Qantas 'cancelled flight' SMS at 5am

[burmans]

How do you opt in / out?

I can understand the argument that Qantas should send these messages out at early as possible. I would want to be notified ASAP if I was booked on an international flight that was cancelled. Especially if the flight they moved me onto wasn't until the following day.

But in this case I was on a MEL-SYD and the flight they moved me on to was 15 minutes earlier. Being woken up at 5am to tell me I need to get to the airport in 12 hours instead of 12.25 hours doesn't seem that sensible to me, but I seem to be in the minority on that.

I don't leave my phone on silent because I work with people in many different timezones who occasionally need to get in touch urgently during the night.

Don't agree with the either opt in or out argument. Noticed when we were in the States that United have a facility on their notification service that allows you to set a period for don't disturb, defaults to 23:00 - 6:00 I think and am pretty sure this also allows time zones to be used.

Being in computing myself I don't think this is that hard of a system to setup and definitely provides an "enhanced" customer service.

Of course didn't work for us because United waited until we had actually arrived at the airport and even checked in before cancelling the flight but nevertheless I still believe this is one enhancement Qantas could pretty easily make.

 

[freepyjamas]

Don't agree with the either opt in or out argument. Noticed when we were in the States that United have a facility on their notification service that allows you to set a period for don't disturb, defaults to 23:00 - 6:00 I think and am pretty sure this also allows time zones to be used.

Being in computing myself I don't think this is that hard of a system to setup and definitely provides an "enhanced" customer service.

Of course didn't work for us because United waited until we had actually arrived at the airport and even checked in before cancelling the flight but nevertheless I still believe this is one enhancement Qantas could pretty easily make.

So how does that work if I'm on a 7.00am flight? Do I have to remember to reset my preferences the day before? I think this is a solution looking for a problem really.

 

[mannej]

Why make a system more complicated than what it has to be?

 

[markis10]

How do you opt in / out?

I can understand the argument that Qantas should send these messages out at early as possible. I would want to be notified ASAP if I was booked on an international flight that was cancelled. Especially if the flight they moved me onto wasn't until the following day.

But in this case I was on a MEL-SYD and the flight they moved me on to was 15 minutes earlier. Being woken up at 5am to tell me I need to get to the airport in 12 hours instead of 12.25 hours doesn't seem that sensible to me, but I seem to be in the minority on that.

I don't leave my phone on silent because I work with people in many different timezones who occasionally need to get in touch urgently during the night.

Dont put your mobile in the field where it says the number will be used for updates, it's not mandatory, if you do, be prepared to get the service you opted in for:

[TABLE="class: form"]
[TR]
[TD="class: top"]Mobile:[/TD]
[TD="class: nopad, colspan: 2"][TABLE="class: inform"]
[TR]
[TD="class: top"][/TD]
[TD] Copy to all phone fields[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: wrap"]Used to SMS flight updates within 3 days of your flight out or while you are away.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[blackcat20]

You have also got to consider that not everyone works to the same hours as you. Also they could be overseas at the time the notification is sent so the time might be perfect for them. I think it is perfectly reasonable for Qantas to send the alert as soon as it is confirmed.

Or its 2.30am in the country you're in, and when you call them, they say its too early for them to make alternate plans....

 

[alieninperth]

If you have an actual smart phone and use it as an alarm you can turn it off at night. It will turn itself back on when the alarm goes off. I have set my BlackBerry to turn off at 11pm and back on a 6.30am. The alarm is set for 6.30. If I want to set the alarm earlier then it will be on from the time that the alarm goes off.

I would suggest that you have a little play with the phone to see if this can happen with yours both my current BB and old Nokia had this function. That should stop the early morning txts coming through.

 

[ronaldh]

Otherwise, if texts/calls really are a problem...put it on flight mode when you go to bed.

 

[Hvr]

Personally, I think the earlier they warn you of a cancellation, the better, even if it is at that time of morning.

I agree, once I got such an SMS and immediately rang QF. I was so quick the call centre hadn't received the notification and had to check my actual booking. A quick minute of checking by them and they were able to advise me of my new flight. All ok.

 

[simongr]

Did you do that at 5AM?

 

[Mal]

I don't have an issue with QF sending a delay/cancel SMS at whatever time - like others, I can ignore it and go back to sleep, choose to take action etc as I see fit.

I would rather know than not know, and as others have commented - QF has little or no idea a) Where I am, b) Why I booked that flight and c) Whether it is critical for me to know immediately if cancelled/delayed, or if I can wait.

Now JQ sending their "don't forget to visit the International terminal" smses for JQ35/36 at early hours of the morning are something that *is* inappropriate.

 

[munitalP]

just a question.... when does Qantas win?

 

[Must...Fly!]

just a question.... when does Qantas win?

Only when they don't contact people between 2300-0700 local, fly planes fully serviced on-shore including heavy maintenance and fly to every destination SQ/EK/CX do and are cheaper than every other option. And don't restrict up-gradable points fares. And free space-available upgrades.

But then they'll lose again 3 days later because there won't be an airline.

 

[Sprucegoose]

If you lot weren't warned at 5am you would all be whinging about the lack of advance notice.

Now harden the F up!

Qantas are doing their job in the way they know best.

Turn off your phone if you don't want to be disturbed.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Only when they don't contact people between 2300-0700 local, fly planes fully serviced on-shore including heavy maintenance and fly to every destination SQ/EK/CX do and are cheaper than every other option. And don't restrict up-gradable points fares. And free space-available upgrades.e.

Well that knocks Virgin out of the local game due to fails on many of your scoring points

 

[Hvr]

Did you do that at 5AM?

I certainly did.

I didn't know why the flight was cancelled and thought that if there were going to be people put onto other flights I wanted to be given the best choice.

 

[JohnK]

I would rather have the notification as early as possible. I have lost count of the number of times I have received an SMS as I am walking out of the Airtrain at the Domestic Airport.

just a question.... when does Qantas win?

When they do not annoy anyone!

 

[amaroo]

I would rather have the notification as early as possible. I have lost count of the number of times I have received an SMS as I am walking out of the Airtrain at the Domestic Airport.

The best one for us so far - getting the SMS saying that QF8 was delayed.......as we were checking in at BNE

Another that prefers to be advised ASAP.

 

[JohnK]

Come to think of it I did get a notification once as I was about to walk into the BNE Business lounge.

I did think it was funny at the time but I guess it was a late cancellation.

 

[burmans]

Why make a system more complicated than what it has to be?

Well of course you don't have to, if you are happy to be woken up at 4 am by a text you don't have to use the time of day service. Sorry but that sounds like a week argument to me, we have the option of taking simple solutions and more complex in many areas of our lives, why do you want to deprive others because you find it a bit complicated.

Same answer applies for the 7am flight really, it's not the default option to have this "don't SMS me between xx- yy" on, so unless you wanted the service you wouldn't turn it on. As for a solution looking for a problem, the fact this thread is 4 pages long suggests some people think it's a problem.

 

[burmans]

I don't have an issue with QF sending a delay/cancel SMS at whatever time - like others, I can ignore it and go back to sleep, choose to take action etc as I see fit.

I would rather know than not know, and as others have commented - QF has little or no idea a) Where I am, b) Why I booked that flight and c) Whether it is critical for me to know immediately if cancelled/delayed, or if I can wait.

Now JQ sending their "don't forget to visit the International terminal" smses for JQ35/36 at early hours of the morning are something that *is* inappropriate.

Intrigued to know how you program your phone to accept the texts you want and not the ones you don't.