Qantas finds itself in hot water after a snap of a baggage nightmare trends
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It seems like Qantas isn’t off the hot seat just yet after another scandal recently emerged online.
A photo of a single suitcase left behind on a Qantas-operated tarmac made the rounds on Twitter. It was posted by Australian singer Fanny Lumsden and briefly captioned: ‘Lol, Qantas.’
It’s unknown whether this was on an international or domestic flight.
Several Twitter users were quick to slam the airline for its carelessness, with one saying: ‘I feel sad for Qantas... I remember a time when the airline stood for quality, comfort, and safety. What the hell happened?’
Another sarcastically cheered: ‘Oh yeah, the spirit of Australia!’
‘Qantas, you had one job… How hard can it be to get luggage safely to its destination?’ a third criticised.
The Australian singer captured a snap of the lost baggage. Source: @Fannylumsden
This incident came after the Australian airline received massive backlash for lost and missing baggage, along with claims about Qantas outsourcing their baggage handling staff circulating.
In July, an unidentified man who claimed to be an outsourced baggage handler for the flag carrier reported that on average, one in 10 pieces of luggage were either getting lost or weren’t loaded onto domestic flights flying from Sydney airport.
At the time, the carrier shut down the accusations and deemed the figures as ‘completely inaccurate’. They also claimed that the rate of mishandled baggage across the Qantas network was ‘less than one per cent’.
Speaking to ABC, a ground staff member revealed that Qantas’ outsourcing of in-house ground handling was a serious problem.
‘Bags aren’t making it onto the aircraft on time. They are also being loaded incorrectly.’ they said.
‘Flights are being cancelled because the crew is running out of hours to operate these flights in the time it would take to fix the issues.’
The incorrect placement of baggage due to inexperienced handlers could potentially lead to improper weight distribution, which is a safety risk.
The unidentified Qantas employee shared an incident wherein the baggage was incorrectly loaded – but the mistake was only caught moments before the cargo hold was about to close.
Several employees have raised concerns about the airline. Source: BBC
In response to the issue, Qantas argued that spotting the error before the aeroplane departed is proof that the ‘safety management system is working’.
Aside from several alleged baggage handling issues, a Qantas pilot also came forward about the airline’s staffing issues and its potential to pose safety concerns.
‘We’re working longer hours,’ the pilot said.
‘We are red-lining, running at max capacity in a very dynamic, challenging environment. There’s a lot that can go wrong.’
After the ABC interview, Qantas decided to release a statement to explain that the aviation industry is one of the ‘most closely regulated industries in Australia’, adding that the company is subjected to ‘considerable oversight from numerous authorities’.
Qantas went on to say that it has established a safety management system to manage ‘all aspects of safety, including fatigue’.
‘Fatigue risk is managed using data and medical advice. We encourage our employees to report fatigue,’ it continued.
While Qantas was consistently named the world’s safest airline between 2014 to 2021, the carrier dropped down to seventh place this year. Instead, Air New Zealand ranked the highest.
The report indicated that the airline’s drop in ratings was a result of its fleet age and a ‘slight increase in incidents’.
Another ABC investigation divulged that the company’s morale was ‘absolutely in the gutter’.
Qantas faced difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: CNBC
The Federal Secretary of the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association Steve Purvinas told ABC that a number of departments have seen absenteeism soar up to 83 per cent of workers per shift.
‘I can use a department in Sydney as an example, where they require 60 people on every shift,’ he said.
‘It is not unusual for 50 out of the 60 people to call in sick on any given day.’
An engineer, who had been working for the airline for 30 years, also called Qantas’ jet base in Mascot an ‘absolute wreck’.
‘It feels like working with one hand tied behind your back most of the time.’ the engineer described.
He went on to explain that basic equipment such as stands have become difficult to find, which means engineers need to ‘search and scrounge trying to find a proper work stand that’s suitable for the job’.
‘They just don’t have the adequate tools that will help us do our jobs on a day-to-day basis.’ he added.
‘We are often trying to find tools because it’s either been lent to another port or out for calibration.’
The CEO reported a staggering loss this year. Source: Bloomberg
With the COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt to the aviation industry, Qantas recently announced a ‘staggering’ loss of over $1 billion for the third year in a row.
Sharing the results, CEO Alan Joyce posted an underlying loss of $1.89 billion for the 2022 financial year. He said that the setback was mainly due to the pandemic, which caused a labour shortage and difficulties recovering from the pandemic slump.
To win back unsatisfied customers, Mr Joyce proposed a $400 million customer service plan, which included new routes from Auckland to New York, renovations to lounges in Adelaide and New Zealand, and a $50 voucher for frequent flyers.
But not everyone was convinced that the initiative was sincere.
Customers on a bronze tier and over were eligible to receive a $50 promo code to use on a return flight booking made before November 30, 2022 for travel by June 30, 2023.
Flyers slammed the 10-month waiting period and dubbed the voucher as an ‘epic corporate fail’ and a ‘ploy’ to boost their bookings.
In a post on Reddit, a QFF member posted a screenshot of the voucher’s ‘how it works’ page with the caption ‘Qantas’ insincere $50 voucher – not a happy camper.’
Dozens of users agreed in the comments.
‘This is not an apology, it’s just marketing. You need to book an eligible return flight to use it.’ wrote one user.
‘Just had a $50 voucher offer from Alan Joyce to be claimed before 30th September. No plans to travel between now and then. Keep your voucher, Alan… Give it to a baggage handler.’ said another.
What are your thoughts about Qantas’ service quality? Do you agree with some of the claims made by its employees and customers or are these accusations false? Let us know in the comments!
Get a sneak peek of Qantas’ announcement by watching the video below:
Source: 7News Australia
A photo of a single suitcase left behind on a Qantas-operated tarmac made the rounds on Twitter. It was posted by Australian singer Fanny Lumsden and briefly captioned: ‘Lol, Qantas.’
It’s unknown whether this was on an international or domestic flight.
Several Twitter users were quick to slam the airline for its carelessness, with one saying: ‘I feel sad for Qantas... I remember a time when the airline stood for quality, comfort, and safety. What the hell happened?’
Another sarcastically cheered: ‘Oh yeah, the spirit of Australia!’
‘Qantas, you had one job… How hard can it be to get luggage safely to its destination?’ a third criticised.
The Australian singer captured a snap of the lost baggage. Source: @Fannylumsden
This incident came after the Australian airline received massive backlash for lost and missing baggage, along with claims about Qantas outsourcing their baggage handling staff circulating.
In July, an unidentified man who claimed to be an outsourced baggage handler for the flag carrier reported that on average, one in 10 pieces of luggage were either getting lost or weren’t loaded onto domestic flights flying from Sydney airport.
At the time, the carrier shut down the accusations and deemed the figures as ‘completely inaccurate’. They also claimed that the rate of mishandled baggage across the Qantas network was ‘less than one per cent’.
Speaking to ABC, a ground staff member revealed that Qantas’ outsourcing of in-house ground handling was a serious problem.
‘Bags aren’t making it onto the aircraft on time. They are also being loaded incorrectly.’ they said.
‘Flights are being cancelled because the crew is running out of hours to operate these flights in the time it would take to fix the issues.’
The incorrect placement of baggage due to inexperienced handlers could potentially lead to improper weight distribution, which is a safety risk.
The unidentified Qantas employee shared an incident wherein the baggage was incorrectly loaded – but the mistake was only caught moments before the cargo hold was about to close.
Several employees have raised concerns about the airline. Source: BBC
In response to the issue, Qantas argued that spotting the error before the aeroplane departed is proof that the ‘safety management system is working’.
Aside from several alleged baggage handling issues, a Qantas pilot also came forward about the airline’s staffing issues and its potential to pose safety concerns.
‘We’re working longer hours,’ the pilot said.
‘We are red-lining, running at max capacity in a very dynamic, challenging environment. There’s a lot that can go wrong.’
After the ABC interview, Qantas decided to release a statement to explain that the aviation industry is one of the ‘most closely regulated industries in Australia’, adding that the company is subjected to ‘considerable oversight from numerous authorities’.
Qantas went on to say that it has established a safety management system to manage ‘all aspects of safety, including fatigue’.
‘Fatigue risk is managed using data and medical advice. We encourage our employees to report fatigue,’ it continued.
While Qantas was consistently named the world’s safest airline between 2014 to 2021, the carrier dropped down to seventh place this year. Instead, Air New Zealand ranked the highest.
The report indicated that the airline’s drop in ratings was a result of its fleet age and a ‘slight increase in incidents’.
Another ABC investigation divulged that the company’s morale was ‘absolutely in the gutter’.
Qantas faced difficulties from the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: CNBC
The Federal Secretary of the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association Steve Purvinas told ABC that a number of departments have seen absenteeism soar up to 83 per cent of workers per shift.
‘I can use a department in Sydney as an example, where they require 60 people on every shift,’ he said.
‘It is not unusual for 50 out of the 60 people to call in sick on any given day.’
An engineer, who had been working for the airline for 30 years, also called Qantas’ jet base in Mascot an ‘absolute wreck’.
‘It feels like working with one hand tied behind your back most of the time.’ the engineer described.
He went on to explain that basic equipment such as stands have become difficult to find, which means engineers need to ‘search and scrounge trying to find a proper work stand that’s suitable for the job’.
‘They just don’t have the adequate tools that will help us do our jobs on a day-to-day basis.’ he added.
‘We are often trying to find tools because it’s either been lent to another port or out for calibration.’
The CEO reported a staggering loss this year. Source: Bloomberg
With the COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt to the aviation industry, Qantas recently announced a ‘staggering’ loss of over $1 billion for the third year in a row.
Sharing the results, CEO Alan Joyce posted an underlying loss of $1.89 billion for the 2022 financial year. He said that the setback was mainly due to the pandemic, which caused a labour shortage and difficulties recovering from the pandemic slump.
To win back unsatisfied customers, Mr Joyce proposed a $400 million customer service plan, which included new routes from Auckland to New York, renovations to lounges in Adelaide and New Zealand, and a $50 voucher for frequent flyers.
But not everyone was convinced that the initiative was sincere.
Customers on a bronze tier and over were eligible to receive a $50 promo code to use on a return flight booking made before November 30, 2022 for travel by June 30, 2023.
Flyers slammed the 10-month waiting period and dubbed the voucher as an ‘epic corporate fail’ and a ‘ploy’ to boost their bookings.
In a post on Reddit, a QFF member posted a screenshot of the voucher’s ‘how it works’ page with the caption ‘Qantas’ insincere $50 voucher – not a happy camper.’
Dozens of users agreed in the comments.
‘This is not an apology, it’s just marketing. You need to book an eligible return flight to use it.’ wrote one user.
‘Just had a $50 voucher offer from Alan Joyce to be claimed before 30th September. No plans to travel between now and then. Keep your voucher, Alan… Give it to a baggage handler.’ said another.
What are your thoughts about Qantas’ service quality? Do you agree with some of the claims made by its employees and customers or are these accusations false? Let us know in the comments!
Get a sneak peek of Qantas’ announcement by watching the video below:
Source: 7News Australia
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