Are other airlines also as bad as Qantas?

[Flying mermaid]

OK need to have a rant . I tend to buy business class airfares for Miss FM and her partner - she is a bit fragile healthwise and I like to make sure she is comfortable.

In January I paid for business class airfares CBR- AKL. She ended up flying 3 of the 4 legs in Economy due to a range of operational problems. That was kind of OK, except Qantas did nothing for her in Sydney initially after the CBR- SYD leg was screwed up, caused huge amount of stress for her (and me), which is exactly what I am trying to avoid. She did eventually find a really nice lady at the sales desk in Sydney who sorted things out after some hours, which involved flying economy to Auckland, but at least got her there earlier than after midnight. All Qantas could offer to start was a 5pm flight instead of the initially booked 9am one!

Fast forward to today - she is leaving for Singapore on the 9th and some time ago I booked two J returns for them. They have now substituted the CBR-MEL leg with economy. Not a biggie - only an hour. Also the flight coming home is now a -200. I spent many hours researching best seats for a couple and had them in row 3 a and whatever the centre one is, so they were next to each. Now of course in a 200 they will be in different rows. Once again, yes they can substitute anything they like and yes it is not a biggie, as they will sleep.

However I just don't know why I bother paying for J for them when they seem to end up in Y half the time! Why do I bother selecting seats! Now that Singapore is flying out of Canberra that is what I will choose for them next time.

Which then got me thinking - I know Qantas isn't alone in doing this sort of thing. What are other airlines like though? Having flown Qantas pretty exclusively in the past, it has seemed to me over the past 5 or 6 years that my bookings and my family's booking are constantly stuffed up with equipment changes and flight changes.

I did phone and have a whine to Qantas and it takes a lot to make me pick up a phone. I actually don't care at all about compensation, although I feel if you pay for a business class airfare there should be something if they involuntarily downgrade you. But no nothing - all they did as a huge concession which took 1/2 hour of talking in the back ground with her supervisor, was agree to Business status credits for that flight.

So Qantas - the airline where you pay for business fares in order to fly economy

 

[TomVexille]

Well QF certainly aren't alone in that regard, but you and your family do seem to have had an inordinately poor run of this happening. Hope it gets better (on whatever airline you choose).

 

[Flying mermaid]

Well QF certainly aren't alone in that regard, but you and your family do seem to have had an inordinately poor run of this happening. Hope it gets better (on whatever airline you choose).

Thank-you - its the mermaid jinx at work again

 

[serfty]

Shame EU regulation does not apply - having to regurgitate up to 75% of the ticket price for a downgrade would keep QF on their toes ...

 

[Flying mermaid]

I know - there is nothing to make Qantas think twice. I assume because it is a Saturday, there weren't any other J passengers on that flight, so better to just substitute an all economy flight and not honour the J booking made many months ago. Not even an offer of points compensation! Not that I could care less about points, but it might have calmed me down a bit .

 

[medhead]

I hope you claimed original routing credit for all of the down graded flights.

 

[opusman]

I didn't know QF even had any planes with all-Y seating.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I hope you claimed original routing credit for all of the down graded flights.

Yes I have - thanks to this board I knew how to do that. I asked for that today for the latest one and the lady I spoke to said as a very special concession they would give business status credits for that flight - took 1/2 hour of talking to her supervisor to get that - go figure!

 

[Flying mermaid]

I didn't know QF even had any planes with all-Y seating.

The 717s used to be J and Y, but often these days they seem to fly all Y ones from Canberra. I have been on both versions. The dash 8s are all y as well. I suppose if you want to be pedantic they are Qantas Link not Qantas, but as a consumer they come under "Qantas".

 

[aussiel]

I did phone and have a whine to Qantas and it takes a lot to make me pick up a phone. I actually don't care at all about compensation, although I feel if you pay for a business class airfare there should be something if they involuntarily downgrade you. But no nothing - all they did as a huge concession which took 1/2 hour of talking in the back ground with her supervisor, was agree to Business status credits for that flight.

So Qantas - the airline where you pay for business fares in order to fly economy

You have got to be joking! I would be expecting original routing credits and a partial refund. Unfortunately, we know that Qantas's downgrade compensation is pathetic, but it still should be something?

 

[Flying mermaid]

You have got to be joking! I would be expecting original routing credits and a partial refund. Unfortunately, we know that Qantas's downgrade compensation is pathetic, but it still should be something?

I think refunds are only for international. To be fair (and I have to be even though I am seriously cranky), Qantas would probably argue that there is not much of a price difference whether you pick Y or J for the domestic connections, so no need for a refund.

Airlines just drive me bonkers - I can't think of anything else where they can radically change what you think you have purchased and just shrug and say tough bikkies its the industry standard

 

[love_the_life]

I agree, it really stinks. I would be so cranky - pay for J and get Y - that's just not good enough. And not only that, the SCs were only grudgingly given as a special concession - Cr*p!
When Singapore Airlines starts here in Sept we will certainly be looking very carefully at them.

 

[opusman]

The price difference between Y and J is significant, even for domestic, so it's outrageous if you really were denied compensation.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I agree, it really stinks. I would be so cranky - pay for J and get Y - that's just not good enough. And not only that, the SCs were only grudgingly given as a special concession - Cr*p!
When Singapore Airlines starts here in Sept we will certainly be looking very carefully at them.

Yup - have told Miss FM that she will be flying Singapore next time I book for her Be interesting to see....

 

[Flying mermaid]

The price difference between Y and J is significant, even for domestic, so it's outrageous if you really were denied compensation.

Canberra has so many economy only flights that to be honest there often isn't any difference in price whether you pick one that is J CBR-Mel or Y CBR-Mel. You pay the same fare, you just get the dreaded comment that the leg will be in Y. Obviously if you book it as a standalone fare there is a huge difference but not as part of an international fare.

So yes I was denied monetary compensation and that is fair, however given they have had my money for goodness knows how long and I went out of my way to pick the connecting flight that had J, I feel there should have been something to compensate me for the change. Particularly it appears to have been done just to save them money (i.e. not run a business class service when there are only two J passengers). However that is my interpretation and may not be true. It took me on hold for 1/2 hour before they conceded to give business status credits for the flight and I asked for other compensation and was told that was all they would do.

Busy planning a USA trip in F in November and I was already leaning towards Singapore Air for that, now definitely. Of course if the FM jinx operates across airlines, no doubt that will be a disaster as well. I am hoping it is only a Qantas one

 

[medhead]

The syd-akl was international however, in fact a whole cbr-akl in Y instead of J. No compo?

 

[Ogopogo]

You have got to be joking! I would be expecting original routing credits and a partial refund. Unfortunately, we know that Qantas's downgrade compensation is pathetic, but it still should be something?

I think you should be able to get a partial refund. I got $449 refunded last year when my SYD - CBR segment of a LHR - CBR flight was downgraded from J to Y. The difference may be because the flight change was made a month before the original outbound flight so I had time to negotiate with them.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Can you imagine if other industries pulled this stunt?

"Yes we have confirmed your new BMW M3 for delivery today, but since we sold it to another customer we have a Toyota Corolla waiting for you to pick up. Unfortunately due to our terms* there is no refund."

I would be wanting a refund of the different in fares at the time I'd made the original booking - PLUS compensation just to make it even. From there the biz would need to win my business back again.
Why the hell do you continue to give business to a company that has no regard for you?

 

[marki]

I agree, it really stinks. I would be so cranky - pay for J and get Y - that's just not good enough. And not only that, the SCs were only grudgingly given as a special concession - Cr*p!
When Singapore Airlines starts here in Sept we will certainly be looking very carefully at them.

Totally agree, you can find this same story about downgrades all over AFF just by doing a search.
You will surprised how many times it has effected people. Including myself flying from Karratha to Perth in Y after paying for J. Qantas said it was a through fair. Whatever that means. Still paid money to upgrade.

 

[Flying mermaid]

The syd-akl was international however, in fact a whole cbr-akl in Y instead of J. No compo?

No - the lady at ticketing did tell Miss FM that there would be a refund but it never turned up and to be honest once I had the OR status credits I didn't hassle any further.