CX Giveth and taketh away

[Ansett]

Hi All

Do you think we are wrong to complain oficialy to CX. We have complained verbally to the on board staff including cabin mangaer and are now looking to write to CX directly.

We have just completed a trip that included a flight from Beijing to hong Kong on Dragon Air. The flight was delayed due to inclement weather for over 6 hours and as a consequence we missed our connecting flight on QF30.

We will start by saying that Dragon handled the situation extremely well with a nice hotel booked and food taken care of we were met at the aircraft and escorted straight to the airline desk where we were advised that we had been transferred onto the CX flight the next day and had been awarded a complimentary upgrade. We were extremely greatful for this as it gave me the opportunity to have a sleep. Mrs Ansett and I were delighted with this and opted to stay on the CX flight rather than move back to QF as we were told J class was full on QF and no chance of an upgrade with QF.

I had to attend a meeting at 9.00 am sharp with a colleague that had flown in from America. The thought of the economy flight and this meeting was of concern to me.

A marvellous day was had with a mini tour of Hong Kong with mrs Ansett remaining restrained when it came to shopping, thankfully, so offwe head to the airport and here is where it all goes wrong.

We arrive and book in and are handed our boarding passes ECONOMY row 69 !!!

We queried and relayed the upgrade we were promised the previous evening and we were advised it would be done in the lounge or at the gate. Thats fair enough we thought.

Well to cut the story short we are refused the upgrade's at the lounge and gate. We were both well dressed freshy showered and very sober so could not see any reason for the refusal.

By this stage it is too late to change to QF. Then it gets worse the seats are the shell design with the worst recline in the world.

Our first complaint is that they failed to honour the promised upgrade? Are we being precious?

Second complaint is tht we are seated in virtually the last row of economy ( A330 ) is this the normal area for One World Emerald customers. (DYKWIA)

Dioscussed and complained at length with CSM who told us basically nothing can be done as aircraft is full. Asked for express customs and told no as not in business class however eventually they relented and passed express customs cards to myslef and Mrs Ansett

We would not have changed to CX had we known that they had lied to us and that the seating in economy would be so far back and such poor recline.

Anyway we arrived back and whilst I made the meeting by the skin of my teeth I was tired and not functioning to my best.

What would you all do?

What compenasation if any would you request?

 

[haydensydney]

I'm with the looming 'you got the seat you paid for' chorus...

 

[simongr]

Were you originally booked in economy? Was the decision to fly on CX based solely on being in Business class?

 

[yohy?!]

Not a nice situation to be in, it's seems odd though that the 'promised' upgrade by CX ground staff did not translate to a confirmation in you booking? Given the upgrade was complimentary I would not think there would be any compensation possible.

In terms of the Y seating for Emeralds - on CX you would normally be able to request any seat you would like including exit rows, being a full flight in irregular operations obviously negates that though.

Bear in mind also the 'inclement' weather you experienced was as a result of the worst typhoon to hit HKG in 13 years - your experience was markedly better than most others! (including some who slept in the airport for days, were stuck on aircraft unable to deplane etc etc).

 

[mannej]

complimentary - I would so no compensation is due.

 

[Ansett]

Were you originally booked in economy? Was the decision to fly on CX based solely on being in Business class?

Yes originally booked in Economy and yes chose to change to CX solely on the basis of the upgrade that they promised us. QF leaves and arrives earlier than CX and in economy would have had better seats and seat allocation so again yes SOLELY due to CX promising upgrade.

I agree we got what we paid for as in economy however we booked and paid for QF not CX as we feel CX economy is not as good as QF so where it not for upgrade promised we would have stuck with QF

 

[Ansett]

Not a nice situation to be in, it's seems odd though that the 'promised' upgrade by CX ground staff did not translate to a confirmation in you booking?

In terms of the Y seating for Emeralds - you would normally be able to request any seat you would like including exit rows, being a full flight in irregular operations obviously negates that though.

Bear in mind also the 'inclement' weather you experienced was as a result of the worst typhoon to hit HKG in 13 years - your experience was markedly better than most others! (including some who slept in the airport for days, were stuck on aircraft unable to deplane etc etc).

Hi the typhoon was actually in Beijing that caused the delay and we fully understand and appreciate that this happens. We are very fortunate that we were not affected by the typhoon that has hit Hong Kong

 

[simongr]

I would complain but not expect any compensation. I also think you wouldnt have been guaranteed great seats on QF as it is likely that flight was full and probably a lot of OLCI would have taken decent seats. It is a poor mistake for CX to make and as DJ/VA have been criticised for similar giving and taking away I would complain in this regard.

 

[haydensydney]

Did you receive a verbal 'you've been upgraded' or did you get something in writing?

If this scenario happened to me I would make sure that I received the upgrade promise in writing.

 

[Ansett]

Hayden here in lays the problem nothin in writing we trustd the staff members after they showed us notes on our booking that we are both to be upgraded to J Class. If Only I had a screen print.

Lesson learnt.

Have to say that the main issue for us is that we appear to hev been mislead right from ther start.

 

[drewbles]

Hayden here in lays the problem nothin in writing we trustd the staff members after they showed us notes on our booking that we are both to be upgraded to J Class. If Only I had a screen print.

Lesson learnt.

Have to say that the main issue for us is that we appear to hev been mislead right from ther start.

It's very possible that CX staff acted in your best interests and something else happened. Due to the typhon in the region (won't be specific as to where was effected when; just 'in the region' is enough to cause significant regional flight op delays), it's entirely likely that many other flights had been cancelled, and as a result, paid J pax were moved to the flight you were on. In yield management, a paid pax is always going to trump a free upgrade.

It's unfortunate what happened, but unless you did have it in writing, or were on a paid J ticket, I wouldn't bother complaining. I'd be annoyed if it happened to me too, but as they say c'ést la vie!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Enforceability usuallly lies with the evidence, and relying on what I would assume was a verbal commitment by someone not in a position to promise, well therein lies the problem.

If it ain't in writing well then it didnt happen!!

 

[docjames]

Personally, I'd have a whinge (to my friends and family / AFF), then strike it up to "the joys of travel".

Yes, you were by the sounds of it mislead. And you may have acted differently.

But then, you might have got a seat on QF, and you might have got a good seat, and you might have got an upgrade, but i'd suspect if the weather was that bad, everything was probably chockers so no guarantees.

And there's a reason CX are refitting their fleet. The shell Y seats are horrible if you're over 4'10".

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to hear of your experience.

My views of CX have changed in the past few trips. I thought they were an airline that had it altogether but that could not be further from the truth.

Personally, I'd have a whinge (to my friends and family / AFF), then strike it up to "the joys of travel".

Nice to have a whinge but if the airline does not receive the feedback how will they improve? I did not follow up with issues of a previous trip and I was stuffed around again this trip.

My luggage was lost and I told them in HKG do not send it to TPE as I am coming back and going to BKK. In TPE I was told they do not know where my luggage is and again I told them do not send it to TPE as I am leaving again. Back in HKG and my luggage is now in TPE and no way of me getting it before I get to BKK. Organised for them to send it TPE-BKK with Thai and sort the rest out later. More drama in BKK reporting lost luggage and heading off to Hua Hin and getting my luggage in the morning.

Basically what was supposed to be a fun way of travelling to BKK the long way was spoilt by their incompetence, flight delays and poor communication and I spent every transit in the terminal halls speaking to CX agents instead of being able to relax in the lounge before each flight.

Oh and my golf bag was damaged and I reported it to CX staff in BKK when I was returning and was told that someone in Australia will contact me. Nothing yet and I have been back a week.

Incompetence at its best or is this just the typical way for CX to treat a customer? Lie to your customers and by the time your customer has realised you lied they are more than likely not going to take further action.

If only the SCs were not so cheap....

 

[docjames]

Surely lost luggage / checked luggage isues is the risk of SC chasing / SR'ing with checked luggage (and not hand luggage only).

 

[JohnK]

Surely lost luggage / checked luggage isues is the risk of SC chasing / SR'ing with checked luggage (and not hand luggage only).

Why would it be different to any trip via a transit point?

Plenty of time in between connections and no typhoons to use as an excuse for not being able to run aircraft to schedule or poor customer service....

 

[spreezy]

I suggest you just get over it, even considering complaining about something you didn't pay for but expect, makes you look like a total cough

 

[docjames]

Why would it be different to any trip via a transit point?

Plenty of time in between connections and no typhoons to use as an excuse for not being able to run aircraft to schedule or poor customer service....

More stops + more complicated routing = more chance of muck ups. We're getting off topic - but what a nuisance for you. I wonder if you can HLO the gold clubs!!

 

[Ansett]

I suggest you just get over it, even considering complaining about something you didn't pay for but expect, makes you look like a total cough

Please read the post We DID NOT Expect but was promised !!! HUGE Difference. Ultimately we have opted not to complain as we did that on the aircraft it is upto CX to follow up should they so wish. We will however not fly CX again if their is another option. One thing we hate is being Lied to.

Had CX said to us at check in Look we have a problem yes we promised you an upgrade BUT due to other problems we are no longer able to we would have accepted this and moved on HOWEVER we were told at check in we would be upgraded either at the lounge or at the gate. have a nice flight.

Thank you for your comments.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Bit late now, but for future reference, if you are promised a space available upgrade, then there should be an annotation in the booking. I would ask for a print out of the booking so that you have evidence of that to take with you. You could cross-reference any denial of your upgrade by doing a dummy booking or checking the number of seats available through someone like flightstats (.com). If there were biz class seats available, then armed with the print out you would have been in a better position.

I would write to CX and at the very least ask them to explain why your upgrade was not processed. In the course of them responding to you they may offer you some compensation or other assistance. I wrote to them one time about something and got back a reply plus a 'if we can ever do anything when you fly for us again' line. I actually rang them on before my next flight and used that offer to secure confirmed F cabin seats on the 747 service from HKG-DPS (F is unsold on that route and it you are a CX DM in J you can request to be sat there).