View Full Version : RTW in 1 Month
Hakan I
4th June 2009, 11:05 PM
Hey Guys,
Just did the following trips:
MEL - LAX
LAX - ORD / ORD - MDT
PHL - LHR / LHR - DUS
DUS - MAD / MAD - EAS
EAS - MAD / MAD - IST / IST - ECN (with an 8hr overnight layover in IST, not fun at all)
IST - ECN / ECN - LHR
LHR - DXB
DXB - HKG / HKG - MEL
Flights taken with QF, UA, BA, IB, TK, CX (combination of a One World RTW fare with a few additional sectors using TK and UA)
This is not a trip report but just a few things that make me angry with QF, starting with checkin, I had one bag with a weight of just under 28kg, i had to pay excesss baggage or spilt into two bags, which as a single traveller i did not want to carry an extra bag through LAX and then on the bus etc... I paid the excess baggage charge after speaking with the supervisor who clearly did not have customer service as one of her abilities and clearly had no ability to see that what she way saying made no sense and i was told she was too busy to deal with me, not that she dealth with me all (lets see how QF deal with my complaint regarding her), further to this i was not assigned an exit row (which was available as i was there very early) as i had to be sighted in SYD (is this a load of something or what?), anyways in SYD went to checkin desks there, exit row was gone and I was rudely told my flight was leaving and to go through security and passport control, overall not pleasant at all so before even boarding the international leg i was yet to meet a QF staff member who was at least slightly pleasant.
As for the flight itself, A380 was ok, legroom non existant, on board self service ok but really they could do a bit more than cookies, apples and soft drinks, cabin crew pleasant however but the bad outweigh the good and i think in future i will fly another airline, i had refused to fly QF after an incident in LAX where they screwed me over something shocking and decided to see if the A380 made a difference to their service as well as keeping the money in Australia which i figured would help in current financial times, now however i have decided officially to never fly them again, even if they are far cheaper.
All the other airlines i flew were great however, IB & UA flights were surprisingly the best in terms of meals, service and ground staff.
Am I the only one to have a 100% strike rate with QF regarding their service, or lack thereof?
Hakan
Mick F
4th June 2009, 11:19 PM
I had one bag with a weight of just under 28kg, i had to pay excesss baggage or spilt into two bags
You were overweight. What else are they supposed to do??
further to this i was not assigned an exit row (which was available as i was there very early) as i had to be sighted in SYD (is this a load of something or what?)
It is not your right to sit in an exit row. How do you come to that conclusion? And further to the above, check in staff must physically sight you and make you aware that you must be willing and able to assist in the event an emergency by way of opening the exit.
Sorry buddy, but no sympathy from me at all.
Mick
Daniel M
4th June 2009, 11:24 PM
Correct...you need to be identified as an ABP (Able Bodied Person) to be able to help assist with the emergency exit door in an evacuation...all airlines adhere to this policy...some pre book you into an exit row, then may decline you the seat when you go to check in...I guess QF, do it another way, and don't book you in the seat until they have confirmed you are able to assist.
The rest of your comments are very trivial whinging.
Hakan I
4th June 2009, 11:36 PM
You were overweight. What else are they supposed to do??Mick
Fair Call, in a little more detail the reasoning for this was that it was an OH & S issue, an issue that is clearly resolved with cash, secondly, i could have checked in two bags, is it not easier to handle one bag instead of two and thirdly i witnessed another agent check in a single traveller, clearly not a FF member and travelling economy a bag that weighed more, no explanation for this that made sense was given by management.
It is not your right to sit in an exit row. How do you come to that conclusion? And further to the above, check in staff must physically sight you and make you aware that you must be willing and able to assist in the event an emergency by way of opening the exit.
Also a fair point, I'm 6ft 2, 24 years of age and in pretty good shape, i consider myself able bodied and and did not have any issues with any other airline, as the seat was available and as i was in MEL (which is an airport to my understanding) the staff should have been able to assign the seat to me instead of telling me it can only be done in SYD.
Hakan
Hakan I
4th June 2009, 11:45 PM
The rest of your comments are very trivial whinging.
Daniel, your entitled to your opinion of course, i however spent a fortune on a RTW ticket (prior to these massive discounts by everyone), as a result i expected a reasonable level of service from start to finish, if i wanted substandard service I would have flown airlines like China Eastern, or perhaps even Aeroflot or Garuda ... Ryanair even, not something that i would expect from an airline that is supposedly 'good'.
Grant Smith
5th June 2009, 01:42 AM
Fair Call, in a little more detail the reasoning for this was that it was an OH & S issue, an issue that is clearly resolved with cash, secondly, i could have checked in two bags, is it not easier to handle one bag instead of two
Hakan,
Of course it's an OH&S issue. How do you reason 1 overweight (28KG) bag would be easier to handle that 2 x 12KG bags?
Having handled bags in a former life, I can assure you, 2 x 12KG bags is A LOT easier to handle than one 30KG bag.
Why do you think you see bags tagged with heavy luggage tags? For the sake of it?
Also a fair point, I'm 6ft 2, 24 years of age and in pretty good shape, i consider myself able bodied and and did not have any issues with any other airline, as the seat was available and as i was in MEL (which is an airport to my understanding) the staff should have been able to assign the seat to me instead of telling me it can only be done in SYD.
Hakan
Unfortunately the luck of the irish was not with you that day.
Montague S
5th June 2009, 02:03 AM
Hakan,
Of course it's an OH&S issue. How do you reason 1 overweight (28KG) bag would be easier to handle that 2 x 12KG bags?
Having handled bags in a former life, I can assure you, 2 x 12KG bags is A LOT easier to handle than one 30KG bag.
yea..but that doesn't answer how money makes it less of an OH&S issue. ;)
how giving cash solves OH&S or solves an injury that may or may not occur is beyond me.
funny thing, this is what QF states on its website...seems some at QF don't know the different systems.
Travel to/from USA, US Territories, South America and Canada via the Pacific^
No single piece can exceed 32kg (70lb).
If your itinerary includes a flight to/from the USA, US Territories, South America and Canada via the Pacific you are entitled to two pieces (one piece for infants) of checked baggage on all Qantas and QantasLink operated flights within your itinerary regardless of whether these flights appear on the same or a separate ticket. You will be required to provide proof of your international ticket at check-in indicating travel to/from or via the USA, US Territories, South America or Canada. Valid for the duration of your international ticket, or up to a maximum of 12 months from the date of the first flight to/from the USA, US Territories, South America or Canada – whichever date falls first.
Grant Smith
5th June 2009, 02:13 AM
This too is quoted from the QF website.
If you are travelling in Economy:
Your total baggage weight of up to 23kg (50lb) is free of charge regardless of the number of pieces for domestic Australia, trans-Tasman, domestic New Zealand and international routes (except for the USA).
For the USA, US Territories, South America or Canada, your total free allowance is 2 pieces at 23kg (50lb) each.
The maximum baggage weight of any piece must not exceed 32kg (70lb).
Montague S
5th June 2009, 02:21 AM
This too is quoted from the QF website.
[/LIST]
so, there is ambiguity...
it seems ridiculous to split up one bag for the sake of 4 or 5 kgs & $50.
if he'd shoved $5kgs into a second suitcase he'd not have been charge, stupidity at its finest!
Hakan I
5th June 2009, 02:57 AM
Montague S, 100% correct, if only this sort of common sense could be noticed by QF ground staff in MEL.
Laurent Sanhard
5th June 2009, 09:55 AM
Firstly Hakan ,
I do agree with you that Qantas staff can be very rude , and patronising sometimes , not all , but at least the ones I dealt with previously,
But I do think that the right attitude can really help at check -in , when I flew to Osaka with Jetstar a couple of years ago , I had 29 kg , the check in assistant let me go with no charge , which was nice , but as this flight was 2/3 empty that's probably how i got away with it.
When I flew from Heathrow last year after living in London for 2 years , my total check-in weight was , 68 kg, inc, laptop,3 bags , everything else , Korean air called the manager , and I was told I would have to pay 400 pound , I told them that I have flown with them 3 times before and was a skypass member , and even though the flight was full they only charged me 80 pounds, I think a bit of diplomacy always works in these cases , as soon as you get rude or angry , you can't win,
as for quote :(A380 was ok, legroom non existant ), the A380 is a big plane it does'nt mean that everyone will have loads of legroom,
having flown a lot on 747's I always go for the seats right at the back , as there is only 2 seats instead of 3 , loads of room!:)
David McNeil
5th June 2009, 12:28 PM
Hakan, a tip of advise generally people who cause problems and argue with staff at check-in will have little to no chance of getting an exit row ;)
Rules are rules, if thats the Baggage Policy, you bought the ticket and agreed to those rules when you purchased the ticket. Its allllllllll in the good old T+C's! If you decide when you get to check in, you want a different set of rules to the other 100+ people on the flight unfortunately thats tough.
The baggage limit used to be 2 X 32 to the states. Im guessing it was changed due to skyrocketing fuel prices and unfortunately heavy bags= increased weight and increased weight = increased fuel. It's more than fair to be charging excess baggage.
Having said all of that, if you booked the ticket when the old policy (2X32) was in effect and you have the old T+C's to prove it, you may have a point and it may just be worth just writing in.
Graham B
5th June 2009, 01:02 PM
Hakin
Judging from all your complaints and from what you have told us it seems your only problem was you just flew at the "wrong time of the month"
:D:D:D:D
Benjo
Bruce Bramwell
5th June 2009, 04:06 PM
further to this i was not assigned an exit row (which was available as i was there very early)
How did you know it was available? Did you ask?
Maybe they didn't give it to you because you were rude, can happen... most probably they were rude because you were rude to them!
D Chan
5th June 2009, 08:06 PM
yea..but that doesn't answer how money makes it less of an OH&S issue. ;)
how giving cash solves OH&S or solves an injury that may or may not occur is beyond me.
Frankly I'm not surprised it's 'beyond you'. Firstly the fee discourages passengers from having bags with excessive weights thus reducing the number of these bags. Secondly who do you think pays for workers injured from lifting all these bags - ultimately the employer is responsible for compensation.
I have little respect to people who argue with check-in agents, having been a check-in agent myself at Sydney for a ground handler (a worldwide GHA). I for sure treated very well the passengers who are nice to me. In fact I managed to assign aisle seats for a family of 6 on a light transpac flight so they had free seats next to them and I was commended for my customer service. On another occasion I managed to get a Disney Mickey Mouse pin from a passenger.
Ask yourself how many seats are on the aircraft and how many of those are exit row seats - then get a reality check. What is the probability of you getting one?
I also have little time for passengers who whine at the check-in counter. Next please....
Jon B
5th June 2009, 09:31 PM
Hakan,
You were lucky my wife has resigned from QF at Mel, passenger complaints were dealt with by retagging baggage to another destination and sitting you in the middle seat between some "larger" passengers.
If you want something from check in staff always smile and be polite - works most times.
Peter JB
5th June 2009, 09:50 PM
Does the OP know what a sentence is? Sheesh, that was hard to follow..:eek:
James K
5th June 2009, 10:35 PM
Hakan,
You were lucky my wife has resigned from QF at Mel, passenger complaints were dealt with by retagging baggage to another destination and sitting you in the middle seat between some "larger" passengers.
If you want something from check in staff always smile and be polite - works most times.
Anyone who retags a bag to an alt destination deliberately to get back at a pax should be fired and then have to repay the cost of repatriating the baggage. Imho of course.
Montague S
5th June 2009, 11:24 PM
now I know why you were a checkin agent.
Tim C
5th June 2009, 11:35 PM
At the end of the day why anyone would want to travel with 28kg's of baggage if they are not migrating to another country is beyond me. I am on a 5 week Euro vacation at the momment and feel like ive got far too much with 13kg's even.
Hakan I
6th June 2009, 03:17 AM
Liam - Great points raised ... despite me having been awake for over 22 hours and having just worked a very busy 12 hour overnight shift, I was beaming as the trip I waited so long for had finally started and i would have the chance to fly the A380! I approached check in with a big smile, greeted the agent very politely, handed over documents and asked, again politely if an exit row was available, flight left at 1030 from MEL, i was there at 0800, was connecting to QF11 in SYD, to this point the check in agent could not manage a smile and clearly was a bit grumpy, when i questioned the logic about splitting a bag for the sake of 5kg her attitude naturally got worse and to this point i was courteous, I even explained I was travelling alone and did not want to do public transport with an extra bag and asked her to please see what she can do, naturally nothing changed and this is when i got grumpy, overall whilst waiting for the manager to attend i looked around, saw a 29.? kg bag checked in by another agent, who actually smiled as opposed to everyone else there.
Further to this Liam, I chose OneWorld so that i could use QF, i figured due to the current economic climate i would try and contribute to my national airline who employs many Aussies, even if they would not be getting much, better than giving the money overseas and i figured QF may have changed since my last few experiences, unfortunatly i was wrong, i will now rather pay double for a fare to fly any other airline apart from QF, even if that means multi stops or long transits, i have no respect for an airline that has a complete disregard to their customers, a completly incompetent management team in MEL and i'll voice that by using other carriers for my twice yearly long haul trips, I probably wont write to QF about this as really they don't care anyway.
David - As for the rules are rules business ... either apply the same policy to all or don't apply the policy all together.
Jon B - Retagging a bag to an alternate destination is childish and frankly stupid behaviour, and i guess if the check in agents act this way, really, why should the passengers behave any better to them?
And just a message to all who think that this is all just a rant and trivial and that i give out the negative vibes ... Out of the 16 sectors this was the only flight of concern, IB provided a far better service, from checkin to inflight to arrival, everything was fantastic! and so was UA ... shame our national airline could not better UA or IB.
Hakan
PS: I work in emergency services now and need to provide a high level of customer service, i have previously worked in many customer service fields ranging from hospitality to insurance to retail and hence whilst to some i may be giving off negative vibes, it is purely because i have a low tolerance for bad service, no matter how bad a day someone is having or whatever problems may occur in the workplace or your private life, anyone involved in customer service should always be striving to be the best they can and to provide an excellent service ... something that in my belief was clearly lacking on this day from all staff involved.
Hakan I
6th June 2009, 03:34 AM
At the end of the day why anyone would want to travel with 28kg's of baggage if they are not migrating to another country is beyond me. I am on a 5 week Euro vacation at the momment and feel like ive got far too much with 13kg's even.
I hear you Tim, I have a large family in North Cyprus which i am very close to, visit them every year, this year three of my cousins are getting married, another two have had kids and another got engaged, so about 15kg of my luggage was gifts that i was bringing with me ... that and a ex girlfriend (long story but still great mates) migrated to the UK and she needed some items from home that she could not get where she was, so to sum up ... little of it was actually my own.
Hakan
Tim C
6th June 2009, 06:56 PM
Roger that makes more sense I was going to say that was a awful amount for a normal trip anyhow.
Mike W
9th June 2009, 10:25 AM
Anyone who retags a bag to an alt destination deliberately to get back at a pax should be fired and then have to repay the cost of repatriating the baggage. Imho of course.
Absolutely agree James.
This is appalling and I'm starting to think that the woman was fired rather than resigning, :mad:
I hope this is a joke and not really what goes on with QF
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