn't expect much from Qantas, but I think that it's only through complaining that this stuff can be fixed.

The Hulk said...

Way, way, way too nice Dikkii!!!! Did someone forget to take their angry pills!!!!
2 stars for a ho hum lacklustre performance.

And welcome to the blog Brendan.

Who the F#ck is Anon? Funny bugger!!

Dikkii said...

Hulk:

Way, way, way too nice Dikkii!!!! Did someone forget to take their angry pills!!!!
2 stars for a ho hum lacklustre performance.


Yep. I know. Pathetic. I giave it one and a half, myself.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely agree with Dikkii. If you're on a QF coded flight you expect QF meals etc. You do not expect to get nothing but that's exactly what you do get on the Jetstar code shares.

It sucks! And thank goodness my flight was only Brisbane to Christchurch and not the much longer Bangkok flight.

Dikkii said...

Thanks, Anon. I'm almost of the view that Qantas should be raked over the coals by the ACCC for this - it's effectively a bait and switch.

Anonymous said...

I highly urge anyone reading this to take note and avoid Jetstar at all costs! Fly ANY other airline and you'll be fine.

For me, they have double booked me on the same flight due to an error in the online booking, lack of confirmation email, and then myself making a personal phone call to the so-called "customer service" line. They took care of me alright... got me booked - TWICE! and charged me twice as well. When I pointed this out, they have informed me it is against company policy to issue a refund. So apparently it IS company policy to book you multiple times, charge you multiple times, and then keep your money. I wish upon the heavens I had flown Quantas - or rented a bloody car and driven the 600 miles instead. I'd be much happier! Don't make the same mistake as me. Fly another airline!!!