Australia’s consumer watchdog publication, CHOICE, has named national
carrier Qantas as one of the recipients of its annual Shonky Award.
“If there were ever a company that appeared deliberately to be going
out of its way to win a Shonky Award, it's Qantas,” CHOICE said in a
message to its members.
“The so-called Spirit of Australia, which has been a part of the
national fabric for more than 100 years, has been a disappointment to
customers since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020,” CHOICE noted.
CHOICE money and travel expert Jodi Bird added, "Qantas has always
sold itself as the premium Australian domestic airline, and Australians
have been very proud of Qantas as a premium airline, but what we've seen
recently is Qantas taken down to the level of a budget airline."
Delayed flights, tales of lost baggage and chaos at airports, and
customer difficulties in using credits accumulated from travel
cancellations during Covid lockdowns and restrictions, have all
contributed to the disappointing performance of Australia's formerly
favourite airline, CHOICE said.
“Add to that call waiting times stretching to up 50 minutes when you
actually try to contact them, and it's no wonder that Qantas was the
most complained-about company to CHOICE by readers and members in 2022.”
For the record, this year's crop of Shonky winners includes a
self-cooking pot that doesn't actually cook, and a credit product
slugging distraught pet owners with high charges.