Yet another Qantas Business Class Downgrade

[Lucky_man]

Maybe the 'spate' of downgrades (if it really is) comes from the downgrade in call centre staffing levels. In the past I have had calls a day or two before flying offering to move me from my QF J flight with 1 stop to a CX J flight with no stops. It was optional but the offer was there. I took it. So maybe they are short of callers to resolve situations like this in better ways.

 

[drron]

Just another reason for me to continue flying JAL to NRT.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Maybe the 'spate' of downgrades (if it really is) comes from the downgrade in call centre staffing levels. In the past I have had calls a day or two before flying offering to move me from my QF J flight with 1 stop to a CX J flight with no stops. It was optional but the offer was there. I took it. So maybe they are short of callers to resolve situations like this in better ways.

maybe right, since I did not receive a call advising of my flight cancellation until 1 hour before departure on the weekend, when it had been cancelled several hours before.

 

[samh004]

Policy should, at minimum, be to compensate the fare difference between the lowest Y bucket. I don't understand the logic behind the different only being from full-fare Y/Y+ (other than mimimising monetary loss for QF and maximising further annoyance for the pax). The pax derives zero value from a 'flexible' ticket at this stage, and would not logically buy from this fare bucket, they are all ready being flexible enough courtesy of a miscalculation by QF's revenue management.

It's even more illogical as those full-fare paying J pax will often not return.

I'm on QF21 in J early next year and this type of remediation makes me nervous. Luckily as the flight is ex-Aus you have rights which are not limited to those stipulated in QF's one-sided terms and conditions.

It does seem like all the current policy does is generate complaints and mediation, which eventually results in the right compensation if enough media is generated about it. If everyone came here after such an occurrence they'd probably find it to be easier to change the rules, but as they don't, there's no need

 

[DC3]

We have just arrived in Tokyo. As it turned out, at the very last minute my colleague was returned back to Business ....

We can only guess as to whether another passenger was bumped down to make room for your colleague to be placed back into J.

 

[Archphoto]

maybe right, since I did not receive a call advising of my flight cancellation until 1 hour before departure on the weekend, when it had been cancelled several hours before.

Any reason they haven't implemented the same notiFLY that CX uses for their flight? I use this and a couple of times, it's let me know of delays 2 hrs prior to departure. Meant I could either a) leave at a later time or b) leave at the same time and enjoy more lounge time - either way, they kept me in the loop and for that I was thankful.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Any reason they haven't implemented the same notiFLY that CX uses for their flight? I use this and a couple of times, it's let me know of delays 2 hrs prior to departure. Meant I could either a) leave at a later time or b) leave at the same time and enjoy more lounge time - either way, they kept me in the loop and for that I was thankful.

I did not get any sms, email, or notification on the android app on my phone. Pretty poor! Previously I have had a SMS notifying me of a delayed flight

 

[Archphoto]

Only time I've ever had a call was when I was running late, and admittedly this was from the checkin desk at Suvarnabhumi Airport not QF.

Never had an SMS or phone call in all my years of flying from QF, but my folks did when their flight to Auckland was cancelled and they were put on another. (No status for them, so I guess it really is a "cough-shoot" when you fly with them.)

It's the "simpler & fairer" method - send your customers straight to the competition, what could be simpler??

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm now starting to put the 'Feels Like Home' campaign into perspective.

Those pensive looks (woman clasping a coffee mug) aren't 'sad to be leaving' looks... they're 'will I even have a seat on my Qantas operated flight?'

The bawling kid at check-in isn't sad to be leaving... they're being consoled by grandma after being told they've been downgraded.

 

[drron]

Well the Tassie service has certainly gone downhill.Just over 3 years ago when all services out of DPO were cancelled I as a NB life QP got a call confirming a seat on an extra Q-link flight out of LST to MEL.Then when I missed my JQ connection to MCY they transferred my JQ ticket to the last MEL-BNE flight for the night.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

We have just arrived in Tokyo. As it turned out, at the very last minute my colleague was returned back to Business.

Just curious as to what freq flyer tier your colleague is, whether he had pre-allocated his seat or done OLCI?

We can only guess as to whether another passenger was bumped down to make room for your colleague to be placed back into J.

It may not be a case of somebody else being bumped down but another J pax who was a no-show perhaps? It's quite possible that not all J pax had checked in when your colleague was bumped eg a pax with a higher PCV eg P1, CL etc.

Also if your friend did pre-allocate a seat in J, did he get that same seat in the end or another one. If it was a different one it could well have been the seat that was previously allocated to the pax with the higher PCV who no showed (if that was the case as I'm just speculating here).

Only time I've ever had a call was when I was running late, and admittedly this was from the checkin desk at Suvarnabhumi Airport not QF.

Never had an SMS or phone call in all my years of flying from QF, but my folks did when their flight to Auckland was cancelled and they were put on another. (No status for them, so I guess it really is a "cough-shoot" when you fly with them.)

What phone number did the BKK staff contact you on? Did you have a local sim card for Thailand with that phone number in the pnr?

I imagine the vast majority of pax when travelling overseas would only have their Australian mobile number in the booking and I doubt contract staff in places like BKK or LAX would be able to make overseas phone calls from their respective countries to Australia and even if they did, who here has international roaming switched on all the time?

 

[Archphoto]

What phone number did the BKK staff contact you on? Did you have a local sim card for Thailand with that phone number in the pnr?

I imagine the vast majority of pax when travelling overseas would only have their Australian mobile number in the booking and I doubt contract staff in places like BKK or LAX would be able to make overseas phone calls from their respective countries to Australia and even if they did, who here has international roaming switched on all the time?

I did have a local number, but regardless, why do QF bother asking for your destination & (AU/foreign) mobile phone number with your booking, if they aren't actually going to use it? CX (from memory) ask if you'd like to use notiFLY when you complete the booking/final stages of booking "to be kept updated on your flight" or words to that effect; not so difficult to enter a mobile number to be kept up to date on delays changes etc. Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I always have my AU phone on IR (excluding data) when I fly for business; never know when someone needs to contact me - QF maybe?

Obviously not a big deal for many, but certainly in this day and age a welcome addition to the airline's customer service offerings - I'm sure those on business trips would use, so they can be kept appraised of changes which may have a domino affect on meetings etc (yes, been there done that!!).

Receiving an SMS is not so hard when IR - if we choose not to have it on 24/7, we can't then complain we aren't being notified of delays/changes in a timely manner etc (although you do get messages when you do turn the phone back on/activate IR). Works both ways - we have to want to join the party, to actually be involved. In the case of the passenger in question though - they were departing from AU, so one would think that they would have had their mobile on prior to departure.

That being said however, if QF can't even be bothered to implement an automatic system to deal with it, won't matter if we have IR activated 24/7 or not - we're *never* going to get a message or phone call that they have no intention of making/sending in the first place. :mrgreen:

 

[Quickstatus]

QF's world class yield management is now fairer and simpler!!

Sorry QF, might be time to try some other airline.

Ill still feel like I'm home when the aircraft is crossing the coastline.

 

[JohnK]

Glad it has it has all been sorted.

The piss-poor response from Qantas was they would pay him the difference to Premium Economy. Hardly useful when he has meeting all day tomorrow in Tokyo.

Seriously this is unbelievable behaviour from Qantas. This is totally an acceptable.

Totally unacceptable compensation offered.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

With Vodafone $5 roaming i use my phone as if im at home when passing through most.major countries so i would expect a call or sms

 

[Mr_Orange]

With Vodafone $5 roaming i use my phone as if im at home when passing through most.major countries so i would expect a call or sms

Yes that works a real treat and dumps all over Optus' offering at twice the price.

OT: Although, I must admit to being slightly peeved when I discovered it is actually $5.50 per day once the GST is added. I guess the small print is there somewhere but it is not exactly front and centre in the advertising.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Yes that works a real treat and dumps all over Optus' offering at twice the price.

OT: Although, I must admit to being slightly peeved when I discovered it is actually $5.50 per day once the GST is added. I guess the small print is there somewhere but it is not exactly front and centre in the advertising.

Yeah took me a while to work out that gst was being added... a bit misleading indeed

 

[MelUser]

I think it is important to look at Amadeus's check my trip (classic version as not cluttered) at T-18 hours / by this stage flight is well and truly under airport control.

A further check at T- 12 should calm the nerves.

Having an expert flyer notification warning you
of when your seat or seats become vacant is Also useful.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Having an expert flyer notification warning you of when your seat or seats become vacant is Also useful.

That assumes people have actually pre-allocated seats in the first place.

 

[flyertom]

My colleague had pre-allocated seats. Not OLCI.

But should it matter if you have pre-allocated a seat or not? Shouldn't you just get what you pay for? Why pay for business when Qantas is just going to downgrade you anyway?