A Qantas staff member at Melbourne's Domestic airport has just taken my award for the worst member of any airline that I have every encountered in my lifetime. In fact if anyone can give me the address of the CEO of Qantas I would be most obliged because I have never met anything so bad as this person and hopefully she will be dispensed with poste haste before she upsets someone who will cower under her and leave Australia with a very bad taste in their mouths.
I have always been an advocate for Qantas but unless something is done about this person I will not fly with them again nor will I suggest Qantas to anyone on this forum.
Any suggestions for address for feedback to Qantas please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Street address of their head office is on this web page:

http://www.qantas.com.au/needhelp/dy...cts/headOffice

LizF what happened?

I am a Qantas FF and a Qantas Club member and as far as I know my details are in my file, so when I arrived 3 hours early at the Melbourne airport ( missing peak hour traffic) I was astounded to find that I was put in row 25 as I have a request for extra leg room because I have artificial knees and if they are bumped or at a right angle for too long I get a lot of pain. Also I cannot hop over people as well as I would like to.
However first it was "put your second bag on the conveyor please" "yes I will do that as soon as I get this purse shut otherwise I will loose all my cards" - answer... " Ma'am I won't tell you again, put your bag on the conveyor" me, "I am sorry but I have to shut this purse first and then I will put the bag on the conveyor"... sigh! and deep breathing from staff member - then I got the ticket and I asked why it was that if I was 3 hours early, had data on my file, did I get a seat that would be a problem for me with my medical condition?. The next answer took me so much by surprise that I still have no answer for it, it went like this, " I don't have to put up with this! this is flight rage on the ground! I think I should call a supervisor and stop you from going anywhere". I said that I thought getting a Supervisor was a very good idea actually and left it at that. The staff member then turned to her co-worker beside her and started to tell her in a load voice that "she" - meaning me "thinks" she is going to blah blah, and "she" won't. The Supervisor then arrived and the worker started to talk about me in a booming voice that "SHE won't be going anywhere". Now there are about 50 people standing in line behind me and listening to all of this. I then suggested that I speak to the Supervisor out of hearing of the staff member and said that I was absolutely appalled that this had happened, I had not used abusive language, raised my voice or insisted on anything. all I had asked was why was I stuck up the back of an aircraft when details are in my file and never had I had a problem with things which was the very reason that I choose to be a paying Qantas Club member. I must say that she was sympathetic and said that she would look into the matter. However she said that most probably there were blocked family member seats in the area that I usually go into on the plane and that was why I was up the back.
The behaviour of the staff member was at best a psychotic outburst or at worst I was the first person who had come along after she had been jilted by her boyfriend and someone was going to "cop the flack". Either way she is not someone who should be at the forefront of a Service industry. I doubt I have been so humiliated in my life.
I spoke to the Qantas Club Service staff and I did get my aisle seat up the front with extra leg room where there were quite a few empty seats and at least for the first 6 rows there were no family blocks.
I have never abused anyone in public or abuse anyone period, I don't go along with that style of behaviour. However I do, as a paying member of the public, feel that if I ask a civil question I should get a civil answer - nothing more and nothing less.
So you see I wish to report this matter as I view it very seriously indeed.

It's a sobering story, Liz, but it's not typical of Qantas and may be something you will never (hopefully!)encounter again. I bet she wouldn't have raved on like that had she known that you are "the" LizF who has the ear of several thousand prospective clients every day! I have no doubt that after you were safely on the plane, the supervisor gave the staff member a cup of tea, a Bex, and a good lie down, and by lunch time she was back to being her normal sweet self again. Just be glad you're not her husband! (P.S. One day I will tell you MY story of how I was called a "thief" and a "bloody liar" over a microphone, for the whole world to hear, by a Sydney Cityrail staff member!)

Thanks Judy, Alan and all, I have just finished writing to Qantas and I will keep you informed of any response.
Alan I will be in Sydney from Thursday next week until the following Tuesday at the Gift Trade Fair where I am exhibiting at the Homebush Dome. Aside from the fact that I will be a physical and mental wreck during that time it would be nice to "meet" with you on the phone during that time. I am staying at my son's place in Marsfield and perhaps when I find his phone number I will post that for you in the hope you can give me a call some evening - after 7pm when I get back from the Fair and before 7.45pm when I collapse into bed.

PS - of course if you and your wife are interested I could perhaps get you into the fair for an interesting afternoon.

lizF-I felt so sorry for you and had to let you know you're not alone! I rang Qantas FF to take advantage of a special offer for reduced points to New Zealand. The woman I spoke with said that the reference number for the offer was invalid and she could not help me. I told her I'd printed it off Qantas' website and could she pls check again. She insisted that it was an invalid number and became very rude and antaganostic. I told her to just "do her job" and she hung up on me! Unfortunately I did not get her name but my husband heard the whole conversation from both sides and was just appalled!! As for blocked seats for family members (what about customers??)-a supervisor is able to unblock really quickly if they want to. Qantas unblocked for us in December when I insisted, at 180 cms tall, I could not sit in my allocated seat. They kindly gave me exit row as they do most times. I hate to think of others being treated like you were!!!

Wow Liz what a shocker, What a little you know what she must have been,
I know the sort, you put them in a uniform and they think they are God's gift to the Industry which they represent.

Female Cops are the same, and the bloody female bus drivers , I remember once I had a run in with a female Bus Driver, what a B...h she was.

Some of the females in Coles and Wollies are just as bad, and then there are the one's in the corner stores.

If you want to meet some real bad ones go to a hospital and try to get some sense out of the old buggers behind the counters when you tell them you lost your Medi Care card, and the doctor has already performed the minor surgical procedure that is performed by entering the scrotum through the base of the ole fulla, now many of us know how much pain one can be in after that 30 mins of fun.

Then there are the Nuns,
Bugger Me !!!!!! Ill not forget the Nuns.

Ha and what about the waiteres, when you refuse to give them an order on a busy night. LOL Watch some of them go off.

And I got to mention the school teachers ahhhhh yes the school teachers.
Now if you really want some abuse send you kid to school with chewing gum on the soles of his shoes, make sure he has bad breath, tell him not to wipe his nose all day, and tell him when the teacher asks a question just ignore the B...h. Oh yeah it also helps to throw a bit of stuff around the class room, and make sure he sticks a really sharp pencil into the girls arse sitting next to him so she screams. Then watch the abuse from the teacher.
Yeah I know what sort you are describing here Lizzzy with that little tart from QANTAS.
I know, lets broadcast this all over Fodors, lets ring the radio stations, lets put it on TV. Lets see if we can completely destroy QANTAS WOOLIES COLES THE CORNER SHOP THE TEACHERS THE POLICE WOMEN AND BUS DRIVERS. lETS DESTRY ALL THE BASTARDS THE WOMEN IN THE HOSPITALS AS WELL.

Lets tell the world just how bad they really are, but don't tell the world I was done for dd when I upset the female cop, don't tell the world I pinched the bus driver on the bottom and thats why I had the run in, don't tell the world my kid is a little bugger and goes out of his way to antagonise the teacher.
Lets keep this a one side argument.

Get my drift Lizzy.

There is always two sides to every argumet.

I hope the several thousand people Alan is referring to are adult enough to realise that. I think they are actually.

What if it was you Liz having the bad day, what if you did raise your voice,what if you did slam your foot and what if you were being a little antagonistic when you did not place your bag on the conveyor.

Maybe the little girl should have called security. And why is it that when some one has a problem with a young lady, the excuse is !! she must have a problem with her boy friend.

What if you were the 400th winger she processed on the day.

Don't get me wrong Lizzy, I'm not protecting her.

But what if it was you. Not her.
We do not know that.

"Don't get me wrong Lizzy, I'm not protecting her.

But what if it was you. Not her.
We do not know that. "

No, you don't know that and you are quite correct in saying that you don't know that. However the mere fact that I am in a "be nice to the customer industry" and I am required to show courtesy, humility, and friendliness all day, every day, because as far as I am concerned, you ( meaning anyone who is spending money with me or anyone who is spending money with any employee of mine who represents me when they are in front of the public ) are worthy of the very best of attention even if you are an ar......
I was brought up in the time when " the customer was always right" or "you don't make an issue over something that may harm your good name or injure your reputation in any way" not once, not ever, absolutely never! It is not my way of doing things.
In fact I had had 5 days of face to face customer negotiations at the Melbourne Trade Fair which was highly successful and I had had a lovely sleep in that morning, been and won $500 at the Casino and was then on my way home to have a complete rest and that would have gone a long way into making my lot a very happy one at that time.
When I used the term "young" I meant she would have been in her 30s.
Yes I will tell people about an industry which is not up to scratch just the same as I will tell them when it is. I will not be treated like some low-life when I have not done anything to deserve such treatment. I have never been had for DD, never pinched the bottom of a bus driver but I certainly have had the pleasure, or otherwise, of sticking something into someone's scrotum through the "ole fella" as you so sweetly put it, and actually right now I wish I was doing just that and you were the recipient. However if I was doing that I would be taking the best of care professionally of you and I would have a kind smile on my face and a kind word to help heal the pain - whether or not I really meant it.

I have had problems with people in the service industry as well. So has every other person reading this.

I normally speak to them about the problem quietly.

I do not call their Supervisor nor do I try to make them or their company look bad on the world stage with out at least offering them the oppourtunity to defend them selves.

Nine times out of ten people appreciate being treated that way and usually respond with an apology.

They will normally not make that mistake again and you will feel better for not making a huge scene in front of 50 people as you did in Melbourne.

If I was standing in line behind you when the lady asked you to place your bag on the conveyor and you responded by making a scene, I think I would have whispered to you " there are other people waiting you know Dear"

I mean how long is the flight from Melbourne to Sydney any way.

If you were flying Sydney Moscow I could understand.

But Melbourne Sydney,who cares.

It would not matter if they sat you in the dunny for those few minutes.

When you take a bus , do you lie down in the asile, to stretch your knees, or do you sit on the seat and behave.

" I mean how long is the flight from Melbourne to Sydney any way.

If you were flying Sydney Moscow I could understand.

But Melbourne Sydney,who cares.

It would not matter if they sat you in the dunny for those few minutes."

Of course, jj727, that's easy for you to say, but if you (like LizF) had articial knees, a trip in Qantas's cramped economy might be about as appealing as a length of four-by-two up the "ole fulla", whoever he is. Your reply is, as usual, amusing, but you certainly don't hesitate to make octave leaps, do you? Just to keep you in the picture, LizF has been on this forum since your old fella was just a sprout, and you, as welcome as your comments usually are, are strictly a new chum. Under these circumstances, it might be better to stick to defending Oberon (which, coincidentally, was founded the same year Liz was born, but is not weathering nearly as well).

My Dear Allen, I must say I am in the least,disappointed in your comments egarding the discussion between Liz and my self.

However Allen I will also say I have noticed over a very long time that each time a person on this forum does not agree entirely with Liz, you turn up on your white horse with shinning armour and defend her to the death.
I find this to be amusing.

The reason I stood up for Oberon was because there are around 3000 people
living there who think Oberon is the ducks knees. I have not ever seen one
of those people here so therefore believe they know not of the existence of this forum.

What Wright does any person have to condem an other persons home when those same people are not there to defend it.

I stood up for the girl at QANTAS for exactly the same reason. She is not
here to tell her side of the story.

If she was here, that would be fine. Liz could then condem her until the cows come home, and you would not hear from me. The lady would be here to defend herself.

Queensland And Northern Territory Air Services have an impeccable record of Safety, Service, and innovation within the aviation industry.
Their staff are paid much higher than any other aviation company in
Australia. Their aircraft are by far the newest and the most well maintained in the world, not just Australia, the world.

Their staff are also the most highly trained and professional of any company in the world.

The company has been able to avoid all of the pain and suffering endured by
most other global airlines in the past decade. Swiss Air, Pan Am, Ansette,
B.A , Air Nz and so it goes.

The company is Australian owned and operated and the profits stay at home.

If you as an Aussie discovers some thing about your airline you are not happy with, help out, try to fix it, don't stand at the front of a restless line of hard working people that just want to go home making a big deal out of nothing.

Buger me !!!!!!!!!! Life is too short for that nonsense.

And yes Liz I feel sorry you have bad kness, one of my mates has no knees, infact he has no legs. I have not heard him winge once, he takes pride in sitting down the back, so he can pull the wool over every one's eyes so he is not treated like a disabled person.

Grin and bare it Liz, it's not the end of the world. Next time the staff of a busy airline tells you to place your bags on the belt, do it. If your kness do not allow you to do it ask the person behind the desk for help.

I bet they will be only too happy to help. As will the 50 people standing behind you.

Possibly, jj727, the reason you have not heard your friend winge once is that you have not shut up long enough to let him get a word in!

jj727 why don't you re-read my original post and take notes because you seem to have read things there that I did not write. I didn't make a fuss. There was not 50 people standing behind me when I got there. It was not busy when I arrived and if the staff member had not stopped everything to hold a conversation with her co-worker there would not have been a build up of people. She didn't care. I didn't hold everything up till 50 people arrived. I have no intention of teaching young people how to behave and I have no intention of sorting out staff problems for any Company either - they choose their representatives and they have to wear the consequences.
I must say that your friend without legs would not have the problem that I have because it would not matter two hoots if he was crammed into a small space - however that is digressing and irrelevant to this particular subject.
I had originally decided not to reply to your letter because it was rude, offensive and stupid but as you have decided to be the advocate for everyone who gets a brickbat ( thought that perhaps Sadam could do with your help - he has not been able to defend himself either ) and to be equally rude to those who interject i.e. Alan, I just had to tell you that I can, and will, speak for myself. I spent a considerable time years ago being an advocate for people who were badly done by, by people or organizations like Qantas (which incidently is NOT OWNED FULLY BY AUSTRALIA BUT IS CO-OWNED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS - ITS MONEY DOES NOT ALL COME BACK TO AUSTRALIA EITHER )before there was a Consumer Affairs Bureau and let me tell you my friend that without stringent parameters for what is acceptable behaviour from these large, or small, organizations your life would not be as easy as it is now. I only have to cast my mind back to a time when there were 2 airlines in Australia - Ansett and Qantas - when on a flight from Perth the hostess held up a $50 note in front of a male passenger and in a big voice said " this person thinks I am a darn bank now" or later when someone has requested a kosher meal " why can't you people eat the same as the rest of us?"
Or even cast your mind back to the time when there was one phone company and remember just how many of the operators would have won a Miss Personality contest (NOT) All this is not that long ago and it is only because some of us decided that it was not acceptable and changed companies when the opportunity arose that they decided to comply with socially acceptable standards. If you want to live your life with things like road-rage, ill-behaved waiters, intollerably badly behaved children and/or teachers, hospital workers and the like well that is up to you, however I do not and unless something is done to pull them into line it will continue and get worse. As they say, a little drop of water ............