Qantas has been called out for having dirty planes, poor quality lounges and food.
The complaints come as the reputations of the once-proud national carrier and its low-cost airline Jetstar are at an all-time low.
Customers’ plans were constantly interrupted by Qantas and Jetstar cancellations, flight delays, lost and damaged baggage, refund nightmares, and some were even stranded at airports.
On Reddit, a passenger posted a picture of food crumbs and dirt under his seat on an 8.30am flight from Sydney to Melbourne.
On reddit, a Qantas passenger posted a picture of food crumbs and dirt under his seat on the plane
“Qantas cleanliness has really fallen off the cliff. Or has it always been like this? the poster said in a note with the photo in the Sydney sub-Reddit.
“Yeah, I don’t remember not seeing that,” replied one woman.
Reddit’s post about cleanliness on planes sparked heated debate, with flyers generally agreeing that Qantas planes are messier than they once were – although others said people were expecting too much on a equally popular route.
“The cleanliness has decreased! replied a woman.
“Before, I only traveled with Qantas and quite regularly. But on my last flight, I found a half-eaten sandwich and muffin on the seat.
“And the seats were all sticky. Luckily I had antibacterial wipes, but for the next few hours my friend and I felt uncomfortable sitting in those seats.
Several cleaners pitched in, saying cost cutting and fast turnaround times on flights mean they don’t have enough time to do a deep cabin cleaning.
“I briefly worked at an Australian airport cleaning planes and we had very little time to clean them before the next departure,” he said.
“The tray tables weren’t sanitized (or anything else in the cabin for that matter), but that was just before Covid. We only vacuumed the floor and picked up the trash.
Standards of cleanliness and food quality in Qantas business lounges, mainly used by frequent travellers, have been the subject of sustained criticism
“It was disgusting, and I even looked funny when I asked to use disposable gloves to pick up trash, including snotty tissues, plastic water bottles, food, etc.”
Many responses defended Qantas and the airline’s cleaners.
“It can only be dirty passengers making such a mess,” said one man.
Another wrote: ‘If people knew how to feed themselves without dropping half their food on the floor it wouldn’t be like this now would it?
After recent criticism of ‘dirty and overpriced’ Qantas lounges, the Perth project manager who pays up to $1,200 for a business class ticket has sent Daily Mail Australia pictures of stained chairs in the Qantas lounge from Brisbane airport
“I used to treat all domestic flights as if I were taking the bus or the train. Set low expectations and you won’t be disappointed, said one commentator.
“As long as everyone is courteous and polite, I’ll sit down, be quiet, and be down in about an hour.”
Others were more direct.
One said: ‘I think you made it. Domestic flights are only buses.
‘It’s not even that bad. Do you expect a level of clean quarantine in every nook and cranny by underpaid airline staff after every flight? »
“I love how Qantas regulars feel they are getting an exclusive limo service. Especially the Sydney-Melbourne route. It’s a fucking bus. Pick yourself up.
The condition of the planes wasn’t the only thing passengers complained about.
The new complaints come as the reputations of the once-proud flag carrier and its low-cost airline Jetstar are at rock bottom following outrage from passengers and staff over its many problems.
Photos from the Qantas Lounge showed fabric-covered chairs with visible stains, a table that had not been wiped down and an air vent covered in a thick layer of dust.
“Of the eight vacant seats in the lounge, I think six are what I would call dirty,” project manager and platinum frequent flyer Ken Holden told Daily Mail Australia.
“I wouldn’t let my dog sleep on these seats.
‘It’s not up to standard. You would at least expect a seat in a business lounge to be clean and presentable.
“Don’t they pay Alan Joyce a lot of money to keep the place tidy?” he joked.
Mr Holden said it was not unique and he regularly finds Qantas lounges dirty.
“If a Japanese businessman showed up at shows like this, he would be appalled.”
“My flights can cost $1,200 from Perth to Townsville, which is extortionate. The least they could do is give us a clean lounge to sit in.
Qantas defended itself in a statement to Daily Mail Australia saying many frequent flyers who used its lounges were satisfied.
The airline also said all of its planes are cleaned between flights and at the end of each day.
Previously, frequent travelers went wild on online review websites to decry the failing standards of food, cleanliness and service inside exclusive lounges.
On productreview.com.au, Qantas lounges scored an average of 1.3 stars out of 77 reviews, with many noting that the airline had deteriorated from previous good standards.
‘Why can’t I give 0 stars?’ a member complained.
A TikTok video showed the buffet selection in the Qantas International Business Lounge
Passengers have savagely criticized Qantas in reviews of the airline’s premium lounges, calling them ‘dirty and overpriced’, ’embarrassing’ for Australia and ‘one of the biggest rip-offs ever’.
‘Dirty as always’, wrote a Sydney man after being confronted with litter on seats and ‘sticky tables and dirty carpet’ inside the lounge.
“You’d think Qantas would at least provide a clean Qantas club, given that’s their main attraction at any airport.”
A consistent complaint was the poor image of lounges on Australia’s main airline.
‘If this is really the Australian premium carrier then I’m embarrassed,’ wrote one man after being given a choice of ‘green leaf salad and boiled potatoes, watered down pumpkin soup or toast homemade ham and cheese” in Brisbane.
“I have watched the gradual decline of the Q club for several years.”
A customer said of the Qantas lounge in Sydney that the buffet area was “messy and uncomfortable”. Nothing has been filled in and no one seems to be cleaning up” (Photo, a photo from a review on airlinequality.com)
Perth businessman Ken Holden claimed the level of cleanliness in the Qantas Business lounge in Brisbane was ‘a disgrace’
Qantas has already responded to customer complaints saying many passengers are happy with its food and their experiences in their business lounges.
Farmers joined the Qantas heap on Thursday, accusing the airline of being “un-Australian” for not selling Australian produce on flights.
NSW Farmers CEO Pete Arkle said Qantas passengers were being offered cheese and crackers from New Zealand, which he said was “not in the spirit of Australia”.
Daily Mail Australia approached Qantas for comment on Thursday.
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