Cancelled Again!

[jrfsp]

Guess it's my turn now - my SYD-MEL got cancelled tomorrow morning (that's ~15 hours notice) and now I'm on a later flight with a 1h40m connection time. Should be doable assuming things actually run on time, but probably not much time in the flounge. If I miss QF93 due to domestic delays, then it'll be a world of pain trying to get to Vancouver on time and in Business.

There's no J seats left on any earlier domestic flights to connect to QF93 tomorrow.

Anyone know what queues are like for security and passport control in MEL in the morning these days?

Minimal, should take under 5 mins

 

[LondonAussie]

They also seem more proactive on (more frequently allowing) flow forward at the moment - combination of weather and also I suspect again, staffing (if later flights clear out they can cancel). But no doubt “it’s the weather”. It’s also easier now it’s automated within the app (which credit where it’s due is easy to look at alternatives and choose one).

Having never seen this in the app, where does it come up when offered? Do you have to press anything in particular to see it (like click into the 'manage your booking' screen for that trip?)

 

[docjames]

Front page (above where your next flight or “trip to xx_” appears near the top) it states flight delays (or something similar and you click through for options.

Noting all the flight options that then pop up given all say “impacted flight” (assume that’s really just that all those flights are being offered flow forward too), which you ignore, and then choose your preferred flight to move to (or cancel).

Here’s a screen shot of the next page once you click through to see what the options are:

 

[TheInsider]

Front page (above where your next flight or “trip to xx_” appears near the top) it states flight delays (or something similar and you click through for options.

Noting all the flight options that then pop up given all say “impacted flight” (assume that’s really just that all those flights are being offered flow forward too), which you ignore, and then choose your preferred flight to move to (or cancel).

Here’s a screen shot of the next page once you click through to see what the options are:

View attachment 308464

The impacted flight comment comes up when the 'flow forward' comment is in the system under those flights too.

Otherwise if you have a flexible ticket and no flow forward, then you change flight through the change flight option as it always has been.

 

[docjames]

I should add on one change, I moved from ~ 745pm to ~ 5pm but then got to the airport early (was on track early) and then managed to move again to 3pm (Which still had availability and was showing as a change option). Note i could not have moved back to the 745pm (in the app - no idea if I’d got stuck whether that would be possible in person at the airport).

Post automatically merged: Nov 24, 2022

The impacted flight comment comes up when the 'flow forward' comment is in the system under those flights too.

Yep I’d assumed it was some “system word” (But initially hesitated as were these flights already delayed / having issues - but no).

 

[motlking]

"We a

Important to remember in your situation when a connecting flight is cancelled - you can choose ANY flight the same day, not just the one they initially offer.

Just to confirm, this is correct and you can actually do it online. By luck, our flight was just cancelled and I was able to change the new flight given to any flight on the same day. Brilliant!

 

[justinbrett]

"We a

Just to confirm, this is correct and you can actually do it online. By luck, our flight was just cancelled and I was able to change the new flight given to any flight on the same day. Brilliant!

Awesome! You must be so relieved.

 

[JohnK]

Don't they do it regardless?
In my experience every time I've enquired - at the airport - if there's space, check-in/service desk staff have been happy to do it. And with no connecting flight to catch
Even remember checking in to a JQ flight via a kiosk and being offered the option to jump on an earlier flight.

No they don't.

In the past when I've booked via Qantas and the website did not offer the connection time I wanted I'd call them before midnight and change to a lengthier connection for free.

The same when there were cancellations or changes to departure times.

I think that's now become difficult to do with the lengthy wait times to get through to call centre. Half year profit of 1.45 billion and Qantas can't be bothered to reduce call centre wait times. Shows just how much they care about customer service.

 

[encryptededdy]

I think that's now become difficult to do with the lengthy wait times to get through to call centre

I think call centre wait times are quite reasonable now. I've had to wait over 10 minutes like... once in the past 6 months. Of course, if you take into account the number of HUCAs required to get a competent agent now, I suppose the effective wait time has increased.

 

[p--and--t]

I think call centre wait times are quite reasonable now. I've had to wait over 10 minutes like... once in the past 6 months. Of course, if you take into account the number of HUCAs required to get a competent agent now, I suppose the effective wait time has increased.

Agreed, asked quite fast in last few months on the several calls I made (all less than 15mins).

Competency is the issue (understanding what you are asking) and the time on the phone while they call someone "who knows" or "can make a decision".

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Very happy here that QF cancelled my flight I bought a ticket in another carrier and was going to throw away the QF return, so the cancellation gave me a reason to get a full refund.

Note the call centre advised that even though QF cancelled the flight I was NOT entitled to a refund, only a credit voucher, as I had already flown the outbound sector. A bit of prodding from me and after being on hold for 20 minutes I was told ‘the ticket desk has approved your refund’.

 

[okokok]

This may be "Tin Hat" stuff but it has happened to me too regularly this year. I have worked out one way how Qantas are reducing costs - by not flying to schedule.

For the fourth of five times this year, my flight on the Golden triangle has been cancelled on the day or the day before.

This time heading to SYD from MEL to connect with QF1, I receive a text at 9:25pm that my noon flight was cancelled and putting me on a later flight at 2pm giving me just 10 minutes more than MCT to make my connection.

Diving into expert flyer, i could also see the 8am flight was also cancelled leaving a sea of J0/Y0 around those times, especially after 10am.

Now, this severly limited my options as 100 minutes before departure is simply not enough time to comfortably get from T3 to airside T1 at SYD. I tried calling one of those special numbers getting strait through (!) but they were unable/unwilling to help.

So off to Tullamarine really early, getting there before 8am. At the premium service desk in the checkin area I was proactively offerred rebooking onto a stress relieving morning flight without fuss. (I suspect flow forwarding is in action today.)

Transit bw terminals at SYD is a nightmare. I did it earlier this year with the bare minimum time required, and even with business seats booked (and I hear also first), you are left to your own devices. Multiple stairs, a bus, no assistance. J u st appalling.

 

[RichardMEL]

per original question...

P1 status still allegedly has fly florward as a "feature" - back a few years.. or more than a few it used to be given to WP too iirc.

of course being able to use this perk, even via a flex ticket, is of little value these days specially when it comes to domestic flights as they're all so full on Day of Departure. I often look at other flights on the day I am flying say MEL-SYD and the J0/Y0's abound .. so it's difficult actually TO move to anything when there are no seats.

I also suppot other comments regarding SYD international transfer check in staff as being generally pretty brilliant and able to help with rebooking as much as possible.. sometimes earlier (this one time I did get an earlier fight, ont that was J0 so I ignored it.. I only got it because I quipped "I would prefer the 0930 flight to the 1000 but it looks full..." a few minutes later I was holding a BP for seat 2K.. Still don't know what that was about, but it was greatly appreciated. Anyway they're god staff every time I've dealt with them.. and of course are VERY used to all of these situations of delays, arriving early.. what have you and do seem to have authority (or used to anyway) to make real changes for customers. And yes, for me status obviously helps, but it's happened for me with lower status too).

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to Aff @okokok

 

[Doddler]

QF755 Mel-Per cancelled. Seems at least 50% of my domestic flights with Qantas have been cancelled or majorly delayed this year. As usual, no reason given.

Worse: as a Gold FF my aisle seat at the front of A330 cabin (18B) was automatically transferred 18B on a packed 737: a middle seat half way back in the cabin. Why would their (presumably automatic) rebooking system be so dumb as to do that, rather than an aisle seat which is my stated preference?

Qantas is meant to be Australia's *premium* domestic airline, and Gold FFers are presumably meant to be valued. It does not feel like it. QF's outstanding cabin and airport staff are being let majorly down by Joyce & executives who are losing sight of why people (used to) choose to fly Qantas. Or simply don't care.

 

[CorporateFlyerMEL]

Doddler - it is likely that the 737 had no aisle seats left unallocated at the time QF775 was cancelled

 

[Doddler]

They stated explicitly they did an 18B for 18B transfer. There were other seats available (windows) even by the time I could get out of work meetings to change. It is clear it was done by a stupid automatic system - btw the rebooking process has changed on the web site.

 

[TheInsider]

They stated explicitly they did an 18B for 18B transfer. There were other seats available (windows) even by the time I could get out of work meetings to change. It is clear it was done by a stupid automatic system - btw the rebooking process has changed on the web site.

There is no 18B on an A330.
And it could be due to no other aisle seats available.

 

[Doddler]

There is no 18B on an A330.
And it could be due to no other aisle seats available.

Apologies. 23B. From A330 to 737.

As I said, there were other seats available. I was, thankfully, able to switch to a window seat. This was hours after they rebooked me. I would be surprised if there were no aisle seats at that time. But surely it's not too much to ask that one isn't given the middle seat - which *no one* prefers.