Help, stranded in HKG by CX

[ozbeachbabe]

Ok I have a seat yipppppeeee however it's a downgrade to whY.

I really need to get home so I'm going to take it ill have the bunfight when I get home.

Not that anyone from CX reads these forums, but you dropped a whole sack of balls on this one.

Did you get a downgrade slip from CX? You'll probably need that and/or some other kind of documentation to prove that you travelled in a lower class to what was originally paid.


I don't think that airlines necessarily compensate people enough for downgrades as often they will just refund the difference between PE & the full economy fare not PE & the discount economy fare that is paid leaving the traveller hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars out of pocket.

Looks like the QF flights HKG/MEL & HKG/BNE only had a few J seats only however the QF128 to SYD did have a handful of PE seats left.

Whilst I realise the following advice isn't going to help you now that you're already en-route to Oz but for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation I would:

a) hit up the inbound airline who made you late & forced you to misconnect & ask them what arrangements they have made for your new flight seeing as though you missed your original one. I would only accept the same class or higher as already stated above I don't believe the compensation for being downgraded from PE to Y is adequate.

b) Check on Expert Flyer to see what other flights have seats on them as ammunition should KA say "there's no seats on other airlines". You're then able to counter their claim by saying "well there's business class seats on QF30 HKG/MEL or PE seats on QF128 HKG/SYD".

c) It seems to be a local arrangement as to what airlines do but in some cases if pushed they will pay a full fare to another airline for you to travel on another airline. Sometimes the other airline may accept your QF ticket eg OW airlines, other times KA would have to issue a FIM (flight interuption manifest) which is an accountable document given by KA to the uplifting airline sort of like an IOU so the new airline can charge KA for your ticket in order for you to travel.

With the benefit of 20/20 vision in this case I would always aim for to get the same cabin as originally booked then if told it wasn't available I would ask KA to pay for a seat in a higher cabin even on a different airline & tell them in no uncertain terms that I would not accept travelling in a lower cabin than what was paid for.

 

[docjames]

Whilst I agree with you OBB, if you are time pressured to get to your destination, sometimes taking the downgrade and getting home is the better option, however I agree the compo should be fare paid (or segment of) less the CHEAPEST y price that was available via the airline website on the day you booked (up to and including day of latest change if you changed travel dates on a y+/j fare).

Sometimes digging your held in for class/alternate airline just increase the delay getting home/to destination.

It's always tough, and the airline always has the upper hand. Your suggestions make the playing field a little more level.

 

[ReLoad]

Hi all,

Quick update with a detailed reply later, but I'm home!

And I had the beep at gate for J

So I have the feeling of all is forgiven and the love affair continues.

Anyway I have a few insights to add which I'll add here later today.

A big thanks to everyone who helped and also for the advice, as always there isn't a better resource around. Thanks AFF.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

Good to hear!

Frustrating they downgrade you and cause you disappointment then you get the beep at the gate - couldn't they just give you J and make you slightly satisfied as if it was their causing not some random 'beep' act of god.

 

[vitagen]

Good stuff! They owe you J as a minimum for the stuff around! Glad you arrived home safely

 

[Willie]

CX are famously difficult when it comes to offering appropriate compensation. Fortunately my experience with them has been very minimal when things go wrong and they are still my airline of choice - particularly in J.

Good news on the J Beep!

Ooh Roo

Willie

 

[JohnK]

And I had the beep at gate for J

So I have the feeling of all is forgiven and the love affair continues.

Excellent outcome.

All is forgiven but their customer service can be really shocking at times. Hopefully you do not go through something like that again in a hurry.

 

[jetlagger]

All is forgiven but their customer service can be really shocking at times. .

I often find that service levels in HKG are generally very Brusque at the best of times.

 

[ReLoad]

So the service level when it went pear shaped was ordinary at best, I didn't end up getting to bed until 1.30am and if it wasn't for one of the people from our impromptu group of stranded PAX getting us through the customs line with an APEC card it would have easily been more like 3am!

We ended up at the Airport Marriott. was told to front up for CX 163 in the morning.

The first class check in counter folks were pretty ambivalent only confirming the whY seat.
Anyway up to the Wing for some breakfast and at least i was happy to have a seat full stop, even if in the wrong class.

The flight was running late, and by the looks was full/oversold.

Anyway got the beep at the gate, along with the other WP from our little group.

So how do i feel after the experience? At the time i was pretty pissed off, and i guess I'm used to the folks at QF who really when the chips are down and things go wrong come to the forefront of service.
So to be not offered a flight that night even though there were seats is pretty cough, and then to have us sit around for 5+ hours after the flight landed to get us sorted for a hotel is equally as average.

But the beep at the gate, well it just me feel a whole lot better about the experience, the CX crew as always were awesome, the CSM knew about our missed connection and kept me fed and watered so well in the end I had to ask for no more.

So im angry, yet im happy, and i feel in my heart that the upgrade to J made up for the cough service the night before.
I am not going to bother going for compo, i really couldn't be stuffed and the J upgrade made it balance out.

What did i learn? well i didn't expect this from CX, i think that was the main thing, i was totally unprepared as everything ive had with CX over the last 18 months has been brilliant, the dozen or so long hauls have been nothing short of excellent, so it really shock me as out of character, but perhaps its not. The ground crew seemed really dis-empowered and those decision makers that could help were not accessible, no matter how hard i pushed.

Anyway they are still my choice in Asia, not much compares to them, so it looks like ill be with them again, albeit perhaps with my eyes a little more wide open.

Again thanks for everyones help, much appreciated.

Oh and PS, I flew NZ J for the first time AKL-HKG now that was an eye opener, nothing short of awesome, brilliant service, great staff and a very comfy seat/bed. perhaps now that QF LTG is getting very close, the switch may happen.
Oh and the breakfast landing in HKG from AKL on NZ was identical (in every way)to the breakfast I had on CX landing in MEL!