Earlier flight

[VHOEJ]

Then there's no incentive for people to buy higher fares. I buy the cheapest with the knowledge that most likely I won't be able to change it, and I accept that.

Exactly. If everyone buys only the cheap fares and has the flexibility similar to the higher fares, airlines will lose money.

 

[JessicaTam]

I recently flew ADL xSYD MEL on a JASA. I got to ADL 3 hours early and asked the QP if my flight could be moved forward. They made a phone call to override something and I was put on the flight that was nearly finished boarding. I think as harvyk said in an earlier post that a pleasant attitude had something to do with it.

Incidentally I was on a JASA PER xSYD MEL and was offered a direct flight when I checked in in the QP... I politely declined, much to the staff member's confusion.



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Why, because iCan.

 

[JohnK]

Personally I see nothing wrong with allowing status passengers to get on earlier flights even when their ticket does not allow changes. A seat is a seat and if there is an empty seat on an earlier flight it is no different to having an empty seat on a later flight. Will people abuse it? Swings and roundabouts.

My success rate for the times I have asked to go on earlier flights is not that good. Not that I care mind you as I do not get to the airport early that often to be an issue anyway. I choose to purchase cheap airfares as I know when I want to travel and I want to save money but booking so far in advance sometimes things change and it would be nice to be able to go early but I am prepared to wear that disadvantage in favour of the money saved.

Am I right in believing that being carry on only makes a difference?

If you are smart about it then it can make a difference.

I hardly ever travel carry-on only but I did try asking for early flight a few times in SYD if I get to airport early.

- Try at the kiosks at airport
- Ask at check-in desk
- Ask at business lounge reception
- Ask at Qantas lounge reception

Success with carry-on only has been quite good and usually occurs at step 3 but I cannot do that regularly as there is too much to carry back and forth.

 

[yo yo ma]

Last week my conversation went:

Me: "Could I please grab a towel pack or is there any chance of being moved to an earlier flight?"

QF: "Your boarding pass please sir... [checks on computer]... here's your towel pack!"

Me: "Thanks anyway for checking"

 

[horseman]

QF have never let be do this, however AA checkin on a QF booking has to help me avoid a tight connection

 

[TonyHancock]

Unfortunately for you the aviation world does not agree with your version of the analysis. They have a lot of highly paid people making that analysis as an ongoing work versus your opinion.

If I recall correctly Ina Drew, formerly of JP Morgan, was highly paid.

 

[straitman]

What a ridiculous comment.

In our own part of the "world" Virgin Australia offers "Fly Ahead".

In the part of the "world" on the other side of the Pacific, many airlines in the USA offer free Standby to some customers, or Same Day Confirmed Change (for a small fee) to others, regardless of the flexibility rules/restrictions of the original fare purchased.

...

Some parts of the "aviation world", most certainly DO agree with the OP.

Really :!:

Virgin offer Fly Ahead for a very select group only. It is available for anyone else who buys a class of ticket that allows it. Pretty simple really.

In the part of the world that you are quoting the airlines are running at a loss, are in bankruptcy or are at the very least having major problems yet Qantas manages to return a profit with their methods of doing business. Whether or not you like them the yield management systems are based upon having the different ticket types and then enforcing the rules that apply.

Does that make my comment ridiculous or does it mean we are looking at it from a different perspective :?: I think the latter.

 

[oz_mark]

Hazaar!Yet another example of software dictating how things get done? Long live the IT Business Analysts!

Some would call it a way of improving consistency in delivery!

 

[flyingfan]

Personally I see nothing wrong with allowing status passengers to get on earlier flights even when their ticket does not allow changes.

From a customer point of view I agree with you (and I have lamented the empty seats taking off into the air while I cool my heels in the lounge), and Virgin via Fly Ahead agrees with us. But not Qantas.

A seat is a seat

If that were so we wouldn't be in $99 seats while those next to us cost $450. It sounds crazy but yield management have decided to sell it to us this way. Brings to mind the joke about buying paint...

it would be nice to be able to go early but I am prepared to wear that disadvantage in favour of the money saved.

Same here, I'd rather save one or two hundred dollars each time and occasionally have to sit in the lounge for an hour or two.

- Try at the kiosks at airport
- Ask at check-in desk
- Ask at business lounge reception
- Ask at Qantas lounge reception

Last chance might be the service desks near the gates however I bet the staff here are the most hassled of the lot and probably less likely to grant a change even if they had the discretion. I think the best bet would be the business reception.

 

[harvyk]

In the part of the "world" on the other side of the Pacific, many airlines in the USA offer free Standby to some customers, or Same Day Confirmed Change (for a small fee) to others, regardless of the flexibility rules/restrictions of the original fare purchased.

I've had that, a couple of years ago I had a confirmed booking on an AA flight (cheapy ticket), and I asked nicely when I turned up at the AC if I could get onto the earlier flight leaving within the next 5 minutes. I was told go to the gate right away and check the monitor. I noticed that my name had been placed onto the standby monitor and furthermore it was at the top of the list. Sure enough once they had finished boarding I was called and on I went. I was thinking not bad for a OWR... (as it turned out, my extra time in LA was eaten up by been stuffed around at car hire places, so you win some you lose some. Probably karma getting back at me for knocking some poor bugger off the standby list who had been stuck at SFO on standby for 2 days straight.)

 

[TonyHancock]

In the part of the world that you are quoting the airlines are running at a loss, are in bankruptcy or are at the very least having major problems

Does that mean that their analysts are poorly paid?

 

[JessicaTam]

If that were so we wouldn't be in $99 seats while those next to us cost $450. It sounds crazy but yield management have decided to sell it to us this way. Brings to mind the joke about buying paint...

Ok, I'll bite; what paint joke?


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Why, because iCan.

 

[flyingfan]

Ok, I'll bite; what paint joke?

You haven't read it? Mandatory for any self-respecting frequent flyer

If airlines sold paint

 

[harvyk]

For those who are suggesting that Red-E-Deals could be used as a substitute for a fully flex fare, I disagree. I suspect any changes on a Red-E-Deal would need to be done at the airport, and only to get someone onto an earlier flight as lets face it, once an aircraft takes off, any empty seats are lost revenue. Where as if you shift that empty seat to a later service that may give the airline a good extra couple of hours to sell that seat last minute.

I strongly suspect that if you phoned up and ask to be shifted to a later flight on a Red-E-Deal, you'd have buckley's, where as on a flexi fare, you'd probably be able to do so within the fare rules.

Of course like everything, how strongly an employee of a company sticks to the rules is directly proportional to how much of an coughhole you are towards them.

 

[TonyHancock]

btw.....I believe QF is quite right not to change Red-e-deal tickets. If it were my business I wouldn't. If pax want flexibility they should pay for it. My earlier comments in this thread were against a very weak argument.

 

[777]

Over at the other mob I'm quite enjoying the guaranteed fly ahead benefit. From a revenue point of view there's a few ways to look at it:
1. Competitive advantage/disadvantage in VAs case.
2. Lost flexi revenue v. Generating business (anyone with status in both programs will be ore likely to consider flying VA back if uncertain when they will need to leave)
And, most importantly...
3. How much I can eat or drink in the lounge or several hours. Saves them a small fortune getting me out of there quicker.

 

[JohnK]

From a customer point of view I agree with you (and I have lamented the empty seats taking off into the air while I cool my heels in the lounge), and Virgin via Fly Ahead agrees with us. But not Qantas.

Qantas sort of unofficially offers it but you need to get the right person with the right authority to flow forward. Generally as you mention the business lounge is a good place but unfortunately I cannot travel carry-on only while I am commuting to BNE.

If that were so we wouldn't be in $99 seats while those next to us cost $450. It sounds crazy but yield management have decided to sell it to us this way. Brings to mind the joke about buying paint...

Yes the paint joke is quite funny.

 

[serfty]

...
3. How much I can eat or drink in the lounge or several hours. Saves them a small fortune getting me out of there quicker.

I may have agreed when I was in my 30's; these days at over 50 it's likely not such a significant expense as it once may have been.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Exactly. If everyone buys only the cheap fares and has the flexibility similar to the higher fares, airlines will lose money.

Simple solution, don't sell cheap airfares. Sell them sightly higher and sell them as flexible. Remember prices before low cast carriers came into? Tickets were more flexible then.

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[oz_mark]

Simple solution, don't sell cheap airfares. Sell them sightly higher and sell them as flexible. Remember prices before low cast carriers came into? Tickets were more flexible then.

Tickets were more expensive then, but they also had some restirctions. The cheap tickets came with things like, must stay a Saturday night etc.....