CX cancelled award U tickets issued by QF, 12h from takeoff (weather IRROPS)

[stopthecap]

With a whole day of flights suddenly gone, I would not expect to be able to get on a J flight through Hong Kong within the next few days unless you get very lucky, especially if those flight were going out with nearly full loads anyway.

I started another thread here. My father landed in HK on the 31st and was flying J to rome on finnair. He was subsequently booked on the 5th September with evaair to taiwan then china airlines to rome in business class.

The finnair guy told me he was lucky to get business and lucky to fly on the 5th, some people have been pushed out weeks. Im guessing foreigners half way in a travel segment get priority

 

[patrickw]

I arrived in CAN yesterday on CZ326 in J - after being rebooked by CX check-in staff.
I count my family very lucky that we got this outcome, and was only possible as we were already at the airport.
Thank you @kangarooflyer88 for the late-night help, and suggestion of just going to ground staff.

Given your final destination is CAN, can you push QF to find direct SYD-CAN on CZ (China Southern)?

I'm not sure what the contractual terms are in this situation between airlines - QF ticketing staff at Syd T1 were only helpful if I kept asking questions - often diverting to "get a refund and buy tickets" or "No award availability", or "We can only rebook you on Oneworld", which ruled out QF booking us on CZ despite their partnership.

QF Call centre staff similarly suggested a SYD > HKG > DOH > CAN because of the Oneworld restriction, but never called back after saying they would investigate it offline.

QF ground staff said they could speak to FF to potentially convert QF SYD > HKG J tickets at 7am, after I suggested I could make my own way from HKG to CAN. I know this might break other rules/affect my return Award flight on the same PNR.

CX ground staff, after about an hour, but much less push from my side, were more helpful.
They had a direct line with head office and were prepared to move us to a SYD > HKG flight right before the first HKG > CAN flight operating after the typhoon.
That flight was converted into cargo only (crew issues?), after which they put us on the next direct flight from SYD > CAN, departing in 3 hours' time.

This meant we arrived in CAN earlier than expected which was an incredible outcome to say the least.

SZX and HKG were closed for 24 hours, while CAN, ~100km away was operating normally.

In these situations it's up to CX to rebook, not QF.

I'm not sure if I got lucky here because CX was willing to escalate? Or because there is a contractual reason to rebook me.
Worth noting that around the time I went to the airport, the system automatically offered me J seats but departing 3.5 days later. I didn't accept the change and was talking to CX ground staff by then.

Again, a huge thanks to this community.

 

[patrickw]

Am following this with interest as we are on CX178 on Tuesday, then onward to AMS-LIS.
If CX cannot fly due to typhoon, that would be affecting other airlines ie QF?
Hope it works out well and easily for you @patrickw , please keep us updated with your outcome.

I think you'll be fine - I have a friend on QF127 delayed from 1 Sep, and HKG looks to getting back to normal operations today.

 

[Flyfrequently]

I think you'll be fine - I have a friend on QF127 delayed from 1 Sep, and HKG looks to getting back to normal operations today.

Thanks @patrickw good to know.
Have been checking HKIA and Melbourne Airport and looks like things are getting back on track.
QF 29 has departed albeit quite a few hours delayed.
Very glad you got to where you needed to be - now enjoy!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I arrived in CAN yesterday on CZ326 in J - after being rebooked by CX check-in staff.
I count my family very lucky that we got this outcome, and was only possible as we were already at the airport.
Thank you @kangarooflyer88 for the late-night help, and suggestion of just going to ground staff.


I'm not sure what the contractual terms are in this situation between airlines - QF ticketing staff at Syd T1 were only helpful if I kept asking questions - often diverting to "get a refund and buy tickets" or "No award availability", or "We can only rebook you on Oneworld", which ruled out QF booking us on CZ despite their partnership.

QF Call centre staff similarly suggested a SYD > HKG > DOH > CAN because of the Oneworld restriction, but never called back after saying they would investigate it offline.

QF ground staff said they could speak to FF to potentially convert QF SYD > HKG J tickets at 7am, after I suggested I could make my own way from HKG to CAN. I know this might break other rules/affect my return Award flight on the same PNR.

CX ground staff, after about an hour, but much less push from my side, were more helpful.
They had a direct line with head office and were prepared to move us to a SYD > HKG flight right before the first HKG > CAN flight operating after the typhoon.
That flight was converted into cargo only (crew issues?), after which they put us on the next direct flight from SYD > CAN, departing in 3 hours' time.

This meant we arrived in CAN earlier than expected which was an incredible outcome to say the least.

SZX and HKG were closed for 24 hours, while CAN, ~100km away was operating normally.


I'm not sure if I got lucky here because CX was willing to escalate? Or because there is a contractual reason to rebook me.
Worth noting that around the time I went to the airport, the system automatically offered me J seats but departing 3.5 days later. I didn't accept the change and was talking to CX ground staff by then.

Again, a huge thanks to this community.

Airport agents have huge leeway to rebook in the event of IRROPS, and this can be across different airlines. But it has to be done at the airport in most cases. I’ve had UA book my on BA, by being at the airport, with the ticket under airport control.

There’s some sort of agreement between airlines for handling these situations. I guess because they all have to rely on it at some stage.

However… if you were reaccommodated on another airline, it’s likely the ticket has been reissued. If you have a return you need to call the issuing airline to make sure your return is still valid, and you haven’t been recorded as a ‘no show’ for your original flight (and cancelling the return).

Plenty of folk have been successful getting re-routed, have a fantastic holiday, but when trying to get home find there are in fact problems with the return ticket. Best to call and make sure everything is on order.

 

[patrickw]

Airport agents have huge leeway to rebook in the event of IRROPS, and this can be across different airlines. But it has to be done at the airport in most cases. I’ve had UA book my on BA, by being at the airport, with the ticket under airport control.

There’s some sort of agreement between airlines for handling these situations. I guess because they all have to rely on it at some stage.

However… if you were reaccommodated on another airline, it’s likely the ticket has been reissued. If you have a return you need to call the issuing airline to make sure your return is still valid, and you haven’t been recorded as a ‘no show’ for your original flight (and cancelling the return).

Plenty of folk have been successful getting re-routed, have a fantastic holiday, but when trying to get home find there are in fact problems with the return ticket. Best to call and make sure everything is on order.

Thanks @MEL_Traveller, do you mind elaborating on "ticket being under control"?

I will check with QF - return flights are on CX and CI.

I addressed your exact concern to the CX agent and they made very clear they had only changed my outbound leg, and my return CX/CI flight was still on the PNR. They even printed off the changelog from their dot-matrix printer!

They explained this as removing the CX flights from the PNR and then putting CZ on the QF/CX PNR. CZ flights showed up on my QF app.
No evidence of the original CX flights now on my PNR.

Nonetheless, will keep an eye out on the QF app. Thank you.

An observation - my QF PNR didn't work at the CZ check-in, and the agent gave me my PNR after verifying my identity. Probably something to do with separate IT systems and CZ previously being part of Skyteam?
CZ and AA have a partnership, but I couldn't find my booking on AA's MMB page... Will see if I get any AA points anyway

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks @MEL_Traveller, do you mind elaborating on "ticket being under control"?

I will check with QF - return flights are on CX and CI.

I addressed your exact concern to the CX agent and they made very clear they had only changed my outbound leg, and my return CX/CI flight was still on the PNR. They even printed off the changelog from their dot-matrix printer!

They explained this as removing the CX flights from the PNR and then putting CZ on the QF/CX PNR. CZ flights showed up on my QF app.
No evidence of the original CX flights now on my PNR.

Nonetheless, will keep an eye out on the QF app. Thank you.

An observation - my QF PNR didn't work at the CZ check-in, and the agent gave me my PNR after verifying my identity. Probably something to do with separate IT systems and CZ previously being part of Skyteam?
CZ and AA have a partnership, but I couldn't find my booking on AA's MMB page... Will see if I get any AA points anyway

Ok the day of departure tickets fall under airport control.

You know how if you book a ticket through a travel agency, you’re always told to go back to the agent? The airline can’t help? Or you book a qantas award ticket for travel in cathay, but cathay refers you back to qantas?

Those rules are in place before the day of travel, but would be unworkable on the day of travel in the event of delays or cancellations. The ticket transfers to airport control… to the operating airline. They need this control so they can move people around in the event of disruption.

Once you have a disruption, most rules go out the window… the airlines just want to get you to where you need to be.

I had a recent schedule change on a Qantas flight, but the ticket was issued by American. It was an indirect routing. My replacement flights still had the indirect routing, but with hours of connecting time. Nothing could be done in advance through the call centre to fix this as all the cheap seats had gone.

Once I got to the airport and explained to the checkin counter i just wanted to fly non-stop they said no problem, moved me to a higher fare that has seats on the direct flight, and sent me home.

Your qantas PNR and app may give you some guidance, but may not tell you if you have a valid ticket. You probably need to call to make sure you still have a valid ticket against the booking. Even if you can see all the flights, choose seats or select special meals, it doesn’t mean it’s ticketed.