Qantas asks passengers surprising question
Qantas has asked passengers a surprising question, floating the idea of introducing a “pay as you use” pricing scheme that would charge passengers separated for add-ons like checked bags, food and in-flight entertainment.
News.com.au reports Qantas put the idea to frequent flyers in a survey.
Similar “pay as you use” pricing structures are already in places with international airlines like British Airways, Air New Zealand, Delta, United and American Airlines.
Under the scheme, passengers would only be entitled to an economy seat when they book their flights, and would have to pay extra for add-ons like checked luggage, food, drink, in-flight entertainment and specific seat selection.
News.com.au reports members were asked whether they thought the new scheme should be introduced on Qantas flights between Australian and New Zealand.
“By ‘pay as you use’ we mean the ability to purchase a base fare, then add on items such as baggage, food and beverage, in-flight entertainment (and) seat choice for an additional cost — only as you require them,” the survey said.
This would represent quite a departure for the Flying Kangaroo, which has offered an all-inclusive, full-service experience to customers.
Qantas was quite to note however that it was merely putting the question to members, and didn’t necessarily intend to implement changes to its pricing model.
“We often ask questions to get a sense of what the market thinks but that doesn’t mean we intend to do something,” a spokesman for the airline said.
“Specifically on this question, we have no intention on unbundling our fares. “Given we’re in the middle of rolling out free Wi-Fi, we are clearly committed to being a full service airline.”
What are your thoughts? Would a new pricing structure make you less likely to book a flight with Qantas?