Downgraded from Business Class on Qantas due to "tech crew" [pilot] Travel Requirements

[Pushka]

So, clearly not my fault. . Just now we received this email from Qantas.

"We received an email from our Melbourne Airport Manager advising that xx_ and you were downgraded from Business class to Economy class at the last minute. I am sorry for the experience and to be let down at the last minute.

We have organised for the points used to upgrade for this sector to be refunded back.

In addition, I have credited your membership with 10,000 points (5,000 each) as a gesture of goodwill.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards"

 

[muppet]

While still not ideal @Pushka, I think the fact you have been spared the usual process of having to beg for your points back via multiple calls and getting the run-around…. makes it not so bad after all.

 

[UP4014]

So, clearly not my fault. . Just now we received this email from Qantas.

"We received an email from our Melbourne Airport Manager advising that xx_ and you were downgraded from Business class to Economy class at the last minute. I am sorry for the experience and to be let down at the last minute.

We have organised for the points used to upgrade for this sector to be refunded back.

In addition, I have credited your membership with 10,000 points (5,000 each) as a gesture of goodwill.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards"

I always dislike the way businesses thank you for understanding when I'm not in a mood to understand and I do understand it was their own employees at fault and they won't admit it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I always dislike the way businesses thank you for understanding when I'm not in a mood to understand and I do understand it was their own employees at fault and they won't admit it.

Oh… you mean the ‘we’re sorry we didn’t meet your expectations’ line?

The one that implies your expectations are actually somehow unreasonable?

That belongs in the what cheeses me off thread!

 

[Pushka]

I always dislike the way businesses thank you for understanding when I'm not in a mood to understand and I do understand it was their own employees at fault and they won't admit it.

Well, I guess at the time we didn't make a fuss so....but totally agree.

 

[Must...Fly!]

While still not ideal @Pushka, I think the fact you have been spared the usual process of having to beg for your points back via multiple calls and getting the run-around…. makes it not so bad after all.

This is the mastery of Qantas. You are thankful for them treating you like a customer, as though it's some great privilege and you should be thankful for it.

 

[drron]

I was just thinking before I came back to this thread that the thread I read a little before this -"Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding " should be retitled Qantas doesn't care about customers.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

It's good to see they did get back to you and do the bare minimum of refunding the points taken for an upgrade not given. I am somewhat surprised, however, that QF would be so stingy with the compensation given the fact you are a valued Platinum member who encountered a very embarrassing situation indeed. Maybe the Melbourne airport manager did not mention the part where you already boarded the plane, were called off the plane and had to do the walk of shame to middle seats as though you were caught "stealing" J seats. It's not a good look. On other airlines having something minor like a malfunctioning AVOD would warrant more points than that, and that is a minor inconvenience.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Mr H]

So, clearly not my fault. . Just now we received this email from Qantas.

"We received an email from our Melbourne Airport Manager advising that xx_ and you were downgraded from Business class to Economy class at the last minute. I am sorry for the experience and to be let down at the last minute.

We have organised for the points used to upgrade for this sector to be refunded back.

In addition, I have credited your membership with 10,000 points (5,000 each) as a gesture of goodwill.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kind regards"

Nobody ever thought it was your fault...

Good that you have a refund and compensation, but may be worth going back and asking for more - as a reference point you could say that 5,000 points is simply the admin fee they charge if a customer initiates a change an award booking.

 

[Pushka]

I was just thinking before I came back to this thread that the thread I read a little before this -"Qantas doesn't care about priority boarding " should be retitled Qantas doesn't care about customers.

Yes, I laughed this morning when I read that title.

EBA agreements trump customers these days. Which begs the question are employees valued more than customers?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

This is the mastery of Qantas. You are thankful for them treating you like a customer, as though it's some great privilege and you should be thankful for it.

It's remarks like that from QF that make me seriously consider flying United from Sydney to Melbourne. Sure it's a long ride via SFO but chances are my upgrade would be secured, and will be taken care of.

What I will say is that if Qantas put as much effort in acknowledging their failures and how it affects their customers as they spend acknowledging country, maybe there would be fewer upset passengers. It's not simply enough to say yes we screwed up - there needs to be a little something called empathy (maybe that's not an Australian thing). Something like, we understand you worked hard to earn Platinum status and sincerely value your loyalty. This is not how we would ordinarily treat our most valued customers, however the circumstances in this case were exceptional. It must have been humiliating to be downgraded after boarding and being forced back into the economy cabin.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Pushka]

Nobody ever thought it was your fault...

Good that you have a refund and compensation, but may be worth going back and asking for more - as a reference point you could say that 5,000 points is simply the admin fee they charge if a customer initiates a change an award booking.

Thanks for claryifng as I thought your earlier post inferred that.

 

[Mr H]

Thanks for claryifng as I thought your earlier post inferred that.

I was just responding to post 29. Intended to be humorous.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, I laughed this morning when I read that title.

EBA agreements trump customers these days. Which begs the question are employees valued more than customers?

I take your point. But EBAs are legal documents, not sure the airline - or any employer - has the ability to break them, at least without consequence.

Should employees forego rights under an EBA, to be mindful that the customer is who pays their wages? Probably get a lot of different answers in that.

 

[Pushka]

I take your point. But EBAs are legal documents, not sure the airline - or any employer - has the ability to break them, at least without consequence.

Should employees forego rights under an EBA, to be mindful that the customer is who pays their wages? Probably get a lot of different answers in that.

Its a minefield.

So our tickets are not likewise legal documents? Should more passengers expect to be asked to get off the plane?

It's Pandora's box. As the pilot upthread mentioned, in previous, let's call them 'cultures', pilots would be pleased just to get a seat home but the world has changed as have expectations. I suspect the current model of Qantas upgrades with points may be stretched if this becomes the way forward and maybe even potentially, fully paid tickets.

 

[kookaburra75]

Yes, I laughed this morning when I read that title.

EBA agreements trump customers these days. Which begs the question are employees valued more than customers?

Coming in late to this conversation - and I'm sitting here with jaw on the floor. Firstly, @Pushka I'm glad you haven't let it spoil your holiday "vibe" and that you are enjoying your time in Bali.

Looking at the email you got from Qantas, I would be seriously unimpressed if any of my people sent an email like that to a client where we had stuffed up - like career ending unimpressed. People buy things from people, and every interaction has to be positive and leave a good lasting impression.

I think with the EBA slant, it stems from the way Qantas has treated its people. There's an old saying, 'Never push loyal employees to the point where they no longer care". I think that is what Qantas has done over the years to its flight crews, tech staff, line staff etc - not to mention to what they did to their ground handlers. Their people are fed up to the point where they do hold on tightly to what they have got left, and it is getting in the way of how they think/treat customers. I've seen it happen at other companies, and it's not easy to get back from that point.

And as a data point for your 5,000 points each gift/compensation/reward. Coming back from Auckland to Canberra, via Sydney recently my bag went AWOL somewhere in Sydney. It took a few calls to work out where it was, as everyone kept saying it was someone else's problem. I lodged a complaint using the webform to get on record my concerns about what I felt was a poor level of service. My bag did turn up after a couple of days, no doubt travelling around Australia. I got a response after a week saying they were very concerned about the lost luggage, offering me 7,000 points as "a gesture of good will". I think your experience requires something a bit stronger than 5,000 points each.

All the best for the remainder of your holidays.

 

[Warragul]

Yes, I laughed this morning when I read that title.

EBA agreements trump customers these days. Which begs the question are employees valued more than customers?

Slightly OT, but at some companies including airlines - yes employees are considered more 'valuable' than customers. Southwest Airlines is one and I have a vague memory of a former Air NZ CEO saying this as well. Thinking being treat staff well, they'll treat customers well...

Is valuable the same as important in this context though a rabbit hole for elsewhere.

 

[Pushka]

Coming in late to this conversation - and I'm sitting here with jaw on the floor. Firstly, @Pushka I'm glad you haven't let it spoil your holiday "vibe" and that you are enjoying your time in Bali.

Looking at the email you got from Qantas, I would be seriously unimpressed if any of my people sent an email like that to a client where we had stuffed up - like career ending unimpressed. People by things from people, and every interaction has to be positive and leave a good lasting impression.

I think with the EBA slant, it stems from the way Qantas has treated its people. There's an old saying, 'Never push loyal employees to the point where they no longer care". I think that is what Qantas has done over the years to its flight crews, tech staff, line staff etc - not to mention to what they did to their ground handlers. Their people are fed up to the point where they do hold on tightly to what they have got left, and it is getting in the way of how they think/treat customers. I've seen it happen at other companies, and it's not easy to get back from that point.

And as a data point for your 5,000 points each gift/compensation/reward. Coming back from Auckland to Canberra, via Sydney recently my bag went AWOL somewhere in Sydney. It took a few calls to work out where it was, as everyone kept saying it was someone else's problem. I lodged a complaint using the webform to get on record my concerns about what I felt was a poor level of service. My bag did turn up after a couple of days, no doubt travelling around Australia. I got a response after a week saying they were very concerned about the lost luggage, offering me 7,000 points as "a gesture of good will". I think your experience requires something a bit stronger than 5,000 points each.

All the best for the remainder of your holidays.

Great post.

 

[MikeG]

Well, the issue becomes a problem if you don’t obey the instructions of the crew and you end up on Facebook.

I would have made an immediate complaint to the CSM. I did this on a trans-tasman flights once when I was BA Silver and was rewarded with a couple of bottles of Business Class wine as an apology.

I tried this tack on BA last year when my father and I were seated separately in PE. (I was his designated carer for the trip). They did absolutely nothing, just a half-hearted apology.

M

 

[DC3]

"We received an email from our Melbourne Airport Manager advising that xx_ and you were downgraded from Business class to Economy class at the last minute. I am sorry for the experience and to be let down at the last minute …

Whoever wrote that email is ‘clearly’ not in possession of how all of this unfolded.

The points offer is very underwhelming for what you were put through.

Edited