I have just put the phone down from speaking with Qantas in London. One thing I will say in their favour is that the call was answered within seconds, unlike trying to phone Singapore Airlines Reservations where it takes half an hour of listening to Muzak interspersed with a bird saying to be patient and keep holding on before one gets a human on the other end of the line.
Word reached my ear yesterday that Qantas are offering a "special migrant fare" - one way ticket, 40kgs baggage per adult.
They are indeed offering a special deal for anyone who wants the 40kgs of baggage. The deal is £795 one-way from Heathrow to Perth. Alternatively if "mother" (the supposed traveller) is content with only 20kgs of baggage, apparently she could book an "ordinary" ticket for £550.
Well, when Mother (the real version) did the one way trip from London to Perth a little over a year ago, we used Singapore Airlines. The flight was around the £450 mark and they chucked in the 40kgs for this price.
Unless I am being particularly thick, Qantas are trying to charge up-front for 20kgs of excess baggage - at the full excess baggage rate - regardless of whether or not the passenger actually turns up at check in with the extra 20kgs of baggage.
This notion will doubtless earn the customer loyalty of millions, I would expect...
It is nearly as amusing as when Virgin put up a huge sign on the entrance to the road-tunnels to Heathrow. Back then, no-one had really heard of Phuket and everyone thought it must be pronounced with the PH as an "f". The sign said, "FLY VIRGIN TO BANGKOK AND PHUKET." The Police made them take it down because it was causing accidents on the roundabout just before the tunnels......
I told the Brain of Britain at Quantas that Singapore Airlines would do the migrant + baggage deal for £250 less. She agreed that in this case, using Singapore Airlines would be a better option but warned me that it would involve a couple of hours on the ground in Singapore if "mother" were to use SA instead.
Do Qantas go straight to Perth without stopping in Singapore nowadays? I am intrigued.
Cheers all
Gill
Last edited by Gollywobbler; 01-11-2007 at 11:25 AM.
Reason: Typos
Having used Qantas and Singapore, I know who I would choose anyway. Qantas really are not the airline they used to be.
Having said that, we always go BA now as younger son works for them and gets mummy and daddy really cheapo flights. Bless him - earning his keep at last!!
Jean
__________________ 27/07/07 Acknowledgement received 13/06/08 Case Officer! Who said Friday 13th was unlucky? 30/0608 AOS appointment at Centrelink
I wouldnt describe you as being thick in any way gollywobbler, me maybe.
I always thought that BA and Quantas were in bed together anyway, fly out with one fly back with the other. Certainly thats my brothers experience with his frequent business trips out of Melbourne (Tullamarine)
He flys business class but offsets against airmiles (dont ask me how this works I honestly dont know) but my family fly everywhere swopping airmiles and everytime they buy something they get air miles!
Maybe it might be of an advantage for the prospective migrant to research the viability of airmile use.
Singapore is a lovely place, or it was and my eldest daughter was recently thinking of moving there with her job.
Go by Singapore airlines, They play musak and give you a £250 rebate....go for it
I wouldnt describe you as being thick in any way gollywobbler, me maybe.
I always thought that BA and Quantas were in bed together anyway, fly out with one fly back with the other. Certainly thats my brothers experience with his frequent business trips out of Melbourne (Tullamarine)
He flys business class but offsets against airmiles (dont ask me how this works I honestly dont know) but my family fly everywhere swopping airmiles and everytime they buy something they get air miles!
Maybe it might be of an advantage for the prospective migrant to research the viability of airmile use.
Singapore is a lovely place, or it was and my eldest daughter was recently thinking of moving there with her job.
Go by Singapore airlines, They play musak and give you a £250 rebate....go for it
Dear ACD
This Special Offer from Qantas deserves world-wide publicity, in my view. They are hiding their generous light under a bushell. it seems to me.
I asked interestedly whether the extra £250 for the extra baggage that the passenger might not pitch up with would also include an automatic and free upgrade to Business Class all the way? The Brain of Britain at Qantas said "No."
Seems to me that we have to resolve the question of whether or not Qantas land in Singapore while en route from London to Perth?
If they still do, then I suspect Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick......
We have had a similar experience with Quantas and Singapore Airlines. We gave the special offer code we were given by a forex company over to Quantas to get their 'special rate' and were quoted £2,200 for a family of four with 40kgs each. I then rang trailfinders getting £1,700 with SA with 40kgs each. The SA plane is just 10 minutes behind the Quantas one both at all stage of the journey: leaving Heathrow, landing and taking off at Singapore, and landing at Brisbane.
Also haven't SA been voted best airline for 2007 and lots of years beforehand?
Yes Johnathan, you are right they have won awards plus they are the owners of the new big, big plane. First airline to invest in one I believe.
We have always flown Emirates but mainly because they go from Gatwick which is only half hour away from us. Our first time down to Perth, we flew with Singapore and did a night stopover all included in the price. Now with Emirates we do a stopover for 3 hrs in Dubai and are back in the air again.
Have never used Quantas, not in a hurry to either.
Claire
__________________
VISA LODGED: 29.08.07 RECEIPT: 07.12.07
FULL ACK: 18.03.08 CASE OFFICER: 29.04.08
VISA GRANTED: 13.05.08 FLY: 14.07.08 TO PERTH
I just had to laugh at seeing "Qantas" and "special offer" in the same sentence! That's just like putting Reliant Robin and land speed record together, or Liverpool and city of culture! (Oops, that'll upset the Scousers.....)
I've hunted for flights dozens of times in the last eight months, and almost every time Qantas have come up as being one of the most expensive. The only notable exception I've found recently was where I found a one-way economy flight for Saturday this week with Cathay Pacific for the ridiculous price of £2429 per person.
Dave
As some of you know. We are flying out on Monday.
We are using Emirates. I contacted them. We get 50k luggage each. Flying from Heathrow. Total £979 all in for us both.
I made sure we got a letter to say that we are allowed the extra baggage allowance.
I belong to Moving Planet, if you get there CD, they have a log in number, and you get discounts for about everthing from them.
I just had to laugh at seeing "Qantas" and "special offer" in the same sentence! That's just like putting Reliant Robin and land speed record together, or Liverpool and city of culture! (Oops, that'll upset the Scousers.....)
I've hunted for flights dozens of times in the last eight months, and almost every time Qantas have come up as being one of the most expensive. The only notable exception I've found recently was where I found a one-way economy flight for Saturday this week with Cathay Pacific for the ridiculous price of £2429 per person.
Dave
Hi Dave
I agree. I'd have found this funny as well except that one of our Members has been trapped by this nonsense from Qantas. That riles me.
If it were me, I'd have the Customer Services Manager of Qantas warmly by the throat and the ears and I'd be explaining which way is bloody "up" in this game. Any airline that imagines it can take the customer for a ride in such a competitive market requires Replacement Management in my not so humble opinion.
As it is, I intend to see to it that their Marketing Wheeze gets world-wide publicity for free.
Cheers
Gill
Last edited by Gollywobbler; 02-11-2007 at 04:05 AM.
