Aviation writer SCOTT MAYMAN wonders, despite all the turmoil at Qantas, if things will really change.

WE’VE heard the complaints and the sledging against former Qantas boss Alan Joyce, but will anything really get done?

Certainly, the airline was publicly bullied into changing its policy on covid credits and, of course,  there’s the negative sentiment that goes with Mr Joyce, the man behind the illegal sackings of 2000 workers.

The so-called “ghost” flights that have attracted the attention of the ACCC and other arguably harmful policy changes that impacted passengers, have lowered the trust level of the carrier to where it ranks as the airline we all loved and remember.

New CEO Vanessa Hudson has a lot of work to do to recover the trust of Australia, for Qantas to regain the “Spirit of Australia”. I fear that spirit is lost.

In Canberra, we’ve witnessed issues with questionable flight cancellations that are currently under review.

I’m sure the fix is in front of the Ms Hudson and the board, and we wish her the best.

But the fix is the removal of the policies implemented by Mr Joyce that have impacted passengers and damaged the airline’s reputation.

Right now,  it’s a free kick to Virgin, which follows those “good old days” of air travel with a fresh approach that captures the attention of passengers.

As a former airline employee, I used to deal with passengers every day and I know what’s required when it comes to air travel. Qantas stopped providing this years ago.

The first step:  Remove the decision making from corporate and return it to the field (well, the airport check in counter).  After all, that’s where it counts. Check-in agents are the first ambassadors for Qantas,  but they’re no longer permitted to act on behalf of passengers.

If only Qantas would trust their staff to go ahead and make booking judgements at the airport. It would resolve issues on the spot.

Hopefully,  it’s something Qantas will accept and change for the better… it’s called “customer service”.