How can Qantas become Australia’s most trusted airline again?

Sydney,Australia - February 20, 2016: A QANTAS Boeing 737 taxies towards the terminal after landing at the city's airport. QANTAS is the flag carrier for Australia.

Virgin Australia knocked Qantas off its number one spot in Roy Morgan’s Trusted Brand Awards travel and tourism category earlier in the week after a turbulent post-pandemic performance by the national carrier.

The premium status of Qantas has taken a blow in the public eye amid an ACCC investigation, the illegal sacking of ground workers, a difficult to use COVID credits system and high airfares.

So how can the national carrier claw its way back into our good graces? Brand image expert and the managing director of strategic media and marketing agency Murmur, Dave Levett, gave us his two cents on Qantas’ image and why Virgin Australia needs to strike while the iron’s hot.

But first, what do we actually mean by ‘brand image’?

“‘Brand trust’ is a gauge to measure positive PR,” Levett told Travel Weekly.

“It’s not a quantifiable report on a brand’s trading or revenue performance, it’s really a measure of unaided awareness and positive unaided awareness in market.”

To say Qantas has gone through a bit of a PR storm would be an understatement. Travellers were more than vocal about the standards of service following the restart of travel last year and it wasn’t handled well.

Dave Levett from Murmur

Levett said that negative publicity from the former CEO Alan Joyce blaming customers for not being flight-ready-fit after travel restrictions were dropped got the carrier off to a rocky start.

“He used this as a blaming exercise rather than looking internally and taking accountability and that’s obviously hurt Qantas’ brands perception and brand trust in consumers eyes,” he said.

But Qantas has, particularly recently, recognised the need to earn the trust and preference of the public.

Levett highlighted a 72 hour sale by Qantas in response to Virgin’s recent sale and launched a review of its classic rewards programme, which was criticised recently for its lacklustre offerings.

“I’ve got no doubt that they will bounce back,” he said.

“They’re still one of Australia’s most valued brands.”

But many remain sceptical if the airline has actually changed. Is it for real this time or is Qantas the grovelling ex-partner of the travel industry ready to embark on a few PR moves to save face?

“[Travellers] will see [changes at Qantas] as genuine if it continues and if it’s ongoing, if it becomes part of their operating rhythm,” he said. “If it becomes a tactical measure that they deploy in and out of market, then people will see through it.”

Levett continued: “As long as the message for Qantas is that it is an ongoing performance piece that they are improving, that they can continually roll out, then there’s improvement to be made.”

So with Qantas on its tail, and rather than vice-versa as has traditionally been the case, what does Virgin need to do now that they’re on top?

“They need to strike,” Levett said.

Now Levett wasn’t referring to the strikes sought by Virgin ground workers who have cited poor pay and work conditions, rather “striking” while the iron’s hot.

“It’s a huge moment and they need to capitalise on the positive momentum that they’re driving in market and they need to turn that brand trust into sales, that is the key challenge for them. They’ve built up that unaided awareness, so they need to now become a brand of preference for people.”

One cheeky commenter on Travel Weekly’s LinkedIn page responded to the initial report that Virgin was “doing a Bradbury,” in reference to Steven Bradbury’s win at the 2002 ice skating Olympic event after his competitors got in an accident and he won from behind. When asked whether he agreed with this, Levett said no.

“You only get on to that report, if people are actually mentioning you. If it was a prompted task, then I would say that’s potentially a Bradbury, but no.”

Check out a round up of Roy Morgan’s Trusted Brand Awards here.

(Featured Image: A Qantas Boeing 737 taxies towards the terminal after landing at Sydney airport.)

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

qantas virgin australia