lokijuh

Horses for courses perhaps? It's disgusting that both QF and VA allow non-elites to check luggage for free. That's terrible, they should be charging the plebs, and allowing only elite customers to check in luggage free of charge. They also screw over people paying higher fares, I mean why should a platinum on cheap red e-deal get free seat selection in advance of check-in? The low fare paying passengers should only be allowed to choose seats once check in opens, irrespective of status. And not to mention the terrible practice of providing hot food to economy passengers on short flights at meal times. Terrible, and should have been phased out years ago, restricting the food offering to cold food, that the passenger needs to pay for, and only on flights over 2.5-3hrs.

I am being sarcastic() , but it seems competition (or lack of it) manifests itself in different ways in different markets. Just because QF is taking a hardline on carry on (which some customers have suggested is a good thing) , doesn't necessarily mean they are taking their passengers for granted (although there are many other things they do as well that might suggest that). Perhaps the Australian market, doesn't get so up in arms about carry on luggage, when most travel is point to point (minimising chance of lost luggage) and checked baggage is free. On the other side of the Pacific, DL/UA/AA seem to be more or less interchangeable in terms of customer experience, and have moved lock step with each other in recent years, all introducing the same sorts of "enhancements" (good and bad) within a year or two of each other.