Qantas kicks economy passengers off flights

[Ryan N]

Qantas kicks economy passengers off flights
By Hannah Davies
July 31, 2008 12:01am

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/...014090,00.html

A NEW computer check-in system is causing chaos for Qantas passengers, with economy class customers being kicked off flights to make way for business class frequent flyers.

Dozens of travellers are being turned away at check-in desks across the country, following the launch of the new system on Saturday, The Courier-Mail reports.

The system limits seating for economy passengers to the rear of the plane - even if spare seats are available towards the front of the plane - giving priority to business class flyers.

While it has been labelled "a nightmare" by Qantas employees, bosses said it was a "supreme" way to manage bookings.

One staff member, who asked not to be named, said it had taken the check-in process back 10 years.

"Basically, if you're not important enough for Qantas then you're either down the back of the plane or you're not on the plane," he said.

"The system looks after the top-end flyers and everyone else has to take their chances."

The system - trialled in Perth for three months before going live Australia-wide - has caused flight delays across the country this week as employees struggle to get to grips with it.

Qantas said the new system integrated two previously separate computer systems that were used to manage flights, reservations, and customers.

Staff say it is more complicated to use than the old system, and prevents them from allocating seats quickly, which slows down the boarding process.

One passenger was furious after being turned away at the Qantas check-in at Brisbane airport on Tuesday and told to wait for a later flight.

"It's ridiculous," he said.

"When I complained, I was told I should have read my terms and conditions which state that Qantas promises only to get passengers to their destination on the same day. What a joke."

But Qantas bosses denied the system was affecting customers.

"Customers won't notice a difference at all," a spokesman said.

The Australian Services Union said it was aware of problems.

The system is the latest problem for Qantas in what has been a dire month.

Last week a Melbourne-bound Qantas flight had to make an emergency landing after an explosion ripped a 3m hole near the plane's fuselage.

The pilot brought the plane into Manila airport without instrument landing systems after the aircraft was damaged when a regulator blew off an oxygen bottle.

The airline recently slashed 1500 jobs due to rising fuel prices, and said further job cuts could follow.

[Montague S]

makes Daniels post more on the money than it was...

Unfortunately, I fear this is is the end of Qantas as we know it, and feel deeply for the QF boys and girls. With oil prices hitting the roof and carriers looking to cut costs in any way, my best guess would be that Qantas mainline is finished with, and will slowly be morphed into a mirror of JQ, if not JQ itself, with the main part of Qantas covering the high-profit international routes. Makes sense, to run the majority of your airline as low-cost, paying your staff half the rates, and squeezing more punters into the planes to pay the bills.

Just my thoughts from observations...

looking after the high-profit people first.

http://yssyforum.net/board/showpost....63&postcount=9

[Andrew P]

a great system as it allocated me seat 4A (737-800) on tomorrow morning's flight to Melbourne, normally I have to slum into seat 11A or later

Banjo

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Montague S

looking after the high-profit people first.

Moral issues aside, it's Economics 101 - you always look after your repeat and high yielding customers first. Anything else is financially irresponsible.

[Marty H]

Originally Posted by Andrew McLaughlin

Moral issues aside, it's Economics 101 - you always look after your repeat and high yielding customers first. Anything else is financially irresponsible.

Which would be a majority of their customers, thats okay they can fly with VB

[Philip Argy]

As a platinum FF it would be hard for me to find fault with the new software (although implementing it with apparently inadequate staff training might be something I'd take issue with).

Of more aggravation are the new business class lounges in Sydney (especially) and Melbourne - they're way too crowded in peak times and a couple of times I've even gone to the 'economy' lounge and found more room and smaller queues for the snacks. This needs an urgent re-think before the same people the new software is supposed to please get so annoyed with the new lounges they try VB's Premium Economy, which I admit I haven't tried yet but I'm tempted.

[Gabriel S.]

This is no surprise whatsoever; it's part of a continuing trend which started as far back as the inception of JQ. QF has been steadily progressing from "Australian national carrier", in the truest sense of the title, to "Australian elite carrier", for lack of a less blunt way to put it. Mainline has been, and will continue to be, moving towards premium carrier status, while the masses are being dumped on JQ. From a business perspective it's a textbook example of effective product differentiation and it makes perfect sense, but I feel that it bodes unwell for the future of air travel here.

In a way, it's just another facet of an increasingly marked socioeconomic heirarchy we see in most Western countries. Not great, me thinks!

[Montague S]

Originally Posted by Andrew McLaughlin

Moral issues aside, it's Economics 101 - you always look after your repeat and high yielding customers first. Anything else is financially irresponsible.

when money ceases to become money then they should pick & choose...fastest way to lose customers is by treating them like crap. I'd say that right about now Qantas can ill afford to lose any customers.

[Andrew McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Marty H

Which would be a majority of their customers, thats okay they can fly with VB

Originally Posted by Montague S

when money ceases to become money then they should pick & choose...fastest way to lose customers is by treating them like crap. I'd say that right about now Qantas can ill afford to lose any customers.

Please note, I said...

...you look after your repeat and high yielding customers first...

...but not exclusively. The trick is finding that balance. You have to look after your bread and butter, but you also need the jam as well...

Hmmm...suddenly I'm feeling hungry!

[Stephen Brown]

If they start sorting the Wheat from the Chaff maybe they won't get so many of these uber morons flying with them and screaming everytime something falls off a plane.

If they go to JQ they might expect something to fall off....