EDITOR’S NOTE: Over the previous few weeks we have obtained a big quantity of reader correspondence about Qantas and, whereas we will not publish each letter we obtain, we have determined to publish this particular further version of Traveller Letters to share your ideas in regards to the present efficiency of our nationwide provider.
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
I second the letters in regards to the depths to which Qantas has sunk. Our erstwhile premium provider has misplaced its mojo. On my final three home flights my baggage has not made it to the vacation spot with me. Each time Qantas knew the problems with their baggage handlers; the useful however overworked baggage providers workers confirmed that. The similar workers apologised and informed me that once they fly, they achieve this with solely hand baggage. Some vote of confidence from them. And whereas nonetheless ready within the baggage providers line for the third and final time, I googled Mr Joyce’s earnings to learn he had voted himself a $2 million pay rise. Maybe he ought to hand that again to make use of a number of extra baggage handlers.
James Turnbull, West Melbourne, VIC
COMPUTER SAYS NO
I used my frequent flyer factors in February to e book a return flight to Berlin in June. Qantas despatched me my e-ticket with written affirmation that every one legs have been confirmed. Every week earlier than my departure I went to pick my seats solely to seek out that my bookings on all worldwide legs had been eliminated. No cause was given and I’ve nonetheless not obtained a refund for the $1000 paid for taxes or a refund of my factors.
Peter Edwards, Parkville, Vic
DOWNER OF DOWNGRADE
Having flown into Brisbane from Los Angeles to attach with a Melbourne sure Domestic flight I arrived on the gate to be informed my seats had been downgraded from enterprise to economic system on account of my Qantas “status” being the bottom of the passengers on board and that Qantas recurrently oversell seats, though I had my precise boarding passes issued in LA. When I questioned the Qantas supervisor about this her method turned very defensive. I’m now being informed by Qantas that I can’t even obtain the factors distinction again for the home downgrade as my ticket was booked from LA to Melbourne. I used to be informed to place the grievance in writing. I did this weeks in the past and obtained no reply.
Danny Segman,, Melbourne, VIC
FULL CREDIT
I really feel I’ve to face up for Qantas. On June 14 I cancelled flights from Melbourne to London Heathrow return which had been booked on “Points + Pay” a number of months in the past. On June 20, the factors have been again in my ceaselessly flyer account and all funds credited again to my bank card. Well carried out, Qantas.
Petrushka Owen, Hawthorn, Vic
LONG WAY ROUND
I knew Norfolk Island was a world flight regardless of being an Australian territory however I did not anticipate returning to Melbourne to take 12 hours. I used to be dropped off at Norfolk Island Airport at 11.30am (AEST) for a 3pm flight. The airport amenities roughly consist of 1 merchandising machine. My flight to Sydney arrived at 4pm, touchdown in Sydney at 6.30pm, the identical time my flight to Melbourne was on account of depart. After clearing customs and immigration I arrived on the home test in at 7pm and waited one other 45 minutes to drop my baggage off and journey to the home terminal, regardless of already having a boarding move. My flight was being known as as I used to be ready for my carry-on to be screened. By the time I arrived on the gate the flight had disappeared off the board and did not reappear for an hour. I heard no bulletins to clarify the delay. I ultimately boarded at 8.30pm, after we waited for the arrival of two Emirates flights with Melbourne-bound passengers. After lastly arriving in Melbourne, baggage took half-hour to return out. I then took a taxi to Melbourne’s CBD. Arrival time 11.30 pm. No acknowledgment or apology from Qantas.
Lorraine Cryer, Melbourne, VIC
MAJOR DISCONNECT
We booked Bendigo, Victoria to Aberdeen, Scotland return, straight with Qantas. I found, with no phrase from Qantas, that the Bendigo to Sydney flights we have been booked on had been cancelled and that we have been rebooked onto flights with unacceptable timings. I rebooked, paying a payment, to fly from Melbourne. We arrived at Tullamarine very early for our flight (airport chaos had been reported) and have been rebooked to an earlier one, later discovering that the one we had been booked on was cancelled. We would have missed the connection in Sydney. The Qantas floor workers misinformed us that we needed to gather our luggage at Heathrow. This was not the case and we missed the connecting flight looking for it. On the best way again we couldn’t test in through Qantas or British Airways apps, we have been informed we needed to test in at Aberdeen airport. That codeshare flight (with British Airways) was cancelled too – with no communication – evidently some days earlier than. British Airways couldn’t assist, saying we needed to contact Qantas. By sheer luck, we managed to contact the Qantas name centre after just one hour on maintain and have been rebooked for the subsequent morning. And no, they’d not pay for the lodge room.
Jim Ettles, Eaglehawk, Vic
WINES AND WHINES
We have simply returned from an important Ponant Kimberly cruise, and this afternoon accomplished our Broome to Sydney Qantas flight in economic system class. Having learn all of the moaning about our Australian icon of late we have been to not anticipate something particular, only a flight from level A to level B. What a shock. The meals was glorious with good wine {and professional} service all through. After two years of COVID restrictions, please cease your moaning and provides the airline workers a good go.
John Verhelst, Huntleys Cove, NSW
TEAM WORK
On a current flight from Sydney to London with Qantas, there was a starvation of issues that went mistaken, all flight segments have been delayed, the leisure system did not work and doorways would not shut on account of a mechanical malfunction. But what did go proper was the unbelievable Qantas flight attendants. The true spirit of Australia was seeing two flight attendants take care of a mom travelling alone together with her toddler and child, giving her a second to herself to get every little thing sorted. It was such a easy gesture however one which led her to tears and moved me to jot down this letter. Travel has issues at the very best of occasions, not to mention as traveller numbers return to pre-pandemic occasions with staffing ranges remaining decrease than prior to now. What makes all of it worthwhile is the acts of kindness and help from a crew that really cares. Just bear in mind to take a second to thank the hardworking groups that make travelling doable.
Harry Bevan, Paddington, NSW
UNTIMELY FASHION
In September final, I booked my spouse and I to journey in March of this yr from Brisbane to Denver through San Francisco with Qantas. This was after Qantas introduced a return to worldwide flying. In the subsequent 4 months we got six revisions to this itinerary as Qantas repeatedly cancelled flights and we ultimately flew out in March from the Gold Coast through Sydney and LA to Denver on a ticket written in January. As a results of fare adjustments, Qantas owed us a refund of $180 for duplicated seat bookings and $280 for the tickets. After a dozen cellphone calls and days on the cellphone, Qantas refunded the $180 in late March and suggested in writing (e mail) they’d even be refunding the $280. Three months later that refund had not appeared and once more I spent days on the cellphone with Qantas chasing it down. Finally at June finish the cash was refunded. How does Qantas get away with treating different folks’s cash with such abandon?
Dennis Leman, Gold Coast, QLD
PLANE SQUEEZE
After spending 7+ hours on-line on numerous units & browsers & 90 minutes on the cellphone with Qantas making an attempt to e book return flights CNB-BNE, I used to be requested to cough up $445 together with the unwavered reserving payment of $42 regardless of the Qantas web site unable to proceed to the cost web page earlier than timing out.
My spouse, realising that I used to be moments away from blowing aside a coronary heart valve then spent 5 minutes on Jetstar web site to e book the very same flights for $318. A saving of $127! Am I the one traveller being squeezed even earlier than taking to the air?
Neil Cheesman, Malua Bay, NSW
TASSIE BEDEVILLED
My husband and I visited Tasmania on the weekend. We had booked return flights from Melbourne to Hobart many weeks in the past to reach on Saturday and depart on Sunday. Early Sunday morning we have been suggested our return flight was cancelled and we must wait till Tuesday to return. Qantas suggested us there have been no seats on another flights from wherever in Tasmania, economic system, enterprise or Jetstar that will get us again to Melbourne any time on Sunday. It was crucial that we be in a Melbourne by the Monday morning.
We searched ourself and found seats out there from Launceston solely a 3 hour drive away and household may drive us there. We recontacted Qantas and booked two seats however needed to pay roughly $1400 for the 2 ONE approach seats. The price of the return flight seats from Hobart that Qantas had cancelled couldn’t be used to pay for the return flight from Launceston. On arrival at Launceston airport we heard an announcement that Jetstar additionally had seats out there to Melb.
We will now be investigating all avenues out there as to safety for shoppers.
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn, Vic
DON’T CARE FACTOR
With the re-commencement of journey, every little thing is chaotic however some airways and airports are coping extraordinarily properly. In early June, after Jetstar cancelled my flight from Sydney, I used to be grateful to be placed on the subsequent Qantas flight to Auckland, solely to be delayed an additional two hours whereas baggage was loaded in Sydney. I missed my Auckland connection to the Cook Islands.
I spoke with the Qantas managing agent at Auckland Airport and was suggested that as a result of the connection was on a separate Qantas redemption ticket, I must contact Qantas reservations. The agent additionally acknowledged he did not have the ticketing abilities to rebook my flights.
After three makes an attempt and 4 completely different phone representatives (and about three hours on the cellphone), I used to be suggested to e book an Air New Zealand ticket and make a declare with Qantas head workplace. In doing so, two of the Qantas consultants hung up on me whereas one other put me on maintain till one other guide took the decision.
Overall, the Air New Zealand flight and Auckland Airport expertise was seamless andI am nonetheless ready on a reply from Qantas buyer care to make an insurance coverage declare.
Tony Holmwood, Waterloo, NSW
SMOOTH OPERATORS
My spouse and I, alongside together with her toddler grandchild, travelled from Sydney to Bangkok in April by Qantas. The test in course of, whereas cumbersome with the varied paperwork, was carried out very easily by the fantastic test in particular person. We additionally had a automotive seat and stroller for the newborn. She discovered massive plastic baggage for them and likewise supplied us with a small stroller for attending to the gate. I exploit a walker and she or he organized for a wheelchair to satisfy us in Bangkok. At the gate we have been ushered right into a precedence boarding space and boarded first. Every step, from arriving on the test in desk to being seated on the airplane, couldn’t have been higher.
Charles Berghofer. Khon Kaen, Thailand
UNDERWEAR TO UNDERWHELMED
After receiving a letter from Qantas asking whether or not the difficulty of our baggage had been resolved a month after it was misplaced, I really feel compelled to listing the inconveniences of this expertise.
On arrival in Hobart our checked bag was not on our delayed flight from Sydney. We queued with others on our flight in the identical predicament to be given a reference quantity to name. The following days have been spent on the cellphone with a recorded message to take heed to and time in between spent searching for substitute chargers, underwear and different objects. It’s not the customer support we have been accustomed to from Qantas.
Milana Votrubec, Manly, NSW
HOW TO WRITE TO US
We give choice to letters of 100 phrases or fewer and so they could also be edited for area, authorized or different causes. Please use full sentences, do not use textspeak and do not embody attachments. Email us at travellerletters@traveller.com.au and, importantly, embody your title, handle and cellphone quantity.
Source: traveller.com.au