QF Award booking on EK downgrade F to J - Advice please

[boffman]

Hi All,

I have an award booking on EK, booked with Qantas miles. SYD-DXB-GLA in F leaving tonight. The DXB-GLA leg has just been changed to J. I assume this is because the aircraft has been swapped out for a config without F.
I assume that Qantas won’t offer any compensation for the change as a mixed class booking would cost the same amount anyway. Couple of questions:
Can I claim UK261 compensation for the downgrade?
Can I still have a look around the worlds biggest F lounge in DXB?

Thank you

 

[boffman]

A bit more research and I think I mostly answered this.

UK261 won’t apply as I’m flying into the UK on a non-Uk airline.

Qantas should refund the difference in points on the downgraded leg as if it was booked as a standalone flight. That’s as per this AFF article:

Qantas' Mysterious Downgrade Compensation Policy

When Qantas moves a passenger from Business to Economy, they are entitled to compensation for the involuntary downgrade. But Qantas won't reveal how it calculates the refund amount.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

“On Classic Flight Reward bookings, Qantas tells us that the downgrade compensation should be the difference in points between the cabin booked and the cabin flown. On bookings with multiple flight sectors, this should be based on the difference in points required to book a standalone ticket on the downgraded sector.”

 

[CorporateFlyerMEL]

if you are still ticketed in F at the time of arrival at DXB lounge, I think you would have a good argument to access....

 

[BD1959]

Don't expect any flexibility though from the EK F Gatekeepers ... IME if the computer says "No" then "No" it is ....

Regards,

BD

 

[MELso]

A bit more research and I think I mostly answered this.

UK261 won’t apply as I’m flying into the UK on a non-Uk airline.

What a pain! UK261 will still apply (with Brexit, this was one of the many EU rules that was incorporated into the UK more or less unchanged), unless EK comes to the party in DXB. Google UK261 to get more info on it. Regulation EC261 vs UK261 - UK Air Passenger Rights is worthwhile looking at. As is Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91 (Text with EEA relevance)

Wonder if you could ask to be rebooked to fly to EDI or NCL?

 

[aus_flyer]

What a pain! UK261 will still apply

No it won't

 

[MELso]

No it won't

You're quite correct. (Was getting mixed up with cases on codeshares sold by EU carriers on non-EU carriers, which is where courts have held EU carriers liable)

 

[boffman]

I just called Emirates and asked why I was unable to select a seat for the leg that had changed from F to J. They said I had to call Qantas and ask them to cancel and reissue the ticket. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. I think I’m better off going to the airport and sorting things out there.

 

[DAC1]

I just called Emirates and asked why I was unable to select a seat for the leg that had changed from F to J. They said I had to call Qantas and ask them to cancel and reissue the ticket. That sounds like a recipe for disaster. I think I’m better off going to the airport and sorting things out there.

You might want to make sure you get there as early as you can in case you need to call Qantas if Qantas need to reissue the ticket because of the change in class.

 

[aus_flyer]

Qantas doesn’t need to reissue the ticket to adjust points. Keep your boarding passes and take it up with Qantas afterwards.

 

[boffman]

Well I was checked in and issued boarding passes and an invite to the F lounge in DXB. But my DXB-GLA pass says STBY.

Going to have a chat with a CSR in EK lounge and see what’s what. There’s very little time to fix anything when I get to DXB.

 

[DAC1]

Well I was checked in and issued boarding passes and an invite to the F lounge in DXB. But my DXB-GLA pass says STBY.

Going to have a chat with a CSR in EK lounge and see what’s what. There’s very little time to fix anything when I get to DXB.

Did you ask at check-in?

 

[boffman]

Did you ask at check-in?

Didn’t dare. Thought I’d be in a much better position with a boarding pass than without.

 

[I love to travel]

Good luck

 

[boffman]

The rep in the EK lounge was very nice. She said there was one seat left in business and would get it allocated to me.
Now relaxing in QF F lounge. Thank you everyone for your help. It’s a funny thing, I find it quite comforting to have this forum to bounce things off at times like this.

 

[DAC1]

The rep in the EK lounge was very nice. She said there was one seat left in business and would get it allocated to me.
Now relaxing in QF F lounge. Thank you everyone for your help. It’s a funny thing, I find it quite comforting to have this forum to bounce things off at times like this.

Glad to hear that, enjoy the F lounge and your shower onboard