It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down in more ways than one, and nowhere is this more apparent than when we look at the state of air travel today.

Where flying was once a relatively carefree experience that we could enjoy without a second thought, these days, it comes with a lot of rules and restrictions.

And according to one Aussie man's recent story, travelling by plane is also becoming increasingly uncomfortable, inconvenient, and just plain unpleasant.

A man's recent holiday trip shows just how bad air travel in Australia is. Credit: Unsplash/Anete Lūsiņa.

Richard Edinger from Perth told a news outlet about his journey from Canberra to Perth last weekend – a trip that should have been relatively straightforward but ended up being anything but.

Mr Edinger said he was shuffled around between several re-booked flights before Qantas eventually got him on a direct flight to Perth at 7 pm – nine hours later than his original flight!

This meant he had to spend an entire day wandering around the airport with nothing to do but wait – not exactly how he wanted to spend his time catching up with old mates.

And it seems his woes didn't end there; when Mr Edinger finally made it onto his flight home, he found himself 'crammed in the back corner' of the aircraft on row 30F (aka one of the worst seats aboard), where he couldn't even recline his seat for comfort.

With no working reclining mechanism and food options that were less than desirable (to put it mildly), Mr Edinger's journey home was far from smooth sailing.

​

But perhaps most concerning of all was when Mr Edinger looked out the window beside him during takeoff and landing; instead of seeing clouds or blue sky like usual through clear glass or plastic, all he could see was sticky tape holding together shattered Perspex (the protective layer between the cabin and the window) that protectively covers aeroplane windows.

Thankfully there were no safety concerns as this damage is superficial, but it still paints quite a bleak picture about where air travel is heading in Australia right now… especially given how expensive flights are becoming thanks to soaring demand following months spent stuck at home.

It's stories like these that have led the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) to put the country's airlines on notice, with Commissioner Anna Brakey warning that the watchdog would be 'concerned' if airlines withheld capacity to keep airfares high.

'We accept that the airlines are still experiencing some pandemic-related resource challenges, but the ACCC will be monitoring them closely to ensure they return capacity to the market in a timely manner to start easing pressure on airfares,' she said in a statement.

Key Takeaways

• According to one man, his flight from Canberra to Perth on Qantas was full of mishaps and he lamented the 'sorrowful' status of Australian airlines.
• The man reportedly had to change flights several times before he was finally put on a direct flight to Perth, which was 9 hours later than his original flight.
• On his direct flight home, the man was said to have been 'crammed in the back corner' and couldn't recline his seat.
• The ACCC has stated that it will be monitoring airlines closely to ensure that they promptly return capacity to the market and begin relieving the upward pressure on airfare.

So, what's the cause of all this travel misery? In the ACCC's quarterly report, it is stated that high demand for travel and limited supply, as well as airlines' rescheduling of flights due to high jet fuel prices, are the main drivers of price hikes. Problems with day-to-day operations were also reported.

In other words, it's a perfect storm – one that doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon.

We love nothing more than being able to pack our bags and head off on a new adventure. But lately, it seems like every time we turn around, there's another travel nightmare to contend with.

Members, if you're planning on flying anywhere in the near future, it might be worth bearing Mr Edinger's story in mind – and maybe even splurging on a few extra comforts to make the trip a bit more bearable!

Have you had any unpleasant travel experiences lately? Would you mind sharing it with the rest of us below in the comments section? We'd love to hear from you!

 

[lizclarke]

He chose to fly with QANTAS.. His bad. They are renowned for being the worst airline to fly with in Australia.

Their International arm is no better.

 

[Pommyoz]

Booking a holiday, the agent asked Qantas, I replied, “ good grief, no way thankyou” He looked stunned, I explained why, and he said “Most airlines are like that, he’s only a CEO, he does what the shareholders tell him (the Irish gay leprechaun he was referring to). That in itself turned me right off again. Qantas should be owned and run 100% Australians who speak English and care for their fellow mates. (a racist, I could be)

 

[Deb Locky]

It would be great to be able to get our flights. Booked 3.5 years ago for our family to travel to Bali. Covid happened and flights were all cancelled the week we were to go. Only give 12 months to use but of course we couldnt because there were no flights. 5 grandchildren saved their money for 2 years for this trip of their lifetime. Yes I contacted Jetstar many times to be told the same story - basically too bad. I questioned them on the Jetstar page of FB only to be blocked. Not good enough. In our opinion they have stolen our $5000 through no fault of our own. We have received nothing and no one will talk to us. Where is our money Jetstar? I know this is not a bad flight experience but that would be better than no flight at all. Thanks SDC rant over.

 

[TomDevine55]

Qantas will keep planes in short supply to exploit by shoving up prices for Australians travelling or at least trying to travel in Australia and overseas. It seems Qantas has gone from a first rate airline to a 3rd world country airline who cant guarantee the safety or whether your baggage arrives at your destination if at all. But that OK as long as Joyce can keep his sub standard management going and he receives big bonuses neither him or the Qantas board do not not care or want things to change.

 

[Macarj]

It would be great to be able to get our flights. Booked 3.5 years ago for our family to travel to Bali. Covid happened and flights were all cancelled the week we were to go. Only give 12 months to use but of course we couldnt because there were no flights. 5 grandchildren saved their money for 2 years for this trip of their lifetime. Yes I contacted Jetstar many times to be told the same story - basically too bad. I questioned them on the Jetstar page of FB only to be blocked. Not good enough. In our opinion they have stolen our $5000 through no fault of our own. We have received nothing and no one will talk to us. Where is our money Jetstar? I know this is not a bad flight experience but that would be better than no flight at all. Thanks SDC rant over.

Just can't trust any company nowadays

 

[Luckyus]

It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down in more ways than one, and nowhere is this more apparent than when we look at the state of air travel today.

Where flying was once a relatively carefree experience that we could enjoy without a second thought, these days, it comes with a lot of rules and restrictions.

And according to one Aussie man's recent story, travelling by plane is also becoming increasingly uncomfortable, inconvenient, and just plain unpleasant.

View attachment 10299

A man's recent holiday trip shows just how bad air travel in Australia is. Credit: Unsplash/Anete Lūsiņa.

Richard Edinger from Perth told a news outlet about his journey from Canberra to Perth last weekend – a trip that should have been relatively straightforward but ended up being anything but.

Mr Edinger said he was shuffled around between several re-booked flights before Qantas eventually got him on a direct flight to Perth at 7 pm – nine hours later than his original flight!

This meant he had to spend an entire day wandering around the airport with nothing to do but wait – not exactly how he wanted to spend his time catching up with old mates.

And it seems his woes didn't end there; when Mr Edinger finally made it onto his flight home, he found himself 'crammed in the back corner' of the aircraft on row 30F (aka one of the worst seats aboard), where he couldn't even recline his seat for comfort.

With no working reclining mechanism and food options that were less than desirable (to put it mildly), Mr Edinger's journey home was far from smooth sailing.

​

But perhaps most concerning of all was when Mr Edinger looked out the window beside him during takeoff and landing; instead of seeing clouds or blue sky like usual through clear glass or plastic, all he could see was sticky tape holding together shattered Perspex (the protective layer between the cabin and the window) that protectively covers aeroplane windows.

Thankfully there were no safety concerns as this damage is superficial, but it still paints quite a bleak picture about where air travel is heading in Australia right now… especially given how expensive flights are becoming thanks to soaring demand following months spent stuck at home.

It's stories like these that have led the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) to put the country's airlines on notice, with Commissioner Anna Brakey warning that the watchdog would be 'concerned' if airlines withheld capacity to keep airfares high.

'We accept that the airlines are still experiencing some pandemic-related resource challenges, but the ACCC will be monitoring them closely to ensure they return capacity to the market in a timely manner to start easing pressure on airfares,' she said in a statement.

Key Takeaways

• According to one man, his flight from Canberra to Perth on Qantas was full of mishaps and he lamented the 'sorrowful' status of Australian airlines.
• The man reportedly had to change flights several times before he was finally put on a direct flight to Perth, which was 9 hours later than his original flight.
• On his direct flight home, the man was said to have been 'crammed in the back corner' and couldn't recline his seat.
• The ACCC has stated that it will be monitoring airlines closely to ensure that they promptly return capacity to the market and begin relieving the upward pressure on airfare.

So, what's the cause of all this travel misery? In the ACCC's quarterly report, it is stated that high demand for travel and limited supply, as well as airlines' rescheduling of flights due to high jet fuel prices, are the main drivers of price hikes. Problems with day-to-day operations were also reported.

In other words, it's a perfect storm – one that doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon.

We love nothing more than being able to pack our bags and head off on a new adventure. But lately, it seems like every time we turn around, there's another travel nightmare to contend with.

Members, if you're planning on flying anywhere in the near future, it might be worth bearing Mr Edinger's story in mind – and maybe even splurging on a few extra comforts to make the trip a bit more bearable!

Have you had any unpleasant travel experiences lately? Would you mind sharing it with the rest of us below in the comments section? We'd love to hear from you!

Bugger it If I was meant to fly I'd have feathers on my arse instead of hair?