Qantas keeps telling itself that it has online figured out

Couple of announcements from and about Qantas renewed my thinking and ranting about their online plans:

• This week they announced that they will be launching web check-in. I love web check-in, it gives you thirty more minutes for domestic flights allowing you to get to the airport 20 minutes before departure. How Web 2.0 of Qantas. Another example of Qantas ahead of the game? Nope. This is 367 days after Virgin Blue launched theirs;
  
• World Airline Entertainment Association awarded Qantas the award for "Best Entertainment for Inseat Systems". Another piece of valuable recognition for Qantas' technology lead? Nope. This has to be an at best random, at worst corrupt, award as there are a string of leading carriers with Video on Demand, Audio on Demand and Nintendo 16bit games in economy that work. All of which kick the arse of Qantas' fixed movie roll that starts 1hour after take off, forcing you to watch not only the legal disclaimer DVT video but also a channel nine news update that is a day out of date. Even if Qantas' VOD system worked it would be second rate compared to Singapore, Cathay, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates. SMH travel blog is filled with a disbelieving public aghast at Qantas receiving this award; and
• Qantas Travel has closed six travel shops across Australia in response to the shift in business to online. Should mean they have their holiday business under control and shifted online? Nope - as per my earlier experience
  

I have been a top tier Qantas frequent flyer for five years in a row and will likely be for the next five - which should mean that I love them. Nope.