Strangest flight change?

[RooFlyer]

The current border closures obviously makes flight scheduling a nighmare for airlines. This post isn't a complaint, but recognition of how some bizarre outcomes can come about.

Destination was Canberra, so I booked to fly HBA-CBR early on day one, then CBR-xMEL-HBA late the next day, so about a day and a half in Canberra. I got a notification 2 days before flight that there would be a change (due to Canberra locking down - this was expected).

The next day, the change arrived:

HBA-BNE, then later same day, BNE-xCBR-xMEL-HBA.

Now, normally I'd be right up for this to harvest some SCs (it was a DSC booking) but if course I don't need them anymore AND, well, the omission of Canberra as a stopover was kind of a dealbreaker.

I called the PlatLine and was instantly offered TravelPass with DSC, and that was that. Total call time including menu was about 2 minutes.

Other than the pretty usual 'depart-before-you-are-due-to-arrive' scenario, what's been your strangest re-routing?

 

[dk4]

The Qantas computer decided to re-time one of my connecting flights, and instead of a 90min transit in BNE, the computer actual ticketed me to have a negative, yes negative -4 hour transit in BNE. Not only was my flight into BNE arrving 4 hours AFTER my flight departing from BNE, but my connecting flight was departing from BNE before I would have even stepped onto my my flight to BNE!

And Qantas thinks that removing service desks from their lounges was a good idea, because they can rely on their technology instead during disruptions!!?

 

[RooFlyer]

The Qantas computer decided to re-time one of my connecting flights, and instead of a 90min transit in BNE, the computer actual ticketed me to have a negative, yes negative -4 hour transit in BNE.

As I noted, this sort of thing is not unusual these days. It was discussed on another thread as to why it happens.

 

[kookaburra75]

MrsK and I are booked to travel from Canberra up to Maroochydore in a couple of weeks time (fingers crossed). The flights were originally CBR-MCY up, and then MCY-SYD-CBR coming back. They've gone through a few changes since we booked earlier in the year. The second to last change was for the return leg, and had us going MCY-MEL-SYD, and then stopping there when it arrived at 8pm. I rang up and pointed out the gap between Sydney and Canberra. The agent checked it, and it was because the last flight of the day from MEL-CBR was booked out. She was able to get us onto that flight by moving us up to J.

 

[Vic]

As I noted, this sort of thing is not unusual these days. It was discussed on another thread as to why it happens.

Sorry to stay off topic, which is the other thread.
I've had a look and can't find anything that seems relevant.

 

[moa999]

Only had one.. and it was pretty big.

Was booked on a Qantas J Award back from Europe.
VIE - HEL - HKG - SYD so AY/AY/QF.
3-4 hr transits at each.

Driving on the highway to VIE airport from Southern Austria using Google Maps as GPS and got an alert from TripIt that the HEL - HKG flight was delayed 2hrs. About 20min later another alert about a gate for my flight to DOH.

Basically Finnair had seen the delay (which ended up being 6hrs) and rebooked me on Qatar VIE - DOH - HKG.
So arguably got a much better flight experience and arrived in HKG much earlier than I would have otherwise.

Still yet to experience AY.
But very happy with the seamless one world experience.

 

[aus_flyer]

I had a BNE-SYD cancelled and system rerouted as BNE-MEL-PER-SYD

 

[astrosly]

I orginally had DRW-ASP-SYD-ARM as the return flight for Easter break this year because the direct DRW-SYD flight got in too late to meet the SYD-ARM flight at ~7pm.

The week before travel, the DRW-ASP flight was cancelled and I was automatically booked on DRW-ADL-SYD where there was a layover of about 5 hrs in ADL and I got into SYD at 10pm. Funny thing is, that flight DRW-ADL was really DRW-xADL-MEL flight so if I had continued onto MEL and got a flight MEL-SYD I would have arrived in SYD about 90mins earlier! Instead I asked for DRW-BNE-SYD which got me into SYD about 3 hours earlier then orginally routed via ADL but still too late to meet my SYD-ARM flight - which was also cancelled - so I had to overnight in SYD (at my expense).

 

[RichardMEL]

Just had to deal with one yesterday. MEL-PER-MEL got changed such that a PER-MEL now left 9hours before the MEL-PER arrived

I expressed to the agent that since time travel was now a thing I would take the lotto results with me on the QANTAS A330 Tardis and when I got to PER before the return flight I would buy a ticket 9 hours earlier.

We had a laugh about it.

 

[jb747]

These days the strangest change would be for a flight to actually happen.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I have an upcoming trip DRWxMEL-BNE.

Last week they sent a change that resulted in a 10 min connection in MEL.

But today it's changed to this (with DRW-MEL due in at 1910):

 

[Vic]

Just had to deal with one yesterday. MEL-PER-MEL got changed such that a PER-MEL now left 9hours before the MEL-PER arrived

I expressed to the agent that since time travel was now a thing I would take the lotto results with me on the QANTAS A330 Tardis and when I got to PER before the return flight I would buy a ticket 9 hours earlier.

We had a laugh about it.

Apparently, this thread isn't about depart before you arrive flights, which are a know thing...

However, my direct to canberra on 11 Sept turned into via MEL. then turned into MEL- CBR 24 hours before the inbound, which has now turned into 3 days before the inbound. So I can get both the lotto and powerball with my time travelling 737...

I guess I'll never know why this happens. Just need to decide the best option for cancellation. Is travel pass good?

As I noted, this sort of thing is not unusual these days. It was discussed on another thread as to why it happens.

 

[RichardMEL]

Vic I would say the travel pass is the best option - assuming you feel you can/will use the credit by Dec, 2022. I've converted just about all of mine (had another bunch today, including a MEL-ADL trip moved an entire MONTH since seems everything in September has somehow been nuked?! but I digress). It does add up. Refund to original form of payment (assuming CC) is also obviously a viable option. Flight credit, imo, the very worst option (as discussed elsewhere )

 

[Vic]

Vic I would say the travel pass is the best option - assuming you feel you can/will use the credit by Dec, 2022. I've converted just about all of mine (had another bunch today, including a MEL-ADL trip moved an entire MONTH since seems everything in September has somehow been nuked?! but I digress). It does add up. Refund to original form of payment (assuming CC) is also obviously a viable option. Flight credit, imo, the very worst option (as discussed elsewhere )

This one came from a $50 gift voucher (DSC, QBR in my notes) and were the half price government flights...
and I got a cancellation email last night, so might be even better

I'm supposed to go to St Louis next year, or failing that Budapest - so could probably use it.

 

[sudoer]

what's been your strangest re-routing?

Had to laugh at this change which came through a couple of days ago - SYD-xMEL-HND changed to SYD-xMEL-xSYD-HND. Half tempted to fly it for the extra 36 SC..

 

[Captain Halliday]

Had to laugh at this change which came through a couple of days ago - SYD-xMEL-HND changed to SYD-xMEL-xSYD-HND. Half tempted to fly it for the extra 36 SC..

View attachment 256666

What’s the half-tempted bit?

If you don’t, it’s two weeks in AFF jail for you.

 

[RooFlyer]

Qantas rescheduled my return flight from AFF Newcastle to one 3 weeks later . Now, I like Newcastle, but …

Of course they also rescheduled my connection MEL-NTL to the day before HBA-MEL, but nothing unusual in that

 

[sudoer]

What’s the half-tempted bit?

I'm worried that Sydney to Tokyo travel will have resumed but not Sydney to Melbourne

 

[SJF211]

Had a few good ones. Had DRW - SYD booked on QF843. The red-eye departing 0205 a few weeks back. That flight was cancelled and was given DRW-PER-BNE-SYD. Return got changed to SYD-MEL-DRW so that wasn't too exciting.

 

[Vic]

An update:
the first departing flight is now 1 Month later, 11 October, and 25 days AFTER i return from Canberra. Forget lotto, time for some serious playing the stock market,

Edit: a win... Eligible for a refund, but not eligible for travel pass.
Wonder what'll happen with the gift voucher part of the fare... hahahaha