Hurricane Hilary - LAX - Qantas Travel Waiver?

[bam71]

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/commercial-policies.html

Maybe keep checking this site - QF policies ( when/if they decide to come out with one)

 

[Scarlett]

Sounds pretty ‘storm in tea cup’ for the whole thing.

I’m sure the company are monitoring the weather around LAX. If there are any issues, with a booked QF ticket they will sort out getting to LAX and managing the connection. Now if that connection is on a seperate ticket, then the OP or their parents need to manage that. QF will still get them to LAX.

Maybe QF operational decision makers were considering not just one (or some customers) but rather those already due to fly LAX-SYD on the return flight and didn’t want to leave them ‘in the path of the storm’.

And of course QF, with a minimal LAX footprint, are going to have different policies in place compared to major US airlines flying many flights into LAX and likely plenty of other airports in and around Southern California.

It’s not what the OP wants, but all seems pretty normal from 12000 Kms away.

 

[offshore171]

Sounds pretty ‘storm in tea cup’ for the whole thing.

I'm leaning the same way.

I've used the NHC site in the past when planning travel to Bermuda in the hurricane season:

Normally the action is in the Atlantic, but they do also report the Pacific.

This is the plot for the next 72 hours for the storm in question. National Hurricane Center:

REMNANTS OF FOURTEEN-E

A bit of concern for the Baja peninsula. Not much expected north of the border

Of course these things can change course, but as it stands, I don't see too much to worry about.

 

[UP4014]

QF have what half a dozen flights re LAX, United and AA would have hundreds so I’d suggest a different level of focus.

QF is pretty conservative and not a risk taker.

It would seem the OP problem was not having the connection flight on the same ticket and therefore needed QF to change to suit the other.

 

[justinbrett]

QF are one of the most risk adverse airlines.

I was controlling in Darwin during Cyclone Monica - Cat 5 cyclone projected to hit Darwin head on in 2006. Cyclone Monica - Wikipedia

QF cancelled all flights in and out of Darwin and copped some flak for doing so. DJ continued to fly up until the storm hit.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Sounds pretty ‘storm in tea cup’ for the whole thing.

Agree. Nothing special about this storm. QF deals with similar issues all of the time flying to places like DFW.

Reality is flights can be diverted or cancelled/rescheduled.

I see no reason why QF should treat customers in a special way.

From what I can see the main issue is the failure to book on one PNR. You can't expect QF to be responsible for this choice.

 

[RooFlyer]

Still missing the point. Customer service - give your customers the option to change without charge if they feel uncomfortable or have schedules such as they can't sustain a last minute problem. Not because the airline has to, not because the customers are gonna die if they fly - just giving the customers a free option in what is yes, a very unusual and possibly disruptive event. Imagine that!!!

All the US airlines I looked at provided this customer service early enough so people could consider and make changes if they wished. Qantas left it very, very late. Either they only recognised the issue late (which is kinda odd, as the risk of actual disruption would have been clearer by then), or were trying to sweat their customers into changing with a fee (remember covid ....).

Its a simple contrast in the way certain airlines interact with their customers.

 

[drron]

I don't see it as QF at fault. I blame more the media for overhyping the Event.
Here is a typical comment from CNN -
The threat has triggered California’s first ever tropical storm warning extending from the state’s southern border to just north of Los Angeles.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/19/weather/hurricane-hilary-california-southwest-tropical-storm-saturday/index.html

The reason that it is California's first tropical storm warning is that those warnings were only begun in 1987. Southern California has already been hit by 3 hurricanes in the past. This will lose hurricane status before it crosses from Mexico to California.


And predicted rainfall -


Really doesn't look like LAX will be shut down. the risk is of major flooding in desert areas.

 

[justinbrett]

I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t even meet the threshold for travel insurance to cover cancellations.

 

[dajop]

QF have what half a dozen flights re LAX, United and AA would have hundreds so I’d suggest a different level of focus.

Yes, completely different scale and completely different journey characteristics. AA, UA and DL could cancel hundreds of flights and there will many passengers who are taking short trips, for which a day or two disruptive weather will mean they cancel altogether, so makes sense to be fairly liberal with weather waivers (and TBH, weather waivers are very common in the US). QF passengers are probably on longer trips so for most a day or two delay would be inconvenient but not necessarily a reason to cancel altogether, and QF is also likely to continue with some (consolidated) or even all delayed flights perhaps even with the infamous D suffix the next day - they need to get planes and crew back and forth across the Pacific (e.g. QF12 on Sunday becoming QF12D on Monday on a new schedule, whilst QF12 still runs on Monday as originally scheduled).

 

[offshore171]

Seems to be business as usual right now.

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

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Average delay 5 mins.
Disruption Index 1.0

 

[drron]

Projected wind speeds are not going to affect LAX operations.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t even meet the threshold for travel insurance to cover cancellations.

Agree. It likely wouldn't. It's a non issue.