Qantas gave our plane away!!

[jonesy]

Three weeks ago I took my wife and daughter to Melbourne to see friends and meet up with my son and daughter who flew down from Sydney. We had a pleasant and uneventful flight from Launceston via Jetstar on the Friday night; and had a terrific weekend of AFL games and catching up with everyone's news.

Sunday we had a Qantas flight back to Launceston at 19:00 and were listed as departing on time from gate 30. Around 18:35 Mildura passengers at gate 28 were advised that their plane had technical difficulties and would be substantially delayed and all started making phone calls to loved ones to advise accordingly. A few minutes later we were advised that our incoming plane was late so our departure would be delayed a little.

Ar 18:45 Mildura passengers were advised that their plane was now fixed (an engineering miracle??) and would be leaving around 19:15 from gate 30!! With the Mildura passenger's cheers still echoing around the terminal we were advised that our plane has some technical difficulties and would be departing around 20:30 from gate 28 which subsequently was adjusted to 22:30 - it was obvious this plane would not be going anywhere so I told the family we will probably need to stay the night.

I went up to the desk and asked "what is going on and why did you give our plane away?" - another passenger was doing exactly the same 5m away - they denied it of course but looked like "deer in the headlights" and were clearly embarrassed.

Long story short - they had to bus us to a nearby hotel and provide dinner and breakfast then bussed us back at 06:30 for a 9am flight. We got back to Launceston around 11:00 to drive back home to Burnie - our daughter missed a day of school and it cost me another $10 in the long term car park.

This flight was my "I will give them another chance flight" - STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!

I wonder why Mildura passengers are worth more than Launceston passengers? Both flights seemed full so it wasn't a difference in hotel costs for them - maybe someone on the Mildura flight had a lot more "pull" than any of us.

Have any other FFs had this happen?

 

[mannej]

I would say it's a bit more complex than just one flight being more important than the other. One flight is small fry in the big picture, so the decision to change the flights may have been made so it would have the least disruption to the overall schedule.

 

[The Rok]

Like where the aircraft & crew needed to be after that flight. Maybe the flight that got the go ahead was not terminating for the night so getting it out first provided the least disruption to other schedules.

 

[markis10]

Customers dont have pull with anyone at the airport that can make such changes, operations make the decisions based on a large variety of factors. You lucked out as your flight was the easiest solution to the problem, it says nothing about who what where in terms of the passengers.

 

[dajop]

Maybe it was to do with the turn around of the planes. Both would come back the next morning. Of these, maybe the MQL flight was fuller OR the thought was the LST-MEL pax the following morning could be transferred to JQ if need be.

 

[MelUser]

Crikey - this sounds like a Tiger story.

Very embarassing for Qantas.

Personally I would have checked my IPHONE and seen if any flights with DJ/Tiger/whatever and grabbed them. I assume of course you had no checked luggage.

Also, were you flying one of the Qantas Link planes and therefore a Dash8? These do have reliability issues and it is not like a 737 where there are plenty lying around to use.

 

[drron]

Happens with the QF Link flights to DPO at times.Once I lost my flight and again sure it was Mildura that got it.On the other hand have had the reverse happen.As usual was on the last flight to DPO on Sunday night.The plane overnights in DPO and operates the 0630 flight back to MEL on Monday morning which is always full.In the QP I noted the incoming flight was ~ 1 hour late so was surprised to get the final call announcement in the QP on time but at a different gate.
The last flight sunday is also always full so I guess management thought it would be worse for them to hold the DPO plane than whatever place that bird was stolen from.

 

[mannej]

Crikey - this sounds like a Tiger story.

Very embarassing for Qantas.

Personally I would have checked my IPHONE and seen if any flights with DJ/Tiger/whatever and grabbed them. I assume of course you had no checked luggage.

Also, were you flying one of the Qantas Link planes and therefore a Dash8? These do have reliability issues and it is not like a 737 where there are plenty lying around to use.

How is it embarrassing?

These things do happen, and it seems that QF moved the aircraft around due to their operational needs. It is something that could happen on any other carrier, and it seems more a case of bad luck to the OP rather than anything else.

 

[markis10]

Often QF will reposition a flight and crew in an empty aircraft so its available in the morning if things go haywire. Many years ago I was at BNE int waiting to the PNG flight to take me to Sydney and a storm hit for two hours, QF got the planes out empty just so they could make curfew at Sydney and be ready in the morning.

 

[jonesy]

Thanks to all for your input - what still irks me is the way that they just brushed us off when we asked about it and denied it had happened. If they had explained it to us that it was all for the greater good etc it would have made sense (we would still be peeved) and maybe logic would have calmed us down.

I am sure they have an SOP for this - perhaps it needs to be edited to tell the customer what is really happening and even hand out some vouchers for use on future flights or provide some bonus FF points as a "peace offering".

Their typical disdain for the customer plus frequent maintenance problems have driven me away forever.

 

[mannej]

Thanks to all for your input - what still irks me is the way that they just brushed us off when we asked about it and denied it had happened. If they had explained it to us that it was all for the greater good etc it would have made sense (we would still be peeved) and maybe logic would have calmed us down.

I am sure they have an SOP for this - perhaps it needs to be edited to tell the customer what is really happening and even hand out some vouchers for use on future flights or provide some bonus FF points as a "peace offering".

Their typical disdain for the customer plus frequent maintenance problems have driven me away forever.

Frequent maintenance problems - that is an unqualified load of rubbish statement. Mx issues happen to all airlines.

They did put you up with meals etc. Have you contacted the airline regarding re-imbursement of extra costs etc.

Disdain for the customer, I think REX take the cake for that one...
'Sheer arrogance': anger over Rex's 'insulting' complaint response

and

Rex's response to Dr Thorburn's letter | The Area News

 

[The Rok]

Ha ha, I PMSL at the Rex reply, it's very well thought out and how often can you say that an airline responds to a written complaint with a personalised response instead of a template??? I applaud Rex for that one!

 

[mannej]

Ha ha, I PMSL at the Rex reply, it's very well thought out and how often can you say that an airline responds to a written complaint with a personalised response instead of a template??? I applaud Rex for that one!

I take it you are not from Griffith

 

[The Rok]

No, I'm not. But I still think the response was hilarious.

 

[yohy?!]

*The operation of flights and schedules is subject to operational requirements and may change at any time

 

[moa999]

They might have honestly though the mx delay was correct.

Better to delay two planes for 45-90 min each, and say have the mildura plane turnaround with a set of pax to sydney and make curfew.
Who knows, it unfortunately happens with mx (sometimes you win - mildura pax)

 

[JohnK]

Honesty in communicating disruptions/cancellations to passengers could go a long way.

That and avoiding the last flight of the night.

 

[QF1]

All i can say is "YOU ARE THE REASON WE FLY"

 

[timmitch]

Mildura ppl are just special.

Not very often the flight to and from there are delayed or cancelled

 

[Must...Fly!]

Crikey - this sounds like a Tiger story.

Very embarassing for Qantas.

1) It does not
2) It is not

Airline operations are very complex but whatever happens, it happens for a reason. Vast majority of the time the decisions made are for the maximum benefit to passengers and schedule. Given that you received a hotel and transfers and arrived safely home on an early flight the next day, I'm not sure the OP can complain at all.

If you have a need to be home that night, consider an earlier flight. Last flight of the day is always riskier.