What kind of QF trickery is this - changing your ticket to a later departure time when there's a flight at the original departure time?

[kyle]

So we and another family are going to PER in Jan 2023. Friends booked a QF holiday package while we booked VA.

Friends received a notification saying the original flight from PER-MEL (QF776) at 16:10 has been "cancelled" and they've been moved to QF776 departing at 18:10, meaning they will arrive into MEL after midnight.

Now when I do a booking search, lo and behold, the 16:10 flight has become QF774 and there are seats still available. You'd think QF would do the right thing and put them back onto the original departure time.

This means if we head to the airport together, they have to wait an extra 2 hours.

Rant over...

 

[Rich]

I wish I could say I was surprised...

 

[AIRwin]

A330 or it doesn't matter? Were you able to request to be rebooked on QF774?

 

[kyle]

A330 or it doesn't matter? Were you able to request to be rebooked on QF774?

Both flights are 737-800.

 

[ZigZagWanderer]

Emirates did this to me in June. I asked my travel agent to get it fixed, and emirates agreed it had been a mistake and fixed it pretty much immediately.

 

[RichardMEL]

I've had this happen to me also (but on SYD-MEL so really not much of an issue).

I am going to guess what happened was something like this (because of how I've seen it unfold for myself)

QF cancels the 16:10 flight (I wonder if it was an A330?) and moves pax to the 18:10 - the system selects the next flight available. They then schedule in a 737 back into that 16:10 flight (but this is after the rebookings) with a different flight number - this may be due to higher booking demand or something, or perhaps they've out of seats due to the cancel.. and so yes the flight is "back" but pax have been rebooked and they're not going to be automatically moved back.

One could TRY calling QF to try and get back on that original flight - if booking classes exist etc). QF agents should be able to see the changes in the PNR and understand this is the one that was originally booked and make the change. I've had it happen to me on an award seat (but obviously higher status helps) but hopefully a competent agent should see the involuntary change made and move pax back. hopefully.

 

[AIRwin]

I wonder if it was an A330?

Both flights are 737-800.

 

[RichardMEL]

To clarify - I meant I wondered if the ORIGINALLY booked 16:10 flight was on an A330. The two new flights may both be 737's now, but the original one that was cancelled may have been an A330. Sorry I wasn't clear (I did read the response)

 

[kyle]

To clarify - I meant I wondered if the ORIGINALLY booked 16:10 flight was on an A330. The two new flights may both be 737's now, but the original one that was cancelled may have been an A330. Sorry I wasn't clear (I did read the response)

That I can't tell you. But looking at Flight Aware, that particular flight at the original departure time a few days ago was a 737.

 

[sanne]

I had something similar with a June flight BNE to PER. Was originally on 9 am flight which was cancelled? so moved to 6am flight. Later saw 9 am flight was reinstated? so rang up QF and got moved back to 9 am flight. Award booking in J. New ETicket arrived within a few minutes. All flight we’re 737. I’m lifetime silver.

 

[docjames]

Yep call them and ask to be move back to earlier flight - high (but not 100%) success rate with this. Similar to other posters, same for me QF code share on EK metal easily resolved with a phone call).

 

[TomVexille]

This happened to us on a MEL-SYD flight earlier this year and it took something like15 hours over 8 phone calls before we made a complaint online to get back on the original time. And in the end they cancelled the flight on the day anyway

 

[larrymull]

From my experience once you accept the changes there isn't much you can do, if you hadn't accepted the changes then you have options. That said, it also depends on fare classes.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

This happened to me twice for the same day syd-mel earlier this year. The first time I called and got put back on the original scheduled time. Then it happened again to that flight. I gave up at that point. To rub salt in the wound I was then offered fly forward when arriving at the lounge "too early" for my rebooked flight (having come off an intl arrival).