Qantas Airlines Australia - The Flying Kangaroo

Qantas Airlines Australia is also known as the Flying Kangaroo.

It is the country's major international and domestic carrier and flies to all continents.

Its flight to London is called the Kangaroo Route.

The white and red logo on the tail of each aircraft tells the Australian story, that of a unique environment and an unmatched destination, remote, but well connected to the world.

Reputation

Qantas Australia is one of the carriers that makes it frequently to the top 10 list of the annual SkyTrax awards, which rank airlines across the world.

In 2009 it was the sixth world best airline and in 2010 it was ranked as the seventh. Not easy to compete with the likes of Asiana, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines or other Asian carriers that are so good at keeping you nice and cosy while travelling.

But in 2011 a decision to solve a dispute with its unions inflicted a major threat to its reputation. Qantas decided to ground its whole fleet which created a huge stir amid passengers trapped in airports around the world. The reason stated - unsuccessful negotiations with various unions that lasted for quite a long time. During this period the airline was confronted with a number of delays or cancellations to its flights.

Qantas said they needed to terminate the conflict quickly so that travellers' plans are not disrupted any more.

How? By cancelling all flights for 2 days.

The result for passengers?

• Those who were on the point of boarding a plane were told to wait in the airport;
• those who were in mid flight, and had to transfer to another flight, landed at the connecting airport and were offered vouchers for accommodation and meals.

This was just the immediate outcome for those caught in this bungle on the day the announcement was made. There were knock-on effects for all their travel plans and damage for other passengers that had booked their tickets for the following several days.

So was the decision taken by Qantas a successful one for their business? Future will tell.

But for the customers involved the decision was extreme. Internal disputes are none of their business. The only thing travellers want to know about is reaching their destination safely and in time. This means Qantas has a lot of work to do to keep their customers loyal.

Qantas Airlines Australia - Loyalty Program

The Qantas airline is a member of the oneworld alliance. So, if you join the Qantas frequent flyer program you can earn miles on several other airlines.

For anyone planning to move to, or travel to Australia frequently, becoming a member of the Qantas loyalty program, while still overseas, is free. However once you are an Australian or New Zealand resident you have to pay a one off joining fee when you apply.

World's Largest Plane

As most overseas flights are long haul trips, the Qantas airline has included the double-deck A 380 in its fleet. So fly with them to experience a journey on-board the world's largest plane.

Interested in history? Check here to see how Qantas Australia started its journey.

Continue reading here: Canberra Population

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