Qantas hikes domestic baggage fees

All the latest Qantas updates just bolster their bottom line. Pretty much none of it is for the customer as a gesture of good will 

Snatch. Grab. Hike. All this week I've as if Alan Joyce never left.

The new CEO is no different from the old one as far as I can tell. Same average service for more money.

Lipstick on a pig so far!!

Hope that it does not get to this: A few weeks ago WestJet Canada small turboprop 1 hour flight - Paid for 2 Bags - West Jet has a very generous Carry-On allowance = 1 @ 53 x 23 x 38 cm (med suitcase) and 1@ 41 x 15 x 33 cm (laptop bag) and NO weight restriction (must be able to lift it into overhead bin). On these small turbo-prop there is very little overhead bin space . Nett result is a luggage cart is placed at the boarding stairs and by observation 90% of passengers place their carry-on onto this cart which is then subsequently loaded into the luggage hold. Unfortunately both our paid for suitcases well under 23kg were taken off the aircraft either on the tarmac or in the terminal  to allow for all the passengers  carry-on  to be loaded. IT took a week for the 2 suitcases to be reunited with us.  Bottom line: You pay extra for luggage (normal size suitcases) to be loaded onto your flight - it is subsequently taken off to allow for carry-on luggage to fill the now vacant volume of your 2 cases. 

The writing is on the wall for the future with accountants controlling both VA and QF and the consumer coming second. I bet they have also factored in an X amount of lost customers as well. The solution is give landing slots specially in Sydney to Bazza and Sheila (Bonza). Forget about chasing points for international travel, there are cheaper options in the world for business class travel.

And the Jetstarisation of Qantas continues. All the latest changes, in the face of shocking customer feedback, is nothing more than changes that make more money for Qantas. Still terrible on board catering, still filthy cabin interiors and still disengaged staff.

Love it: “ Disengaged” - the replacement for the old “Enhancement”.

We have to understand that Qantas does not exist with a primary focus on providing air services to the travelling public. That stopped when the business was privatised in the 90s. Qantas exists to make money for their shareholders (many of which probably don’t even know they are investors in Qantas) and putting backsides on plane seats is just one way that they make money. Unfortunately we, the travelling public are a problem for Qantas as we not only generate revenue but we are also come at a cost, whether that be our expectation that we have planes that fly, they are clean, there is a crew, we get some sort of meal and we insist on taking luggage with us. Removing operating costs brings the bottom line closer to the revenue (a very high priority of any business) or you can charge more for the the services you provide such as Qantas Club, extra legroom seats or in this case, excess luggage. Qantas has already announced that they project to make squillions from Classic Plus flight rewards at the very same time as they tells us that they are doing us some kind of favour by providing all of these additional ‘free’ reward seats that we have actually already paid for, in some cases many years ago. The analysts crunched the numbers and a high impact decision was made. They identified that frequent flyers were seeing little reason to earn Qantas points if there was no way of using them for flights. The same team of analysts will be looking at the impact of increasing charges. Having to pay for row 4 on a 737 is really annoying for many frequent flyers (I am one of these) but only impacts a maximum of 6 passengers per flight. Charging for extra luggage is also low impact as many frequent flyers can already take 2 suitcases on a flight. Charges will hit the infrequent flyers and Qantas will see minimal risk.

I am sure that there will be more announcements to come!

Sounds like someone left the CFO in charge! 

That’s what happens when one provider has the majority of the market control. 

Open up the domestic airport slots to international carriers and put some real competition in the Australian market.  Federal Govt  has been captured by Qantas however and will never allow the national carrier to face real competition. Just wishful thinking.

Note to Qantas Management: The next time you have an "Enhancement" announcement staged in front of a Qantas Aircraft surrounded by kowtowing Chairmans Club Politicians and various "invited special guests (never the Paying Public) why not stage the event in front of a Giant Credit Card, A Toaster or Vacuum Cleaner, a billboard promoting Travel Insurance or Health Insurance or even a Tourist Agency promoting Hotels and exotic locations because you have lost the Plot and no longer support  the perceived core business of  QANTAS = Flying your customers. from point A to Point B with a resemblance of customer care. It would appear that Qantas has lost staff loyalty since the outsourcing of almost everything attached to the Core Business of Flying. This latest baggage grab is just another example of the race to the bottom driven by out of touch Management being run by accountants and spin doctors telling us "It will be OK" we are listening (NOT). Most of you on this forum will not be effected by this latest Baggage rule enhancement; but maybe a Family Member , your neighbour or even your local barista will be effected; so how do you push back? Over to you!

Well said Draper and your sentiments no doubt have the support of the 'savvy' travelers who regularly tune in and read in particular the various articles outlined about Qantas Airways.

The real question is, do any of the 'Powers to be' ever take the time to have a look see and note of what is being posted, either of a constructive nature or otherwise comments of condemnation?.

Should this be the likely, then is it a case that anything of substantial consequence simply 'goes through to the wicket keeper'. 

looked yesterday at flights bne lax in mid Jan. Qantas was cheaper than Fiji Airways. (QF uses a very old A330 & from what I gather that aircraft type was never designed to fly 13 hours, let alone 14 hours coming home). Wonder if it has to stop in Fiji or somewhere else to refuel, like the QF A380 DFW/BNE used to regularly.

qantas is on a downward spiral it might never get out of. Know lots of people flying to USA ex BNE who now fly on United in business(polaris I think it's called) rather than Qantas & Delta & AA will soon be flying nonstop to USA mainland out of BNE, all on much newer aircraft than the old qantas bus.

I suspect the Qantas Board and top execs just don't care that much about what is justifiably being complained about. 

Unless there is a huge exodus by Qantas passengers the Board and execs will put on their muffler of choice to drown out the sound and continue to take their dividends and bonuses.  Customer annoyance with "enhancements" and price gouging, and the relatively small leaking of customers to other airlines, have been factored into the corporate spreadsheet. If you or your companies keep buying business class tickets from them there is no incentive at all to change the soft product. In any case the big money comes from the sale of FF points (what a rort!), government contracts & subsidies, and the accounts of the big corporates. They don't give a fig about small business or your average individual flier.  To boot, they've got the airline ministers (and their shadow) tied around their little finger.

Why should we care about Qantas anymore. Are you brave enough to pause getting Qantas FF points and fly the other major airline for a year?  Perhaps then Qantas execs might have to take notice.

Most comments smoke and mirrors. People will continue to fly QF as they're nailed on with loyalty and won't change. Particularly the corporate world. 

fares are falling on most other airlines. Many rusted on Qantas frequent flyers are looking at other airlines now.