Internal documents appear to show Qantas is facing a brand and trust crisis. 

Documents allegedly obtained by The Australian Financial Review show a significant decline in brand trust, pride, “love”, value, and transparency for the Australian airline.

The documents indicate that consumer trust in Qantas dropped from 70 per cent in August to just 49 per cent, while Virgin's trust rating rose from 53 per cent to 59 per cent. 

Qantas' reputation has suffered due to higher fares and a decline in on-time services, prompting customer dissatisfaction.

Major investors, including the Future Fund, plan to vote against Qantas' remuneration report and the re-election of marketing executive Todd Sampson to the board. 

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce recently resigned amid allegations of misleading customers, and his successor, Vanessa Hudson, aims to rebuild the airline's image.

The documents suggest Qantas faces a challenge in regaining customer confidence and competing with Virgin. 

The airline must address customer service issues and update its ageing fleet, which will impact financial performance. 

The internal data shows that only 43 per cent of consumers expressed pride in Qantas, compared to 59 per cent for Virgin. Transparency ratings for Qantas have dropped to 39 per cent, compared to 46 per cent for Virgin.

Qantas says that efforts are underway to regain customer trust. The airline claims that internal measures have improved since mid-October and that it now leads Virgin in pride and value scores. Nevertheless, the documents reveal the magnitude of the task facing Qantas in restoring its brand and reputation.

As Qantas' reputation wanes, analysts point out that airlines, including Qantas, lack a significant competitive advantage, and customer loyalty remains relatively low. 

Customer concerns revolve around factors such as flight punctuality, baggage handling, and ticket prices, rather than the identity of the airline's CEO.