Here’s a question for anyone thinking of switching to Qantas or staying with them.

What’s wrong with this press release?

For a start it doesn’t sit well with anyone who has checked in on line and printed their own boarding pass for a domestic flight, only to confront a farcical queue to get to the ‘dedicated’ baggage drop check so slowly that it is easier to join the digitally impaired and check in the ‘old fashioned way’.

Neither Qantas nor its competitors do themselves any favours at all in pushing home or office check-ins that are incorrectly claimed to save time. And don’t preach to us about how it is easy using the lounge. That involves giving discretionary loyalty to one brand more than other in advance. No way.

If Qantas can’t manage domestic pre-printed boarding passes efficiently why should we expect anything better flying with it on international services?

Another issue is with Qantas thinking that limiting seat selection to the three top tiers of the frequent flyer membership is attractive to anyone contemplating switching allegiances. It is a huge barrier. What a truly stupid idea. ‘Hello, glad you chose Qantas. No you can’t choose your seat. What do you mean Good Bye?’

It is true airlines take seat requests from very frequent flyers seriously upon booking, and that when you go to select your seat on Singapore Airlines some will have been already taken by their top tier flyers. Well, not lately it seems, but that’s another matter. The point is that anyone paying a higher yielding fare in most cabins on major Qantas competitors gets to choose or change their seat one to two days before departure if they check in online. They don’t need to be a vanadium, titanium or aluminium frequent flyer, they just need to have paid for the seat.

And thirdly, there is no reference to being accompanied on board by a band, or even a jazz player if you have booked business or first class at full as in non-distressed inventory rates currently on offer. Let’s face it, real, full rate business and first class passengers aren’t that common any more. A bit of theatre is called for. No!