Domestic airlines focus on comfort and service
IT’S not just international airlines that are working hard to improve customer experience, Australia’s domestic carriers are also planning upgrades next year that will make short-haul travel more agreeable.
Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia will focus on improving everything from airport lounges to economy seats for domestic travellers next year.
“We have provided a much improved customer experience in the past 12 months and the next 12 months will see even bigger change,’’ Jetstar Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said.
“We have redesigned the catering model and the improvements that will continue to come through catering are significant, and this is an important piece of the puzzle for our travellers because some of them are travelling long distances and the food must be a high standard.’’
The big changes at Qantas will be the introduction of Boeing 717 on routes from Hobart to Melbourne and Sydney by mid-2014, and the renovation of A330 businessclass cabins to feature fullyflat beds and direct aisle access from every seat.
The 20 A330s in the Flying Kangaroo’s domestic stable – which will travel east-west routes – will also get improved economy seats and Q-Streaming technology so passengers can access a vast library of entertainment on iPads and the like.
“Customers in all parts of the aircraft will notice a significant improvement in
comfort when our refreshed A330s start to roll out from the end of 2014,’’ Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.
“Qantas invented business class and these new business suites reflect what we know our customers want – whether they are flying for work or leisure, (and) we’ve created a product that has enough space to dine while working or to rest and leave the seat in a recline position from take-off to landing.’’
Virgin Australia will also strive to enhance their guest experience in the air and on the ground, with the airline’s innovative wireless in-flight entertainment set to feature on all Boeing 737s and Embraer 190s by the start of the year. It will also open new lounges in Darwin and Perth by the end of next year.
The airline is ready to take delivery of two new A330s, which means Virgin Australia will fly the aircraft on all routes between Perth and east-coast destinations to offer an international-grade product on the longest domestic services in Australia.
There will be other additions to Virgin Australia’s domestic armada, with more Boeing 737-800s and ATR 72-600s arriving in 2014. These state-of-the-art aircraft are set to bring the average age of the company’s planes down to 4.2 years, making it one of the region’s youngest fleets.