Article: Why Keep Booking with Airlines that Screw You Over?

[NoName]

Singapore not covering itself in glory either. Cancelled a First Class equipped flight so I cancelled a redemption trip. They refunded the points but then expired the points due to run off in November despite making a song and dance about extending them. Emailed before Christmas but no response yet and not joy following up on socials. Points came from Amex, the replacement value about 7k AUD. Not sure what I can do, happy for your thoughts….

It will require several follow ups but you will get the miles back that were incorrectly withheld. See my experience from post 47 onwards here:

GOOD NEWS! Krisflyer Miles to be extended until 2023 [previously April 2022]

I just got my dreaded email from Krisflyer yesterday. 400K expiring APR 2022. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have a problem with that despite an overall dislike of schemes with expiry dates ... it is what it is though. However, I really wonder if things are going to be anywhere close...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Four or five phone calls from memory over a period of several weeks with escalating levels of irritation displayed but they refunded the miles with the explanation being that it was a system error. Whether that’s true or not who knows.

 

[jakeseven7]

Two examples of why still using airlines that screwed us over:

- Well we have no choice but to use Rex on a couple of regional routes because they hold a monopoly on them, and consistently cancel, retime and reshuffle - it’s highly irritating

- My work is still flying VA2 sporadically even though they well and truly stuffed us over with their buggy travel bank system, very long story but they ‘disappeared’ our bookings, denied they ever existed and tried to duck out of about 10k worth of bookings. They fired all their account managers and controllers that we previously dealt with. Very luckily for us our team later hates trees and printed EVERYTHING so after months with some legal intervention we forced them to give us credit and cash / we now no longer use them for new bookings but are still using up the credit complement we forced them to cough up.

Sometimes you truly don’t have a choice!

 

[poopiepoo]

For me it was the inflight food.

The J meals on NZ deteriorated so much under Chris Luxon, I started flying other airlines.

 

[RichardMEL]

For me it was the inflight food.

The J meals on NZ deteriorated so much under Chris Luxon, I started flying other airlines.

how recent is this? J meals on NZ international used to be a real hilight fr me. Superior catering - not fancy per se - but I always really enjoyed NZ meals - simpler food done usually very wel really appealed to me. I would fly fairly regularly pre pandemic to/from US and much preferred NZ to other options on the route for soft product (ie QF and UA). Disappointed if it has gone downhill

 

[serfty]

how recent is this? J meals on NZ international used to be a real hilight fr me.

AirNZ had a peak when they introduced the 77W services in the late 00's.

For a couple of years, they had the best Pacific Business product out there.

Then Seats 2 Suit came in for trans Tasman and short haul - this followed by a rapid deterioration in cater, both in Premier and economy, Trans Pac as well

That was the end of my Airpoints Gold Elite days ...

 

[Must...Fly!]

VA really did knock it out of the park on Trans-Pacific onboard service. Even the lounge experience was usually very good. OK not at the F lounge level but I think on board, they really kicked Qantas. I guess COVID stopped a real competition with the refurbed A380s.

 

[RichardMEL]

NZ J hard product is beyond dated now (though I must admit one of the best sleeps I have had on transpac has been in that seat so who knows) totally agree, and I do agree the catering had gotten worse in the second half of 2010's imo, but still better than the others (which doesn't say much for NP and midwest catering!).

I still would like to see the new J hard product (and hopefully soft) coming soon supposedly. I would give it a go, but I guess with lower expectations.

I'd also say the kiwi service, in general, has always been very good. Warm and friendly without being too "cute" or inappropriate, but that could just be that that style matches my personal preference as opposed to some of the more formal premium products that somehow seem less personal.

Anyhoo back on topic

 

[Berlin]

For me it was the inflight food.

The J meals on NZ deteriorated so much under Chris Luxon, I started flying other airlines.

I still prefer their trans-Tasman and long haul food in J WAY over Qantas- interesting to hear that it used to be even better. Now the silly coffin seats though, that's a totally different matter, even on the trans Tasman I end up with severe neck pain from trying to actually look out of the window which is behind you.

 

[poopiepoo]

I still prefer their trans-Tasman and long haul food in J WAY over Qantas- interesting to hear that it used to be even better. Now the silly coffin seats though, that's a totally different matter, even on the trans Tasman I end up with severe neck pain from trying to actually look out of the window which is behind you.

We used to have a beef eye fillet option (or similar quality).

Then they downgraded to that pot pie in J. Novel at first, then it got tiring after the 3rd time. So bad, sometimes I had to request meals from Economy.

I think I flew them so much, I knew what every meal option tasted like, and J meal had deteriorated to sometimes below that of economy. I even had one FA agree with me.

I started flying EK trans Tasman until the QF alliance stopped it. Those were the golden times. Superior lounge food in EK for their supposed satellite lounge vs NZ "flagship" lounge. NZ really nickel and dimed everything under Luxon and it showed.

Oddly, the last fillet I got was on QF on Mar 2020 just before the travel apocalypse.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

For Australia, we don't really have a choice.
Wide network, but mainly overseas call centre Qantas.
Smaller network now, mainly overseas call centre, can be cheaper fares, Virgin Australia.
We have to wait and see what Rex does, frequent flyer program wise, and if they will base their call centre, or expand it, to keep wholly within Australia, which could be a good thing.
Alliance, and the rest, to book, have to go through Qantas or Virgin.
Smaller airlines, if booking direct, might not have a frequent flyer system.
Waiting 2.5/3.5 hours with Qantas, while its not to our liking for the lower grade FF tier members, we have no choice if we want to fly where VA does not, NZ for eg, and if our booking/query can't be met or done online.

 

[Berlin]

I started flying EK trans Tasman until the QF alliance stopped it. Those were the golden times. Superior lounge food in EK for their supposed satellite lounge vs NZ "flagship" lounge. NZ really nickel and dimed everything under Luxon and it showed.

Oh yes, EK was definitely the way to go back then. Christchurch was the last destination left for quite some time and I am really hoping that this might start again, especially if it's on the A380. Consider me jetting over for a weekend away fairly regularly again if it comes to that

 

[RichardMEL]

EK F trans tasman was da bomb. oh how I miss ye... *sigh*

 

[jase05]

EK F trans tasman was da bomb. oh how I miss ye... *sigh*

It will be back

 

[Berlin]

It will be back

I hope you're right!

I saw an Emirates, a SQ and a Qantas A380 at Sydney airport yesterday at the same time (moved past too fast, otherwise I would have taken a snap- sorry). It has been a loooong time (which felt even longer, like looooooooong time) since such a sight for me! And it made me very hopeful that maybe, just maybe, we will get our life back. Fingers crossed.

 

[justinbrett]

EK F trans tasman was da bomb. oh how I miss ye... *sigh*

Yet I'd prefer QF widebody intl J over EK J.

 

[RichardMEL]

Yet I'd prefer QF widebody intl J over EK J.

well yes, those EK J seats on the 380 (still better than the now old 777 J) are quite boxy and you do feel a bit cramped in that seat I agree.

although when I compare that with a QF A330 Business Suite.. I'm not so sure there's a lot of difference, and with EK at least you have your mini mini bar with water there etc. I'd probably still prefer EK tbh

but F, well obviously there's no comparison.

Specially when it's you and a mate alone in the 14 seat cabin oh hoe much Dom Rose was drunk with the special canapes? I am not sure.. hic

(but I digress)

 

[Berlin]

although when I compare that with a QF A330 Business Suite.

I genuinely despise this Marketing term for what is a pretty ordinary and these days stock standard business class seat.

Qatar has business seats on some planes. Qantas does not. At all.

 

[justinbrett]

well yes, those EK J seats on the 380 (still better than the now old 777 J) are quite boxy and you do feel a bit cramped in that seat I agree.

although when I compare that with a QF A330 Business Suite.. I'm not so sure there's a lot of difference, and with EK at least you have your mini mini bar with water there etc. I'd probably still prefer EK tbh

but F, well obviously there's no comparison.

Specially when it's you and a mate alone in the 14 seat cabin oh hoe much Dom Rose was drunk with the special canapes? I am not sure.. hic

(but I digress)

It was the service that lost me on EK. And the mini bar that’s not cold. Who wants to drink room temperature coke?

How about you serve me drinks on request in a timely manner?

I’m still bitter about being served roast lamb and eating the entire meal before they served me a glass of red wine to go with it.

 

[harvyk]

And the mini bar that’s not cold. Who wants to drink room temperature coke?

Agreed, yes that was quite weird.
A bottle or two of water, maybe some juice, but the warm coke, no thanks.

 

[justinbrett]

Agreed, yes that was quite weird.
A bottle or two of water, maybe some juice, but the warm coke, no thanks.

Warm juice isn't much better!