Qantas Business Class customers bumped to economy in Tokyo

[timster]

These situations will never be resolved properly as long as it is just single passengers venting on just about the only option available to them, an internet forum. Qantas has weathered that storm before (eg Emily's Parents), and will do so again .. and again. The only way that will change is if a consumer body with some influence and weight of numbers takes up the mantle with Qantas .... or better still the ACCC. And that body is ... AFF ! So come on AFF, do some advocacy. Have you even asked Qantas for a response ? Or are they hiding out like they did during the Emily's Parents disgrace ? I'm sure there are some lawyers and policy experts in the house who would be happy to contribute if the AFF took the lead and started the ball rolling with the ACCC. Power in numbers !

 

[wilso1]

No other company in Australia would get away with this, Australia has the weakest laws in the world for this sort of thing. And it will never change while Qantas and Virgin are allowed to pay off our politicians with free gifts to lo the exclusive Chairman's Lounge and endless upgrades to business and first. Its wrong and we all should insist it stops! Then we may see some change.

Exclusive access to airport lounges tops parliamentary gift register

The Parliamentary Register of Members' Interests shows Qantas gives more gifts to politicians than any other company, but rival Virgin Australia is not far behind.

www.abc.net.au

 

[SOPOOR]

it would be great if affected customers would all start initiating chargebacks, then qantas will know how it feels to have to run around and chase up everything,

and in my experience, often the credit card companies refund the full balance too, (not sure if this is a random occurance or the merchant failed to reply) but I have done a few charge backs for partial amounts and I usually just dispute the whole amount, and get it back

eg. I did a klook refund for a travel sim, I bought 2 in one transaction, one didnt eventuate, so I did a dispute and got the entire transaction $$ back

 

[odysseus]

I dunno why the ACCC even has to do that? The Europeans have had a proper compensation scheme for years. No issues. No fares going out of control or sky high.

We could just copy and paste. And once you start to compensate passengers properly, the incentive to make things right increases. Once you do that, less need to call and get cranky service from the call centre.

It's not as simple as that.

Sure, the legislation is there. But just like here, it doesn't mean it is always followed, or always easy to claim such restitution. Many still "need to call and get cranky service from the call centre..."

 

[drron]

I have the odd 1 or 2 posts and couldn't give a fig if someone wants to lecture me as I know I get a few things wrong.
What I don't like is someone finding fault with me because they have a totally different set of morals to myself.
So to all who find a subject not to their liking or a poster you often don't agree with you can just ignore them or just let it go through to the keeper.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

I've said it a million times but I'll repeat again since we know regulators read this forum

Airlines should never be profiting from downgrading a passenger. The current shady practises the Australian based airlines engage in practically incentivize the airlines to oversell (or bump of pax for other commercial reasons), force the pax to accept the downgrade - and pocket the difference in revenue.

Shady shady shady

 

[Pushka]

I have the odd 1 or 2 posts and couldn't give a fig if someone wants to lecture me as I know I get a few things wrong.
What I don't like is someone finding fault with me because they have a totally different set of morals to myself.
So to all who find a subject not to their liking or a poster you often don't agree with you can just ignore them or just let it go through to the keeper.

The ignore function works well. I only have a couple on it thankfully.

 

[Pushka]

I've said it a million times but I'll repeat again since we know regulators read this forum

Airlines should never be profiting from downgrading a passenger. The current shady practises the Australian based airlines engage in practically incentivize the airlines to oversell (or bump of pax for other commercial reasons), force the pax to accept the downgrade - and pocket the difference in revenue.

Shady shady shady

I posted that theory earlier.

 

[samh004]

I don’t believe for one minute there was a problem with the seats I thinks it’s BS as a publicity stunt, they get away with it because they can!

I note no one else replied to this statement, but Im not sure all publicity is good publicity and certainly not negative publicity in this case. Whether the seats were actually broken or they oversold to someone with higher status, who knows, but I very much doubt that it was done just because they could.

 

[The man with no name]

I'm so pleased you find those who have a legitimate complaint but happen to disagree with your condescending attitude amusing. Like I said earlier, it's posters like you - 5000 plus but of what quality I wonder? - who give this site a bad name. You most likely chase people off this site but please do continue to give us your pearls of wisdom and make it to 10,000 posts. I'm sure they will be fascinating.

I obviously have no idea how far or frequently you've travelled but for all you know I've possibly made more business and first class trips than you've had hot dinners. As have possibly those with 50 or fewer posts. However, I don't feel the need to post on here to justify my existence. 5,600+ posts? So what?

Your attitude early on was that the OP was a whining individual who would probably not return to the thread. Well, she proved you wrong. When I pointed this out, you decided to attack my post and, indirectly, those who had neither the time nor the inclination to spend all day here. It's also interesting that AFF chose to highlight her complaint in an individual article as a discussion starter, but of course she was just a fly-by whiner, no?

Enjoy your flying and do keep us all up to date with any problems you might incur, you'll reach that magic 10,000 before you know it.

Not sure that an off the cuff comment, albeit a bit of a sneer, requires the oxygen you and others have delivered. Why do folks feel a sense of outrage over nothing these days ? Toughen up people.

 

[The man with no name]

Sure, but do the Europeans have a Chairman's Lounge?

It's probably the CL members causing the downgrades

 

[AFF Editor]

These situations will never be resolved properly as long as it is just single passengers venting on just about the only option available to them, an internet forum. Qantas has weathered that storm before (eg Emily's Parents), and will do so again .. and again. The only way that will change is if a consumer body with some influence and weight of numbers takes up the mantle with Qantas .... or better still the ACCC. And that body is ... AFF ! So come on AFF, do some advocacy. Have you even asked Qantas for a response ? Or are they hiding out like they did during the Emily's Parents disgrace ? I'm sure there are some lawyers and policy experts in the house who would be happy to contribute if the AFF took the lead and started the ball rolling with the ACCC. Power in numbers !

We have indeed spoken to Qantas about this. Back in September, myself and another well-known AFF member spent weeks trying to get a straight answer about what their downgrade compensation policy actually is. Eventually I received an answer, and the information was published here: Qantas Downgrade Compensation is Woefully Inadequate

I did also request comment from Qantas last week about the issue that the OP in this thread had. I published their response in the relevant article: Qantas Forces Passenger to Accept Downgrade

You'll be pleased to know that we have also now contacted the ACCC about this.

 

[suze2000]

It's probably the CL members causing the downgrades

So what you are saying is that while CL exists, nothing will be done as the CL members benefit from this policy?

 

[Danielb56]

Had a similar experience last month. Qantas tried to downgrade me to premium economy on a flight from Haneda to Sydney. I was offered $400 cash and a points refund.
They admitted to being overbooked and obviously as a bronze FF I was high on their list to downgrade. I refused the downgrade, suggested they could get me on a flight the next day or with another airline and pointed out that the reason I used points for a business class was a back problem. They also told me that I would probably be upgraded at the gate as they usually had no shows. Didn't believe that one.
Anyway I stood my ground and got my original seat in business class but I made sure I was at the gate early. I never fly Qantas unless I am using points and this just confirmed my negative opinion. The plane was awful, I think their oldest 747. The lockers for seats 3 F and 3 J were literally held together by duct tape. Not a patch on Qatar or even Vietnam Airlines very cheap business.

I avoid Qantas flights when using my points for the very reason you mention above [Qantas tried to downgrade me] .... Always try and use their partners. So far so good. My wife and I have booked fights to Athens and return from Rome next year using our points on Business. Not one is a Qantas flight even though I had the options...we fly British to Sin and then Qatar to Athens and our return from Rome is Cathay and China Airlina (from Taipei) - all confirmed and locked in. Let's hope there are no issues...
As I have stated before I now only fly Qantas for the minimum and use their partners when its good for me as they treat me better than Qantas any day of the week. Don't believe in loyalty anymore...

 

[cove]

Yesterday I booked my eldest son on SQ to Narita after looking at the QF options. Wonder how many Qantas customers are being lost by this downgrade news as even my son knew about it.

 

[Pushka]

Yesterday I booked my eldest son on SQ to Narita after looking at the QF options. Wonder how many Qantas customers are being lost by this downgrade news as even my son knew about it.

Well this is good. It stops the ‘Divide and Conquer’ mentality that Qantas seems to have when dealing with significant issues.

 

[Vic]

Not sure that an off the cuff comment, albeit a bit of a sneer, requires the oxygen you and others have delivered. Why do folks feel a sense of outrage over nothing these days ? Toughen up people.

I'm certainly not outraged.
There is a lot of group think on this site, and there seems to be a number of the members who want to protect their patch from outsiders.
I'm just trying to support the OP to point out that sneering isn't ok.

 

[Vic]

Now back on topic.
I thought I read a quote of Qantas rules earlier in this thread that said the downgrade policy was available on request.
Should all posting to this thread contact Qantas and request a copy of the downgrade policy?

 

[drron]

Now back on topic.
I thought I read a quote of Qantas rules earlier in this thread that said the downgrade policy was available on request.
Should all posting to this thread contact Qantas and request a copy of the downgrade policy?

See post 232.The AFF editor has already posted that info with the link on this thread.

 

[Vic]

See post 232.The AFF editor has already posted that info with the link on this thread.

They published the information provided. that is a bit different to actually getting a copy of the downgrade policy, which is what I suggested.