Terry Butts has a go at Qantas and Virgin Blue
Who is Terry Butts? Read on
Terry Butts is a journalist who writes for the Townsville Bulletin and has a great “his view on the world” sort of article on Mondays called Butts on Monday.
This morning, he decided, amongst other thigns to say something about Qantas amd Virgin Blue that many of the travelling public and the industry might agree with.
Read on and then click on COMMENT and let us have your views.
If you have been one of the millions that have been literally herded into the flying cattle trucks and whizzed across Australia over the past few weeks you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
Everything was there but the cattle prodders.
Forget the cranky kids and the couldn’t-care-less-attitude of many parents (not all mind you), the crowded arrival and departure halls, long wait for luggage and the cramped three-abreast seating.
It’s the in-service that would make old Reg Ansett squirm.
A cup of coffee on a Virgin flight is a cardboard cup of hot water (hopefully boiled), a sachet of instant and that tasteless additive they call UHT milk.
Enough to drive a man to drink – but the beer is at room temperature, they don’t carry soda and the wine, is well . . . yeah … it was a nice day for flying.
Quite honestly the difference between Qantas business class and the other airlines (it’s all one class – cattle) is vast and widening by the day.
It’s either up-front in a Ferrari or down the back in a Mack. Believe me.
And therein lies an interesting story.
You might have all the Qantas flyer points required for an upgrade, but if you are not a member of the exclusive or expensive Qantas Club don’t even bother.
That’s my experience after repeated requests for such (an upgrade using points) on a recent Perth trip.
The answer was a standard ‘no availability and little likelihood’.
Yet when a Club member made the same request it was met with: ‘Yes, sir. There are plenty of seats in business today’. Same flight, same day.
Interesting view – let The Mole have your comments!
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers