Travel chaos pits pandemic winner Qantas against angry Aussies
Australians are turning on Qantas Airways Ltd. and its boss as widespread travel disruptions and airport ordeals test their affection for one of the country’s biggest brands. Qantas, which carries the slogan “Spirit of Australia,” has become a punching bag for passengers exasperated with canceled flights, lost belongings and unscheduled sleepovers on airport floors. It’s an ugly reversal of fortune for a company that carefully navigated Covid-19 and emerged in better financial shape than almost any other airline in the world. The backlash comes as the global aviation industry struggles to cope with a rebound in travel demand after laying off staff to get through the pandemic with bare-bones operations. While chaotic scenes at airports in the US and Europe have become commonplace, emotions are running particularly high for Australians who feel let down by Qantas. CEO Alan Joyce has landed in the firing line of social-media vitriol, with customers lashing out and accusing him of being overzealous in shedding more than 8,000 jobs, leaving Qantas so short of manpower that it can’t function properly. Qantas had Australia’s worst flight-cancellation record in May, scrapping 7.6% of its services, or one in 13. It’s even become the subject of an online parody by national broadcaster ABC. The operational lapses are pushing some disaffected passengers to Virgin Australia, which was on the brink of collapse in 2020 before private equity group Bain Capital stepped in. Virgin Australia canceled 5.1% of its services in May. The long-term cancellation rate in Australia is 2%. Qantas leans heavily on advertisements that pull on the heartstrings, with tag-lines such as I Still Call Australia Home. Its recent media campaigns have dramatized emotional family reunions to encourage people to fly again. “It feels like the brand’s breaking a number of promises,” said Paul Nelson, managing director of Sydney-based consultancy BrandMatters. “Loyal customers fall a lot further when they’ve had you on a pedestal and you haven’t met expectations.”<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2022-07-07/oneworld/travel-chaos-pits-pandemic-winner-qantas-against-angry-aussies
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Travel chaos pits pandemic winner Qantas against angry Aussies
Australians are turning on Qantas Airways Ltd. and its boss as widespread travel disruptions and airport ordeals test their affection for one of the country’s biggest brands. Qantas, which carries the slogan “Spirit of Australia,” has become a punching bag for passengers exasperated with canceled flights, lost belongings and unscheduled sleepovers on airport floors. It’s an ugly reversal of fortune for a company that carefully navigated Covid-19 and emerged in better financial shape than almost any other airline in the world. The backlash comes as the global aviation industry struggles to cope with a rebound in travel demand after laying off staff to get through the pandemic with bare-bones operations. While chaotic scenes at airports in the US and Europe have become commonplace, emotions are running particularly high for Australians who feel let down by Qantas. CEO Alan Joyce has landed in the firing line of social-media vitriol, with customers lashing out and accusing him of being overzealous in shedding more than 8,000 jobs, leaving Qantas so short of manpower that it can’t function properly. Qantas had Australia’s worst flight-cancellation record in May, scrapping 7.6% of its services, or one in 13. It’s even become the subject of an online parody by national broadcaster ABC. The operational lapses are pushing some disaffected passengers to Virgin Australia, which was on the brink of collapse in 2020 before private equity group Bain Capital stepped in. Virgin Australia canceled 5.1% of its services in May. The long-term cancellation rate in Australia is 2%. Qantas leans heavily on advertisements that pull on the heartstrings, with tag-lines such as I Still Call Australia Home. Its recent media campaigns have dramatized emotional family reunions to encourage people to fly again. “It feels like the brand’s breaking a number of promises,” said Paul Nelson, managing director of Sydney-based consultancy BrandMatters. “Loyal customers fall a lot further when they’ve had you on a pedestal and you haven’t met expectations.”<br/>
