7-month Qantas saga

[SOPOOR]

I think ‘straw man’ theory is a bit tough considering I’m just trying to be a safe dad who cares about their kids. Perhaps a while since you’ve travelled super pregnant and with a toddler to the other side of the world. Hats off to all the mums and dads out there.

straw man argument or not, child seat beign required or not, youd think that a company that has essentially stuffed up do their best to remedy the situation,
maybe the cost of a chauffer or one way taxi,

im giving jetstar another thumbs up, but earlier this year my flight out of bali was delayed 5 hours, from 11 am to 4am the day befre

I actually asked them to reimburse them my hotel for the extra night at about $150 per night,
legally they probably werent required to but they did, which was very nice,

I will continue to fly jetstar, and I wrote them a big thank you letter

 

[cambriamarsh]

Yep, I’m with you.
I think the 5000 points offer is poor but I do not believe that the OPs decision to drive their own vehicle to the airport and park should be reimbursed by QF in any way other than a refund of a Taxi fare.
The booster seat is a straw man here.

I wonde if the OP would have been rebooked if they had missed the plane due to the failure of the chauffeur service. Does anybody have any experience with that happening?

If so what about missed connections?

I’m a bit paranoid so prefer to get myself to the airport either using regular and reliable public transport where it exists or my own car.

Hope QF improves their offer.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

At least I now know that NSW doesn't require a seat for a 12m+ child.

That's the allowance for a taxi. You'd have to check if ride-sharing and other private hire cars are also included (some states do not exclude ride-share in the same way as a taxi for example).

My wife may take convincing though of the safety element.

And perhaps this is where you indirectly agreed to absorb the cost rather than Qantas? If a reasonable person, given the emergency of the situation, would hop in a taxi, that's probably the reasonable level of compensation for the transportation aspect. (The inconvenience is a separate issue.)

If however you can demonstrate you accept only the highest safety standards - which includes a car seat on the plane - that would provide a significant foundation to your higher claim.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I think ‘straw man’ theory is a bit tough considering I’m just trying to be a safe dad who cares about their kids. Booster seats are usually for kids around 8 years old ... and much easier to get around with. Perhaps a while since you’ve travelled super pregnant and with a toddler to the other side of the world. Hats off to all the mums and dads out there.

The reason I referred to booster seat was in relation to the NSW taxi laws, perhaps child restraint would have been a better choice of words.
Qantas had arranged to get you to the airport via a private transfer, they failed to do that and should reimburse you for the cost of the service they failed to provide as well as some compensation for the inconvenience.
My own experience as a parent is totally irrelevant here to the failure of service provision by QF.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I've found the Brunel chauffeurs to be very reliable (not so much the EK chauffeurs in DXB, but that's another story). In fact, for me, the Brunel drivers have always been about 10 mins early. So if it got to the pick-up time and they weren't there, that's when I'd start to panic. Certainly not wait another 30 minutes.

It's waiting that 30 mins that I think was the pivotal issue. And then waiting online for QF for 20 mins. That's almost an hour lost, which hugely limited the possible options. I would have called Brunel after no more than 5 mins, and if unable to get a definitive answer, would have immediately got a taxi. Or perhaps, as a last resort, driven to the long term carpark (there would still have been time, if this had occurred without the extended wait).

I know it sounds harsh, but I think the OP made a couple of poor calls - albeit in a stressful situation and one not of his making. Like QF, I would have said that he should have caught a taxi and reimbursed him for that fare.

(Re my comment above about DXB - EK's Chauffeur failed to turn up at my hotel. Concierge rang EK who couldn't find the booking - despite it showing clearly in MMB. I caught a cab - QF offered to reimburse me for the taxi fare.)

 

[travelislife]

There is a legal requirement for a car seat not to mention the actual safety aspect. Does a taxi guarantee that and if not, then Qantas should fully compensate as it seems that the OP had no real other option

Different in every state. No car seat required in a taxi in Melbourne. Believe in Sydney it is different and you need to have a car seat in a taxi.

 

[RoMambai]

There is a legal requirement for a car seat not to mention the actual safety aspect.

There is no legal requirement. I too have young ones and we cab/uber it to the airport all the time without infant seats. If not, most families would struggle to get there any other way.

And while it may be too great a risk for some, we are statically subjecting our children to a much greater risk of harm by flying than we are by the short car journey to the airport.

It's an unfortunate set of circumstances outlined in this case but I believe Qantas' offer is reasonable and proportionate.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I think the offer to pay a taxi fare is quite reasonable. There shouldn't be an opportunity to profit from the initial mistake that was made.

 

[dajop]

Probably the full short term re-imbursement is OTT, would have a nice gesture to meet the OP half way. I know the whole process took 7 months, but how long to get the initial offer of taxi fare re-imbursement? That should have been easy thing to do, almost instantly.

 

[juddles]

It's an unfortunate set of circumstances outlined in this case but I believe Qantas' offer is reasonable and proportionate.

I understand completely the OP's decision making process at the time - he was running out of time and needed to do what he could think of to not miss the flight. I also get other concepts such as it was cutting it all a bit too fine, and maybe QF should not wear the totality of the cost of the decisions made.

If I was the QF rep, firstly, I would be extremely embarassed and apologetic that the book car did not arrive. That is just not on. I would then try to protect the company in minimizing cost of this - the offer of the equivalent taxi fare was IMHO ok, but I would also assume that in this scenario the OP also used his own car after the trip, so would offer the cost of the second taxi trip (or whatever they pay the cars). Then I would offer probably 20,000 points for the pain - being left without transport - a J pax is an important customer. And lastly, which is what I think QF lacks most, I would endeavour to make the pax feel that QF recognized the stuff-up. Sometimes words are even more valuable than compo.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Believe in Sydney it is different and you need to have a car seat in a taxi.

Only for an infant less than 12 months. The OP would have been fine to travel by taxi.

 

[Danielb56]

I guess a taxi?

Things do go wrong, and I think when it comes to compensation there is a line on what should be considered fair and reasonable. In the OP's case, I guess I am with QF on this. $864 for a 45 minute use of a car seat seems excessive, unless there was a special and particular need for the car seat. (Does the Op have a car seat for the plane for example?)

Taxi fare (or uber) I think is fair enough. Plus some compensation for the inconvenience.

The point is this...if you provide a service you need to deliver that service. Waiting for the driver who does not turn up and then you have to scramble "last minute" to get to the airport in time for the flight is Qantas out of pocket service. Why?Because they put you in that position. I will guarantee that if they got there late no way would Qantas or any airline for that matter put them on the plane. The line that should be drawn is at the promise of service. The cost involved, if proved warranted irrespective of the amount, is up to Qantas to reimburse. The main issue is they promised and did not deliver...

 

[Danielb56]

I guess a taxi?

Things do go wrong, and I think when it comes to compensation there is a line on what should be considered fair and reasonable. In the OP's case, I guess I am with QF on this. $864 for a 45 minute use of a car seat seems excessive, unless there was a special and particular need for the car seat. (Does the Op have a car seat for the plane for example?)

Taxi fare (or uber) I think is fair enough. Plus some compensation for the inconvenience.

The advantage for me is that we live reasonably close to the airport. We are even thinking of staying at airport hotel overnight for 6 am flight. I would hate to live 45 mins - 1 hr away. Like phily, I leave myself plenty of time to get there and go to lounge etc. I hate rushing. Even at airport transfers...i hate leaving myself the bare minimum time allowable for this...I hate rushing between flights...

 

[RoMambai]

The cost involved, if proved warranted irrespective of the amount, is up to Qantas to reimburse.

Where does the liability end? If the OP runs a red on the way to the airport or gets nabbed speeding, should Qantas pick up the tab? Worse still, if they total their car in the process is it the fault of the airline? My response would be no. It was the OP's decision alone to drive.

Qantas should indemnify the OP for the service it failed to provide and not more. It's offer of $105 and 5,000 points is appropriate.

 

[PeteMac007]

Told me they’d call me back when it was sorted as they could see everything in the system and surely the car was round the corner... call never came, pickup never came.

I think this is the crux of the complaint. QF had a number of options to resolve this.

1) Advise the customer that in the interests of time, book a taxi and keep the receipt
2) Keep the promise to call back and keep the customer updated.
3) Advise to do long term park and keep the receipt and claim.

QF is not alone in not keeping communications timely. Go to any airport where there are delays and you will find a number of airlines that don't have the resources on site to deal with disruption.

I agree that QF is an awesome airline, but it is a test of character when disruptions happen in the non aviation space as well as the aviation space.

If I were the CSO, I would be chatting to the car park operator to negotiate down and do a good deal and then compensate the customer and take it as a valuable learning.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The point is this...if you provide a service you need to deliver that service. Waiting for the driver who does not turn up and then you have to scramble "last minute" to get to the airport in time for the flight is Qantas out of pocket service. Why?Because they put you in that position. I will guarantee that if they got there late no way would Qantas or any airline for that matter put them on the plane. The line that should be drawn is at the promise of service. The cost involved, if proved warranted irrespective of the amount, is up to Qantas to reimburse. The main issue is they promised and did not deliver...

I think the 'if proved warranted' is the key.

I think there is generally some duty to try and mitigate loss in these types of cases. If you booked an hotel through QF hotels and somehow the booking failed, are you entitled to pick any hotel, at any cost, as a replacement? For example if your reservation at the Ibis Dubai failed can you just book into the Burg Al Arab?

It might be that driving your own car is warranted, for example if no taxi was available.

 

[SOPOOR]

I think this is the crux of the complaint. QF had a number of options to resolve this.

1) Advise the customer that in the interests of time, book a taxi and keep the receipt
2) Keep the promise to call back and keep the customer updated.
3) Advise to do long term park and keep the receipt and claim.

QF is not alone in not keeping communications timely. Go to any airport where there are delays and you will find a number of airlines that don't have the resources on site to deal with disruption.

I agree that QF is an awesome airline, but it is a test of character when disruptions happen in the non aviation space as well as the aviation space.

If I were the CSO, I would be chatting to the car park operator to negotiate down and do a good deal and then compensate the customer and take it as a valuable learning.

Putting aside whether child seat and long term car park is reasonable or not.

I am simply disappointed that the world today's service levels has dropped to such atrocious levels

Multiple promises broken Eg chauffer promise call back, promised refund partial

Yet they couldn't even supply th e basic package of chauffer to take you to the airport to catch the plane And no resolution at the time is offered

 

[serfty]

I don't bother using the service any more ... a couple of reasons; one is I live in a postcode that is both within and without the "conplimentary" zone but always have had the driver take the "within" distance but they have always put their hand out for the without extra cash.

Each time I have successfully argued the within ... but who needs that?

Other than that, the 5 hour booking limit is too restrictive.

As for the OP , I would be heading to.small claims tribunal and targeting Brunel.

 

[Haplo]

Slightly off topic but when I bought my 18 month-old on a flight a few years ago I was able to book a station wagon and they carried a soft padded children seat at the back, and I was given a choice of using it or not due to the 12 month rule.

Back to the main topic, depend on where OP live in the Hills area there might not be sufficient time to call a taxi, but I also see that OP decided too late and cut it too fine so I think (I am not a lawyer so dont take my words for it) Qantas and Brunel was negligent in providing a transfer service from your home to the airport so should compensate but OP also contributed to that by leaving it too late.

In the end the question is what a reasonable person would do in this case and I think the majority on this forum agrees that a reasonable person would call for a taxi instead of leaving it last minute and drive to the airport.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think it might be a breach of contract rather than negligence.