QF award flight downgrade

[whippet]

I realise that I can re ticket with a business class ticket but that does not suit me. Tis a long trip and the rest is mostly first class. I just find it outrageous that they can down grade you on a major sector without so much as an apology, or any form of compensation. Theres a lot of airlines out there busting a nut to keep the front of the plane as busy as possible. they will be getting my business in future. Arrogance towards customers should be rewarded I think in kind. Qantas never wrote to me, all I got was a email from platinum travel telling me I was re booked in business. Not good enough

 

[aus_flyer]

I realise that I can re ticket with a business class ticket but that does not suit me. Tis a long trip and the rest is mostly first class. I just find it outrageous that they can down grade you on a major sector without so much as an apology, or any form of compensation. Theres a lot of airlines out there busting a nut to keep the front of the plane as busy as possible. they will be getting my business in future. Arrogance towards customers should be rewarded I think in kind. Qantas never wrote to me, all I got was a email from platinum travel telling me I was re booked in business. Not good enough

As your itinerary had in fact been ticketed as F, my understanding is that are entitled to compensation.

The "no compensation for lower cabin" rule generally applies where you purchase a First class ticket but voluntarily travel in a lower cabin for a particular flight - such as domestic within Australia.

 

[Evan]

As your itinerary had in fact been ticketed as F, my understanding is that are entitled to compensation.

The "no compensation for lower cabin" rule generally applies where you purchase a First class ticket but voluntarily travel in a lower cabin for a particular flight - such as domestic within Australia.

On a straight return fare this would be the case, you could be due compensation. However as a oneworld product like xONEx generally there is a clause that means you just get the lower class, no refunds !
Its happened to many of us including me on my AONE5 where LA stopped F on AKL-SYD. Thats life really.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

I just find it outrageous that they can down grade you on a major sector without so much as an apology, or any form of compensation. Theres a lot of airlines out there busting a nut to keep the front of the plane as busy as possible. they will be getting my business in future. Arrogance towards customers should be rewarded I think in kind. Qantas never wrote to me, all I got was a email from platinum travel telling me I was re booked in business. Not good enough

If you book through a TA, I'm pretty sure that communications via the TA is normal practice.

As for being downgraded without compensation - did you read the terms of the fare you booked (ACIR22 I assume)? You're already getting a significant discount on the cost of flying F sectors. I wouldn't be too outraged - those are the risks you run when you book these fares. Unhappy - yes. Outraged - no.

Maybe if there were actually more of you people actually paying F prices for these flights then there would still be F. But it seems evident that there aren't enough F paying pax, or they're flying on discount tickets, to make it worth QF's financial while to fly an F cabin with F service.

 

[Evan]

mildly unhappy is what i felt when one of my shorter F segments became J, i got over it, i got F on all the important sectors and i got a good discount on F tickets so i can't complain too much, also then i just changed my flight to a different one which was a better time anyway.
Sometimes this is a risk you take

 

[JohnK]

Agree with what others have said. Call Qantas and see if you can get 2 seats allocated in rows 1-4. OK so it is not First class service but at least you will be sitting in a First class seat.

you paid with AMEX points
you now have an extra 200K points you say you can't use
you are still in J
no one else is in F as it's just not there...
Qantas apologized

As the OP explained those points were moved from Amex MR to Qantas and now they are stuck ~200,000 QFF points as Qantas has downgraded their award.

If I had a choice between 200,000 Amex MR points or 200,000 QFF points the choice would be a no-brainer. You can almost get 2 business saver awards to Europe on SQ with the Amex MR points whereas the QFF points are not even enough for 1 business class award to Europe.

I guess these are the risks we take when moving points around....

 

[whippet]

I already have 3A and 4A reserved. Just let them try and put me in the business class lounge at sydney while Im holding a first class (unusable I know) ticket !

 

[Dave Noble]

I already have 3A and 4A reserved. Just let them try and put me in the business class lounge at sydney while Im holding a first class (unusable I know) ticket !

Given that you are travelling business class, I would not hold out too much hope of getting into the First Lounge

If 1st has been removed from some of your key longhaul sectors, you might want to consider downgrading to a business class ticket perhaps

Dave

 

[whippet]

flights to washington, LA. honk kong and sydney still first. so hanging in. only other 1st class flight with shrinking qantas is Hong Kong to Sydney. by the time I get there they will have probably off loaded the sector to jetstar.

 

[Syshan]

Just spoke to QFF call centre, preallocated seats are 3E/F. The operator was quite adamant that it will be J arrangement rather than F arrangement with J service. There will be no hope to have points returned to AMEX programme either....but he did offer to cancel or change flights without incurring penalties!!!

 

[serfty]

On a straight return fare this would be the case, you could be due compensation. However as a oneworld product like xONEx generally there is a clause that means you just get the lower class, no refunds !
Its happened to many of us including me on my AONE5 where LA stopped F on AKL-SYD. Thats life really.

Not really.

See this FT thread from the oneworld forum (especially yesterdays post from Moomba):

* Involuntary Downgrade on AONEX Ticket - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[NM]

Just spoke to QFF call centre, preallocated seats are 3E/F. The operator was quite adamant that it will be J arrangement rather than F arrangement with J service. There will be no hope to have points returned to AMEX programme either....but he did offer to cancel or change flights without incurring penalties!!!

Note that the ONLY Qantas 747 configurations that have seats 3E and 3F are the ones with a First Class cabin. The 2-class config dos not have seats 3E and 3F (just 4E and 4F).

 

[whippet]

this is not a points flight. paid cash. have confirmed seating as mentioned . no idea what has happened since

 

[whippet]

Qantas have changed the aircraft on flight
QF 17 - from Sydney to Buenos Aires

The aircraft change has caused the removal of the "First Class Cabin"
downgrading your seats to Business Class

Unfortunately Qantas make these changes from time to time
and this cannot be predicted

The business class will be a flat bed
I have assigned your seats in 3A & 4 A -
individual seats behind each other.


(Is this all misinformed garbage?)

 

[NM]

Qantas have changed the aircraft on flight
QF 17 - from Sydney to Buenos Aires

Actually, it would appear they have not changed the aircraft, just changed the way they will market and operate the flight. The aircraft will still have a First Class Cabin, but they will only be operating as Business Class. This has been reported in the media in recent days and is happening on several routes for a period of several months, not just on specific days.

The aircraft change has caused the removal of the "First Class Cabin"
downgrading your seats to Business Class

Not quite accurate. This has resulted in Qantas no longer offering First Class tickets on that flight. The aircraft will still have a cabin that is the same as that used for First Class flights. But they will not be catering for First Class meals or amenities. They will be serving people seated in that section of the aircraft as business class passengers.

Unfortunately Qantas make these changes from time to time
and this cannot be predicted

Airlines do make these changes from time to time. Sometimes the changes are in fact driven by an actual aircraft change from one with a First Class cabin to one without a first class cabin. However, in this case it seems the change is one of reducing costs due to low demand for paid First Class tickets on specific routes and the removal from sale of First Class tickets for a period of several months (July to November has been reported in the media). This is not specific to your flight on that particular day, by includes several routings, including MEL-HKG and SYD-JNB as well as your flight and others.

The business class will be a flat bed
I have assigned your seats in 3A & 4 A -
individual seats behind each other.

Sounds like you will still be seated in First Class seats, which are fully flat beds, but will have business class catering and amenities for the flight.

(Is this all misinformed garbage?)

It would seem to have an interesting spin attached

Regardless of the fare paid (I assume an ACIR29SA or similar fare), you will have a Business Class boarding pass for the SYD-EZE flight and unless you have OneWorld Emerald status you will not be entitled to use the First Class lounge at Sydney before the flight.

While it is understandably disappointing, the ACIR29SA fare does not provide any financial compensation for being accommodated in business class on a flight where First Class is not offered. I feel your pain (same thing has happened to me when CX dropped F from MEL-HKG and I has routed via MEL just to fly CX F on that daytime sector), but there is little you can do about it. Your options include cancelling the ticket and asking for a refund with any penalties waived, rebooking the entire trip in business class and seeking a refund of the difference between ACIR29SA and DCIR29SA, or accepting the business class service and enjoying the first class sleeper seats on the flight.

 

[Syshan]

Since 1st class flight is no longer available my wife and I are wishing to leave 2 days earlier than planned. Looking at QFF award booking site there is no business class seats on the day we want to travel but they are available for purchase though.
Do you guys think they will give in if I call them up given I was downgraded from the original flight.

 

[whippet]

since my last post re downgrading, I now have in my hot little hand a guarantee that the seats I have reserved in the first class section will not be given to a High status FF and also we have been promised access to the first class lounge at sydney. Its hard to believe these things had to be fought for rather than qantas making it happen in an effort to appease cranky nose travellers with first class tickets in the their hands.

 

[SnowYeti]

since my last post re downgrading, I now have in my hot little hand a guarantee that the seats I have reserved in the first class section will not be given to a High status FF and also we have been promised access to the first class lounge at sydney. Its hard to believe these things had to be fought for rather than qantas making it happen in an effort to appease cranky nose travellers with first class tickets in the their hands.

Good news! well done. Sad you had to fight but at least it'll be good!

 

[NM]

Since 1st class flight is no longer available my wife and I are wishing to leave 2 days earlier than planned. Looking at QFF award booking site there is no business class seats on the day we want to travel but they are available for purchase though.
Do you guys think they will give in if I call them up given I was downgraded from the original flight.

What is the reason for wanting to change the date? It may be difficult to link the need to change the travel date to the change of class of travel.

If you have Qantas Platinum frequent flyer status then you will stand a better chance of having them create award space on a different date. Otherwise I expect it will be difficult to justify. But there is no harm in asking. Just don't set yourself unachievable expectations.