Flight Schedule Change

[JohnK]

I have been getting a number of these recently. Even got a phone call today about a flight on 4 November as I have a number of forward bookings.

It would appear that Qantas are/have retimed the BNE-SYD flights to now depart at 25 past the hour and 5 minutes to the hour. I know 10 minutes later is not a big deal but this means I get into SYD later than normal and it does bring the flight that little bit closer to curfew. With my luck any delays could potentially mean trouble.

I know I am only on the el-cheapo airfares but what sort of schedule change would be classed as significant that an airline has to offer earlier flights?

I asked the person who called me today if it was possible to get on an earlier flight and he said there is nothing available in my booking class on the earlier flights. So I had no choice other than to accept the change.

 

[serfty]

...

I asked the person who called me today if it was possible to get on an earlier flight and he said there is nothing available in my booking class on the earlier flights. So I had no choice other than to accept the change.

That's a bit glib; they can change you irrespective of booking class if the change is significant enough.

I would ask them how long makes a 'significant change'.

Schedule Changes and Reconfirmations

 

[JohnK]

That's a bit glib; they can change you irrespective of booking class if the change is significant enough.

I would ask them how long makes a 'significant change'.

I can talk to 5 different consultants and get 5 different answers.

In your experience what do you think constitutes a significant change?

 

[docjames]

John, IMO you'd have to mount an arguement as to how it was no longer possible for you to travel on your booked flight. Depending on the circumstances, this could be interpreted in many ways.

In the case of the flight time being moved forward, it might be that your meetings / work wouldnt finish in sufficient time to make the new departure time (but you would have made your originally booked time).

In the case of the time being moved backward, it's more difficult to argue, especially with a late arrival (I guess you could argue that the 10mins would make you late for work / appointment etc - but they counter to that would be why would you book it so fine in the first place.

Either way, it'd be hard to argue that 10mins would be sufficiently more difficult, but it depends on the circumstances. I'd say not less than 30 mins, but QF probably have a policy (unpublished).

 

[JohnK]

Either way, it'd be hard to argue that 10mins would be sufficiently more difficult, but it depends on the circumstances. I'd say not less than 30 mins, but QF probably have a policy (unpublished).

I understand and I would probably not do anything about a 10 minutes change. But at the end of the day it is the airlines getting their way. Again!

I know 10 minutes is not much to a lot of people but 10 minutes is 10 minutes. In Brisbane on a Sunday night it is just enough to make me miss the 9:00pm Coachtrans and wait for the 9:40pm Coachtrans which is a lot more than 10 minutes. Or should I ensure I get to Brisbane at 7:35pm with enough time to get the 9:00pm Coachtrans as opposed to getting into Brisbane at 8:35pm for the 9:00pm Coachtrans.

And let's not forget here that I am the customer and I am the one invonvenienced. Not Qantas. It should not make any difference that the earlier flight(s) do not have any availability in my booked class.

Anyway this argument can go around and around in circles and not get anywhere.