Appalling service and care from Qantas

[mikem42]

Absolutely horrible experience and total lack of service from Qantas staff, agents, and customer care.

My wife, 1 year old son, and I were travelling from Sydney to New York on the 22nd of April on QF11 (with short transfer in LA).

We booked business class reward seats with our hard earned points a good 9 months before the flight, so we could comfortably travel with our one year old.

We were told towards the end of the Syd to LA leg that our transfer to NYC was cancelled and that we had been re-booked on an American Airlines flight.

Upon arrival to LA, Qantas staff directed us to the AA terminal to get our new boarding passes. Once at AA terminal, agent notified us that we had been downgraded to Economy (no mention of this from Qantas flight attendant on plane), and to add insult to injury, told us that we had to return to the International terminal to get an FIM document so she could print our boarding passes!!

We returned to International terminal to get an FIM from a Qantas agent, returned to AA only to be told that they still couldn't give us our new boarding passes because the Qantas agent made a mistake on the FIM document!!!

Once agin returned to Qantas agent who finally got it right. No empathy or support from any Qantas or AA agents, considering our situation with a crying and tired 1 year old, and business class customers.

We proceeded to give Qantas customer care feedback/complaint in regards to the situation asking to be compensated for our loss (LA to NYC business class flight). They have given us no compensation, and their response was to "let management know so that they could better help others in the future"???

Extremely disappointed and complete lack of care and service from Qantas.

Does anyone give us any advice in regards to getting compensation from Qantas?

Mike

 

[defurax]

Absolutely horrible experience and total lack of service from Qantas staff, agents, and customer care. My wife, 1 year old son, and I were travelling from Sydney to New York on the 22nd of April on QF11 (with short transfer in LA). We booked business class reward seats with our hard earned points a good 9 months before the flight, so we could comfortably travel with our one year old. We were told towards the end of the Syd to LA leg that our transfer to NYC was cancelled and that we had been re-booked on an American Airlines flight. Upon arrival to LA, Qantas staff directed us to the AA terminal to get our new boarding passes. Once at AA terminal, agent notified us that we had been downgraded to Economy (no mention of this from Qantas flight attendant on plane), and to add insult to injury, told us that we had to return to the International terminal to get an FIM document so she could print our boarding passes!! We returned to International terminal to get an FIM from a Qantas agent, returned to AA only to be told that they still couldn't give us our new boarding passes because the Qantas agent made a mistake on the FIM document!!! Once agin returned to Qantas agent who finally got it right. No empathy or support from any Qantas or AA agents, considering our situation with a crying and tired 1 year old, and business class customers. We proceeded to give Qantas customer care feedback/complaint in regards to the situation asking to be compensated for our loss (LA to NYC business class flight). They have given us no compensation, and their response was to "let management know so that they could better help others in the future"??? Extremely disappointed and complete lack of care and service from Qantas.

Does anyone give us any advice in regards to getting compensation from Qantas?

Mike

I find this very troubling. Never have I been made to get a FIM to continue my travel during IRROPS. In my understanding you were a QF PAX ticketed on QF only flights, so you shouldn't have had to interact directly with AA. QF shoud have rebooked you on another flight or provided accommodation and meals if you don't accept the alternative flight in Y until they rebook you on QF11 in J.

 

[jb747]

......no mention of this from Qantas flight attendant on plane

They would not have known.

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF mikem42, a pity about the circumstances. I've never used it, but there are frequent messages here that contacting Qantas via Twitter or Facebook usually gets their attention. Hopefully others will give more precise.

Be concise, non-emotive, make no threats ('take my business elsewhere') and state your case clearly - As I understand it: that you were downgraded from J on Qantas to Y on AA LAX-JFK, without being given a choice; that you had to go back-and-forth re the FIM under difficult circumstances (young family) and you want to be compensated for the downgrade and inconvenience. State what you want - others may have a better suggestion, but maybe 30,000 QFF points each for two of you (three if 1 YO on separate ticket).

But most importantly - be persistent. Qantas, like most airlines unfortunately attempts to brush off cases like yours, hoping they will go away. Take careful notes of all your interactions and ask for it to be escalated if needs be. Do not let Qantas say something like 'oh, it was an AA issue - talk to them.

Come back here and tell us the progress.

 

[Austman]

QF shoud have rebooked you on another flight or provided accommodation and meals if you don't accept the alternative flight in Y until they rebook you on QF11 in J.

In my experience, unless you ask, you don't always know what all your alternatives are. In other words, you are not always offered them. I've had to ask a few times now and have at times selected another alternative.

 

[blu]

... don't accept the alternative flight in Y until they rebook you on QF11 in J.

and I think it may be difficult normally to get a business class award on domestic AA?

 

[defurax]

Others would know more, but I think it may be difficult normally to get a business class award on domestic AA.

IME during IRROPS it should be irrelevant if the booking is in a revenue bucket or award bucket. This is not an upgrade with points. QF codeshare on almost every AA flights and also fly their own metal to JFK, so I think in this case it would have been easy for QF to rebook the OP in J.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wouldn't be expecting compensation at the airport - this is something that will need to be sorted out by the reservations/frequent flyer department. I suspect you'll be offered a refund anywhere from 14000-22500 points, depending on how QF calculates the price of the journey on a mixed business/economy itinerary. (The lower level is based on adding the price of the sectors J/Y together, the higher offer is based on the difference in points between J and Y for the LAX-JFK sector only.)

If you have a return journey on Qantas as part of the same booking you should contact QF as soon as you can to ensure the return booking is still in the system. Sometimes in these circumstances your booking gets mucked up and it doesn't show that you flew the LAX-JFK sector. This then cancels all remaining sectors on the ticket. Easily sorted out, but needs to be done soon.

 

[RichardMEL]

It is entirely possible that AA had no seat to give you (and others impacted by this cancel) at that point... so downgrading to Y at least gets you there sooner rather than later - as uncomfortable as it is.

The FIM issue is weird. Usually QF and AA have things very well organised at LAX with the oneworld connection team.

I wonder if the whole drawdown of the QF/AA relationship pending new application for JV could have had any impact requiring the FIM issue and so on.

Either way obviously very disappointing. Unfortunately these things can happen when large planes get cancelled.

 

[Isochronous]

Registered post letter to Mr. Joyce should do the trick.

 

[JohnK]

Not a pleasant situation to find yourself in after a long flight with a 1 year old in tow.

Qantas is not known to be generous with compensation. They'll say the cheap LAX-JFK business class flight is worth $1000 and the alternate last minute one way economy flight is worth $700 and you might get $300 compensation if you are lucky.

Don't give up. Keep fighting.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They'll say the cheap LAX-JFK business class flight is worth $1000 and the alternate last minute one way economy flight is worth $700 and you might get $300 compensation if you are lucky.

Don't give up. Keep fighting.

These were award seats - actually a little easier to calculate the refund, just depends which method they choose to use.

Had this been a paid ticket there would likely have been little or no refund given the LAX-JFK sector and the way QF calculates it all out.

I think it's perhaps unrealistic to have expected this to be solved same day.

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>I think it's perhaps unrealistic to have expected this to be solved same day.

Because its Qantas, or in general? The last time I had something go astray (business seat known to be not working properly on LATAM, a couple of months ago) I got a US$300 voucher there and then, at check-in.

Its entirely do-able when the issue is known in advance, such as the situation here ... I think its more a case of whether the airline actually wants to do anything and we know from the very many stories here on AFF, Qantas, in general, aren't inclined to do anything in the way of compensation for IRROPS unless really pushed.

 

[Himeno]

Sydney to New York on the 22nd of April on QF11 (with short transfer in LA).

The same thread has been posted in the Qantas forum on FlyerTalk, where it has been pointed out that QF11 22APR is currently still on route to LAX.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Because its Qantas, or in general? The last time I had something go astray (business seat known to be not working properly on LATAM, a couple of months ago) I got a US$300 voucher there and then, at check-in.

Its entirely do-able when the issue is known in advance, such as the situation here ... I think its more a case of whether the airline actually wants to do anything and we know from the very many stories here on AFF, Qantas, in general, aren't inclined to do anything in the way of compensation for IRROPS unless really pushed.

Airlines vary - CX also provides instant compensation for aircraft (class) downgrades at check-in if it happens same day.

But otherwise things like EU261 isn't instant in terms of € compensation. With the complexities of ticketing, use of agents (or not), I wouldn't expect the compensation for IRROPS to be calculated on the spot. If you have a full plane of pax needing to be reaccommodated the last thing i would want is the agent to spend 15-30 minutes on each passenger trying to work out the instant refund. I rather they get on with rebooking everyone.

There could be a nominal cash compensation - but how much? $100 per pax? And where does the airline come up with that sort of cash? And where do they pay it? On arrival? At the AA connecting gate?

 

[RooFlyer]

Airlines vary - CX also provides instant compensation for aircraft (class) downgrades at check-in if it happens same day.

But otherwise things like EU261 isn't instant in terms of € compensation. With the complexities of ticketing, use of agents (or not), I wouldn't expect the compensation for IRROPS to be calculated on the spot. If you have a full plane of pax needing to be reaccommodated the last thing i would want is the agent to spend 15-30 minutes on each passenger trying to work out the instant refund. I rather they get on with rebooking everyone.

There could be a nominal cash compensation - but how much? $100 per pax? And where does the airline come up with that sort of cash? And where do they pay it? On arrival? At the AA connecting gate?

Sure, its a complex industry and complete, instant solutions where everyone is happy will be rare. But airlines could (and should IMHO) have some standard compensation levels for certain common and predictable circumstances; OR they could empower check-in agents to make offers. Cancelled flights, being bumped involuntarily, bags not making the flight and being downgraded in cabin class are the obvious ones.

I would expect any such on-the-spot offer to be pretty measly, and the line would be "This has happened <experience will be less/delayed etc.>; we are very sorry, but your flight arrangements have been made <etc etc> and in compensation, we are offering you a A$ voucher/QFF points. If you wish to accept, sign here, but if not, you will still be flying on the flight we have arranged and you will need to contact XYZ for compensation"

I expect most would accept the compo there-and-then and be mollified that the airline has made some attempt to make good.

 

[defurax]

The same thread has been posted in the Qantas forum on FlyerTalk, where it has been pointed out that QF11 22APR is currently still on route to LAX.

QF11 LAX-JFK was cancelled on 22 March...so a typo I guess

 

[drron]

A problem that may arise is that if you book a QFF J award and connect to an AA flight that award gets you into the main cabin only.However now that AA has called their premium cabin a J bucket even though calling it first does that still apply?
It will probably be the line that QF use to refuse compensation.
I would still ask for it though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Sure, its a complex industry and complete, instant solutions where everyone is happy will be rare. But airlines could (and should IMHO) have some standard compensation levels for certain common and predictable circumstances; OR they could empower check-in agents to make offers. Cancelled flights, being bumped involuntarily, bags not making the flight and being downgraded in cabin class are the obvious ones.

I would expect any such on-the-spot offer to be pretty measly, and the line would be "This has happened <experience will be less/delayed etc.>; we are very sorry, but your flight arrangements have been made <etc etc> and in compensation, we are offering you a A$ voucher/QFF points. If you wish to accept, sign here, but if not, you will still be flying on the flight we have arranged and you will need to contact XYZ for compensation"

I expect most would accept the compo there-and-then and be mollified that the airline has made some attempt to make good.

Bags not arriving I agree. And from what I understand QF gives you nothing until at least 24 hours. Other airlines give you $$ instantly (or at least authorise the expenditure of a set amount for essentials).

Asking people to sign on the spot I don't instinctively like. The airline will likely be offering something in its favour, and to the detriment of the passenger. QF thinks it's fair to offer $700 compensation for a downgrade LAX-SYD on a business class ticket priced at $7500 (and for which they re-sold the seat to someone else much higher than that). Do we want check-in counters clogged with agents making offers, or empowered to negotiate?

I get the point. And it works well with things like baggage, or things like F->J downgrades intra-asia short-haul because of equipment swaps.

 

[oz_mark]

Something has definitely gone wrong. QF and AA normally have this all sorted electronically.