Qantas issued a formal apology to its customers over the weekend alongside offers of discounts, perks, points and more to thank its loyalty members for their patience amid ongoing operational challenges.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce is seen apologising in a video message via email to QFF members that acknowledged the airline’s shortcomings over the past few months and thanking them for getting back on board.
“Over the past few months, too many of you have had flights delayed, flights cancelled and bags misplaced,” Joyce says. “There are good reasons why, but when it comes to what you expect from Qantas, it’s not good enough. On behalf of the national carrier, I want to apologise and assure you that we’re working hard to get back to our best.”
So what do the perks promised by the national carrier actually include?
The most prominent offer is a $50 flight promo code for Australia and New Zealand-based Qantas Frequent Flyer members to redeem towards a return Qantas flight. The voucher is being progressively rolled out through an email with the details of the voucher. Flyers can redeem the vouchers by logging into the Qantas app and following the steps. Flyers must accept the voucher before 30 September and select an eligible flight before 30 November for a flight for travel before 30 June 2023.
Another offer is a 12 months status extension across tiered members Silver and above. An additional invitation has been offered for members to use themselves, or offer to a Frequent Flyer friend, colleague or family member, for a pre-flight visit with them to a Qantas Lounge.
For Gold members, an invitation to visit a Qantas Domestic Business Lounge, or for Silver members, an invitation to visit the Qantas Club or an international Business Lounge has been offered alongside a gift of Qantas Points for Platinum and Platinum One members.
The airline has also extended its commitment to providing up to 50 per cent more Classic Reward seat availability through to 30 June 2023 with the first tranche of additional seats released from midday today across international and domestic flights. Reward seats are booked using Qantas Points.
Despite Qantas’ apology and offers, many in the travel industry remain quite unimpressed by the national carrier and its CEO.
Among those include the Transport Workers Union (TWU) national secretary Michael Kaine, who said that Qantas has let down its customers who paid premium prices for a premium service.
“Over the last 15 years, Joyce-led management has trashed safety and service standards by eroding working conditions, attacking hardworking families, and illegally sacking 2000 ground crew,” Kaine said.
“Now management is having to pay people $50 to fly with Qantas. Australians see through this stunt. The thousands of passengers who’ve spent hours in call centre queues following cancelled flights, delays and lost luggage won’t want to waste more of their time attempting to cash in a voucher to buy themselves more of the same chaos.
“Enough of the gimmicks. If Qantas management or indeed Joyce really cared about customers, the right thing to do would be to appoint a new CEO with the business acumen to bring back highly trained, experienced workers and treat them with respect. Only then will the Spirit of Australia be returned to this nation.”
These calls from Kaine follow airport workers at the TWU agreeing to vote on industrial action.
Dnata ground crew within Qantas’ supply chain have been fighting against an agreement that the Transport Workers Union (TWU) said will result in pay cuts and push workers into below the legal award conditions.
The result on the vote is expected by the end of this month.
