Jetkid
Jan 5, 03, 9:39 pm
Hi all,
A quick review of a few Qantas flights in the last couple of weeks if you’re interested
Thursday 19th AKL/CHC QF 4111 0820/0940
Arrive at the airport about 0745 for an 0820 departure, at 0805 my two travel companions had not arrived at the airport, boarding began as one of them arrived. After some hassles getting her checked in we went upstairs, leaving a voice message for the third person to tell them we were the last on board and we might see them later in the day. The flight was about 65% full, ZK-CZS operating the service. Breakfast was served, the usual sausages, egg, under cooked bacon and a tomato (I think), don't know how many times I have been on that flight but its always the same. Guess I shouldn't complain, don't know how much longer we will even get that for! Great view on the way down, which was just as well as the audio jack on my seat was broken, CZS is showing her age, made a mental note to not get that seat on the way home. We arrived in CHC about 5 mins late with a rough landing!
Spent the day in Christchurch working (although we did find time for a nice lunch, and man CHC is cheap for food compared to AKL!). Our third workmate slept in until 11am, we had been out for a work Xmas function till about 3am the previous night, she was most embarrassed. Anyway we headed back to the airport about 1615 for our flight home.
CHC/AKL QF 4150 1715/1835
At check n got seats in row 10, both of us buying some food before boarding, as usual CZS was there to meet us (the plane does a trip back to AKL, then down to WLG, back to AKL then back to CHC before the 4150 service back to AKL). Again a good view home, and the usual lunch box, with the standard 3 breadsticks, 2 cookies and 1 water, wonder if they will ever change it, its been the same for at least 12 months! The flight itself was about 50% full at best, so we had a spare seat between us. Arrived home pretty much on time with another 2000 QF points to add to the total.
Then over Christmas
AKL/WLG QF 4005 0710/0810
This was an interesting one, I had booked with QF for the main reason that at the time the flight was scheduled for an 0810 departure, just as well I check these things as no one from QF ever called me to tell me it had been rescheduled and had a change of flight number. The flight was operated by ZK-JNF, the best of the QF NZ domestic fleet (or JetConnect if you want to be picky) because it has the international style Y class seats. I was given 10A, the seat behind the emergency exit, not that I need worry, the plane was next to empty. I had to wonder if there was going to be a few angry people turning up for an 0810 flight..... No one else in the row I was in, or the two in front or behind me! I've travelled ever Xmas day for the last 6 years on the AKL/WLG route, all with NZ up to now and they have always been 100% full flights so I was very surprised.
The captain announced in AKL that we should expect some 'serve turbulence' on arrival into WLG, to bad if you were a nervous flyer, you had a whole hour to sweat it out! For the low number of pax we still left the gate late and were off in a nice AKL sky about 0725. Breakfast was again the under cooked bacon and something that I think was egg but wasn't the right colour, the in-flight audio channels were on and off for some reason. Anyway the flight down was uneventful, until about 10 mins out from WLG, northerly gale and rain, it was quite a ride and he really earned his money on that landing. One of the worst I've had in a while I would have to say.
WLG/AKL QF 4150 1700/1800
Again when I booked I had been scheduled for a 1515 departure, so just as well I check these things, it would seem some of the people at the gate had not been told, they were not happy campers either, QF wont be getting their business again soon. Check in was, as usual for QF at WLG, a zoo. NZ cover the desks so your lucky if there are two open (including 1 for J class). I queued for 15 mins, which I think is pretty poor for a domestic flight and check in itself took 30 seconds, if that. I don't understand why it takes some people 10 mins to check in, pretty simple concept, name ID and destination, but there are always some people on every flight who want to re-book their entire mutli-segment trip at check in I guess.
ZK-JNE was operating this flight and I was given 4A, I was expecting the same interior as JNF but no, it was the same as the CZ aircraft and showing its age on the inside big time. We took off to the south on a lovely WLG day, and the trip home was uneventful, you can guess what came in the snack box and interestingly no headsets were given out, or the video screens used on this flight, broken perhaps? Arrival into AKL was again rough, for no apparent reason, and then on claiming my bag it had a large number of deep marks across it, who knows what they do to cause that level of damage. Annoying when it cost me $400, but the reason I paid that much for it was because it gets a lot of that sort of treatment from baggage handlers.
I'm off again to CHC this Thursday for the day, heres hoping JNF is operating those flights!
My wishlist for domestic flights (and flights in general)
No baggage check in desks (AKL does it, CHC and WLG don't, it's bloody annoying if you turn up behind a large Asian tour group with bags to heavy for them to even roll, ah la CHC)
If you going to board by rows, why not actually inforce it, or get rid of it.
Don’t let people re-book their entire round the world trip at the check in desk.
Let people know if you change their flights and departure times.
Don’t blame late departures on 'The late arrival of the aircraft', we've all been sitting right in front of the thing as you've been working on it.
Cheers
Jetkid http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
A quick review of a few Qantas flights in the last couple of weeks if you’re interested
Thursday 19th AKL/CHC QF 4111 0820/0940
Arrive at the airport about 0745 for an 0820 departure, at 0805 my two travel companions had not arrived at the airport, boarding began as one of them arrived. After some hassles getting her checked in we went upstairs, leaving a voice message for the third person to tell them we were the last on board and we might see them later in the day. The flight was about 65% full, ZK-CZS operating the service. Breakfast was served, the usual sausages, egg, under cooked bacon and a tomato (I think), don't know how many times I have been on that flight but its always the same. Guess I shouldn't complain, don't know how much longer we will even get that for! Great view on the way down, which was just as well as the audio jack on my seat was broken, CZS is showing her age, made a mental note to not get that seat on the way home. We arrived in CHC about 5 mins late with a rough landing!
Spent the day in Christchurch working (although we did find time for a nice lunch, and man CHC is cheap for food compared to AKL!). Our third workmate slept in until 11am, we had been out for a work Xmas function till about 3am the previous night, she was most embarrassed. Anyway we headed back to the airport about 1615 for our flight home.
CHC/AKL QF 4150 1715/1835
At check n got seats in row 10, both of us buying some food before boarding, as usual CZS was there to meet us (the plane does a trip back to AKL, then down to WLG, back to AKL then back to CHC before the 4150 service back to AKL). Again a good view home, and the usual lunch box, with the standard 3 breadsticks, 2 cookies and 1 water, wonder if they will ever change it, its been the same for at least 12 months! The flight itself was about 50% full at best, so we had a spare seat between us. Arrived home pretty much on time with another 2000 QF points to add to the total.
Then over Christmas
AKL/WLG QF 4005 0710/0810
This was an interesting one, I had booked with QF for the main reason that at the time the flight was scheduled for an 0810 departure, just as well I check these things as no one from QF ever called me to tell me it had been rescheduled and had a change of flight number. The flight was operated by ZK-JNF, the best of the QF NZ domestic fleet (or JetConnect if you want to be picky) because it has the international style Y class seats. I was given 10A, the seat behind the emergency exit, not that I need worry, the plane was next to empty. I had to wonder if there was going to be a few angry people turning up for an 0810 flight..... No one else in the row I was in, or the two in front or behind me! I've travelled ever Xmas day for the last 6 years on the AKL/WLG route, all with NZ up to now and they have always been 100% full flights so I was very surprised.
The captain announced in AKL that we should expect some 'serve turbulence' on arrival into WLG, to bad if you were a nervous flyer, you had a whole hour to sweat it out! For the low number of pax we still left the gate late and were off in a nice AKL sky about 0725. Breakfast was again the under cooked bacon and something that I think was egg but wasn't the right colour, the in-flight audio channels were on and off for some reason. Anyway the flight down was uneventful, until about 10 mins out from WLG, northerly gale and rain, it was quite a ride and he really earned his money on that landing. One of the worst I've had in a while I would have to say.
WLG/AKL QF 4150 1700/1800
Again when I booked I had been scheduled for a 1515 departure, so just as well I check these things, it would seem some of the people at the gate had not been told, they were not happy campers either, QF wont be getting their business again soon. Check in was, as usual for QF at WLG, a zoo. NZ cover the desks so your lucky if there are two open (including 1 for J class). I queued for 15 mins, which I think is pretty poor for a domestic flight and check in itself took 30 seconds, if that. I don't understand why it takes some people 10 mins to check in, pretty simple concept, name ID and destination, but there are always some people on every flight who want to re-book their entire mutli-segment trip at check in I guess.
ZK-JNE was operating this flight and I was given 4A, I was expecting the same interior as JNF but no, it was the same as the CZ aircraft and showing its age on the inside big time. We took off to the south on a lovely WLG day, and the trip home was uneventful, you can guess what came in the snack box and interestingly no headsets were given out, or the video screens used on this flight, broken perhaps? Arrival into AKL was again rough, for no apparent reason, and then on claiming my bag it had a large number of deep marks across it, who knows what they do to cause that level of damage. Annoying when it cost me $400, but the reason I paid that much for it was because it gets a lot of that sort of treatment from baggage handlers.
I'm off again to CHC this Thursday for the day, heres hoping JNF is operating those flights!
My wishlist for domestic flights (and flights in general)
No baggage check in desks (AKL does it, CHC and WLG don't, it's bloody annoying if you turn up behind a large Asian tour group with bags to heavy for them to even roll, ah la CHC)
If you going to board by rows, why not actually inforce it, or get rid of it.
Don’t let people re-book their entire round the world trip at the check in desk.
Let people know if you change their flights and departure times.
Don’t blame late departures on 'The late arrival of the aircraft', we've all been sitting right in front of the thing as you've been working on it.
Cheers
Jetkid http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif