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When I finished my around Australia tour on Wednesday evening, it was very apparent that Qantas staff are hurting as the company lays off GREAT people so that the costs of business can be aligned with the low cost aviation model with which they compete.
In Brisbane, on Monday afternoon as it came time to board to travel south to Melbourne, I politely enquired whether Bobby had been successful in reinstating my status to GOLD Frequent Flyer. The delightful young lady on the check in said there had been no change to my status but she would get the supervisor to have a look. The supervisor was another delightful older lady BUT she wasn’t having any of my proposition that as I had shown a solid 15 years of loyalty flying antas at every opportunity, she was not going to bend any rules.
“100 people have lost their jobs here at Brisbane even though we had done the right things by customers” she informed me. “We have 10 million Frequent Flyer members and they are known to “stretch the truth” and I am not calling you a liar Mr Mansfield but because of what some people are doing I am not able to help you.”
To which I said, as you do, “I am not the 10 million Frequent Flyers, I am me and I have been loyal. Not only that, but in September 2001 I paid for lounge access and you have kept my money for 14 years… and I believe my request for my status to be re-instated is a reasonable one. I have flown international out of Perth BUT Qantas now doesn’t fly out of our most prosperous city to ANY international destination - NONE. So, I think someone should look at this.”
This request was because on this trip I was being asked to pay $40 for my second piece of luggage which was just 8 kilos of a total of 21kilos. If I had packed differently I would be 11 kilos UNDER my 32 kilo weight limit. Their, the check in staff, answer was to advise I could take the same piece of luggage on as cabin luggage AT NO CHARGE…
But my pride was now hurting… had I been stupid to be loyal to Qantas… after all I was only 1 of 10 million Frequent Flyers a group prone to stretching the truth.. I relented and took my bag with me and travelled to Melbourne, tail between my legs, avoiding the $40 surcharge.
“100 people have lost their jobs here at Brisbane even though we had done the right things by customers” she informed me. “We have 10 million Frequent Flyer members and they are known to “stretch the truth” and I am not calling you a liar Mr Mansfield but because of what some people are doing I am not able to help you.”
To which I said, as you do, “I am not the 10 million Frequent Flyers, I am me and I have been loyal. Not only that, but in September 2001 I paid for lounge access and you have kept my money for 14 years… and I believe my request for my status to be re-instated is a reasonable one. I have flown international out of Perth BUT Qantas now doesn’t fly out of our most prosperous city to ANY international destination - NONE. So, I think someone should look at this.”
This request was because on this trip I was being asked to pay $40 for my second piece of luggage which was just 8 kilos of a total of 21kilos. If I had packed differently I would be 11 kilos UNDER my 32 kilo weight limit. Their, the check in staff, answer was to advise I could take the same piece of luggage on as cabin luggage AT NO CHARGE…
But my pride was now hurting… had I been stupid to be loyal to Qantas… after all I was only 1 of 10 million Frequent Flyers a group prone to stretching the truth.. I relented and took my bag with me and travelled to Melbourne, tail between my legs, avoiding the $40 surcharge.
I did have a little bit of a fright though as the lady tried to confiscate my Gold Card as the expiry date on one side was September 39th. However the card now doubles as Qantas Cash and that side expires on November 30th….
All this would have to wait until Thursday when I was home again and I could ring the Qantas Club staff that “looked after these matters.”
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