Bad Seed
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2010
- Posts
- 49
Two weeks ago I had a conference to attend in Wellington NZ. I aimed to fly CBR/ SYD on the 6am flight on the Friday, connecting to the 9.35am flight to WEL, both with Qantas. I could have chosen the 7am flight (so I didn't have to get up at 4.15am!) but everyone knows that in Canberra in Winter you have to take the first flight out or risk getting fogged in when the second flight hasn't arrived as it can't land. The evening before, Qantas cancels the 6am flight, we suspect because there aren't enough people on it putting us initially on the 8am, meaning there is no chance we will make the connection, then changing to the 7am, meaning we should make it but it will be a bit tight. The 7am taxis late so we are getting anxious, then gets fogged in (!!!) so the connection is getting tighter. Then, in what often happens to Canberra flights, there is no gate for it. We think we might just make it until we realise on disembarking that there is a bus and we have to wait for every LAST PERSON, the twin babies, the elderly folks, to get on the bus, it takes around 15 minutes before the bus leaves so we miss the Wellington flight.
Qantas puts us on the 12.00 flight connecting via Auckland and then on a second flight with Air NZ to Wellington. I go and ask about our luggage. The Qantas person on the desk tells me that it will go onto Wellington and not to worry about it. I ask are you sure and she says yes. I think that this doesn't seem right as we would clear customs in our first port of call which will be Auckland and Wellington will actually be domestic but I take the advice as given (this turns out to be a mistake). The Auckland flight was late leaving and then also couldn't get a gate. We went through customs and border with no luggage based on the advice we had received.
The inter terminal bus which was supposed to come every 15 minutes took 30 so with these two delays, we missed our Wellington connection so had to take a later flight so of course, by the time we got to Wellington, it was around 8 hours later than intended and of course, there was no luggage. The Air NZ luggage person said it was Qantas' problem and we needed to call them. Which we did, several times a day, for the next 4 and a half days!!! My other half even went to the airport three times to try and speak to actual people as opposed to a call centre to try and find our luggage. It finally arrived late Tuesday evening, picked up by him personally, covered in stickers saying urgent Friday, urgent Saturday, urgent Sunday -you get the gist.
I had to attend a board meeting on the Sunday with no papers or materials (I am the Secretary). All my conference materials were in my luggage, I had no makeup, jewellery or conference clothes. I didn't want to buy any replacements because we kept being assured that the luggage was coming. I wore my knee length boots on the plane as they were my heaviest shoes. Because I wore them for 4 days solid and they are not designed for this, the heel feel off, its costs $180 to re-heel them. Eventually, I had to buy basic supplies, including shoes and some toiletries, socks, undies and two tops as did my other half.
We have put in a claim with Qantas for around $400 for the stuff we had to buy, they have said no as Air NZ was our last carrier, the claim needs to go to them. We find this astounding as we never had an airfare with them, we only travelled with them because Qantas moved us to them, we are still negotiating but wonder if any of the frequent travellers here have some ideas for us.
Qantas puts us on the 12.00 flight connecting via Auckland and then on a second flight with Air NZ to Wellington. I go and ask about our luggage. The Qantas person on the desk tells me that it will go onto Wellington and not to worry about it. I ask are you sure and she says yes. I think that this doesn't seem right as we would clear customs in our first port of call which will be Auckland and Wellington will actually be domestic but I take the advice as given (this turns out to be a mistake). The Auckland flight was late leaving and then also couldn't get a gate. We went through customs and border with no luggage based on the advice we had received.
The inter terminal bus which was supposed to come every 15 minutes took 30 so with these two delays, we missed our Wellington connection so had to take a later flight so of course, by the time we got to Wellington, it was around 8 hours later than intended and of course, there was no luggage. The Air NZ luggage person said it was Qantas' problem and we needed to call them. Which we did, several times a day, for the next 4 and a half days!!! My other half even went to the airport three times to try and speak to actual people as opposed to a call centre to try and find our luggage. It finally arrived late Tuesday evening, picked up by him personally, covered in stickers saying urgent Friday, urgent Saturday, urgent Sunday -you get the gist.
I had to attend a board meeting on the Sunday with no papers or materials (I am the Secretary). All my conference materials were in my luggage, I had no makeup, jewellery or conference clothes. I didn't want to buy any replacements because we kept being assured that the luggage was coming. I wore my knee length boots on the plane as they were my heaviest shoes. Because I wore them for 4 days solid and they are not designed for this, the heel feel off, its costs $180 to re-heel them. Eventually, I had to buy basic supplies, including shoes and some toiletries, socks, undies and two tops as did my other half.
We have put in a claim with Qantas for around $400 for the stuff we had to buy, they have said no as Air NZ was our last carrier, the claim needs to go to them. We find this astounding as we never had an airfare with them, we only travelled with them because Qantas moved us to them, we are still negotiating but wonder if any of the frequent travellers here have some ideas for us.
