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Qantas has officially launched its ‘Next Generation Check-in’ technology and unveiled new service enhancements across its domestic business and economy class cabins.
“Next Generation Check-in has now opened in Sydney and Perth and is already dramatically reducing domestic check-in times for customers, allowing them to move through the check-in area with increased speed and ease,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
“In addition to Next Generation Check-in, Qantas has made changes across the entire domestic experience with the most significant changes to the business class offering, both inflight and on the ground.”
Changes to domestic business class are aimed at more closely aligning it to Qantas’s international business class offering, and are no doubt a pre-emptive strike against Virgin Blue’s plans to launch a domestic business class next year.
Upgrades to the Qantas domestic business inflight product include a dedicated business class customer service manager, Neil Perry designed menus with matching wines selected by the Qantas Wine Panel, an entree course on transcontinental and trans Tasman flights, silver service, and “appropriate” time of day offerings such as antipasto in the afternoon.
Economy class upgrades include a Neil Perry “influenced” seasonal menu with matching wines, new “premium” breakfasts, new hot dinners, “enhanced” refreshments and seasonal fruit, and “enhanced recognition” for frequent flyers by the cabin services manager.
Qantas’s domestic lounges are also being upgraded, with changes in the Business and Qantas Club lounges including Neil Perry designed menus and Apple Mac computers. The Business Lounges will feature new furnishings and an “island dining” offering, the Qantas Club Italian style wood fired pizzas.
“Qantas customers can now check-in via their mobile phone, pre-select seats, check-in and pass through premium security lanes, enjoy more food and wine and be treated to enhanced levels of service both inflight and in the lounges,” Joyce said.
