Changing to an earlier flight

[CaviAck]

I've booked myself on the 5:20pm QF927 CNS-SYD on 12/04 and it turns out I can take the earlier QF925 or QF923. What are the chances of me being able to swap flights without having to pay a change fee and the fare difference. I'm SG and on a sale Red e-Deal fare (fare E). I've checked the loadings and there's 9+ Y seats on all three flights but no E fares available.

Thanks in advance for any responses, I know there's probably no chance of being able to move but it's worth a shout out to see if anyone's done it before I guess.

If only QF had something like VA's and AA's fly ahead, and of course I am travelling HLO.

 

[flyingfan]

As always with these scenarios, strictly speaking you won't be able to change short of buying a new fare. But go early, ask nicely, mention you're HLO and be prepared for a refusal. Anecdotal reporting (as far as I can tell) is that under most circumstances, the agents don't have the authority to move you even if they wanted to unless they're flow-forwarding passengers or there's some other reason that suits them.

 

[Hvr]

Ask at the lounge and let them know you're HLO. Of course when you recheck in at CNS (to review your seat and print the BP) the machine may well offer the opportunity to move to an earlier flight.

 

[JohnK]

Qantas has flow forwarding in place a lot of times when the weather is looking slightly dodgy.

Qantas also has flow forwarding in place some of the time when the weather is not looking slighting dodgy.

 

[CaviAck]

What is flow forwarding exactly?

Looks like I'll be spending up to 5 hours at the QP... Another reason for me to try and switch to the earlier flights, iPads on a refurb. They should be all done by now right?

 

[JohnK]

What is flow forwarding exactly?

The process of getting passengers from later flights onto earlier flights to assist with weather related delays, cancellations etc.

I have asked at the lounge a number of times and they have changed flights for me even when they were not flow forwarding. Some do it as a favour once.

No guarantee it is going to happen though and if you do not have checked luggage then you have 2 chances of getting earlier flight in CNS. Once at check-in and then asking again at Qantas lounge. In SYD you have 3 chances of asking at check-in, Qantas lounge and then business lounge.

 

[sjd]

The excellent Cairns QP staff helped me out just over a week ago, although I was on a Flexi Saver fare. The initial response was that flights were full and there was nothing to be done but then 5mins later to my delight I was handed a boarding pass with my second favourite 738 Y seat (exit row aisle) for the earlier BNE flight. Made a point of putting in positive customer feedback immediately.

 

[Grooba]

If you have nothing else planned then head to the airport to early and ask them at the check in desk. If no go there, head to the lounge and ask there.
I've been successful using exactly this method, more than once (on red-e-deal but not specifically CNS-SYD) but am WP as opposed to SG.

 

[deejo77]

Lowly Bronze - Easter Monday - coming off a very cheap BNE to JFK return for <$1000 ticket - very restrictive - 3 adults and 1 child - flight was from SYD to BNE - shifted from roughly a 2pm flight to the 11am flight by asking nicely (5 large suitcases for check in that I short checked to SYD only from a AA flight from Washington dc earlier the day before) - things just came together on the day.

 

[horseman]

Call them and try, they've bent the rules foe me on cheap fares with plenty of notice

 

[flyingfan]

I tried my luck at the SYD J lounge just now for an earlier flight. Was told it's a red e-deal... BUT... because of storm warnings he'll do it for me. Gratitude extended and new boarding pass accepted. Thanks Qantas.

 

[CaviAck]

Thought I'd give an update to what happened.

So I turned up to the airport at about 11.45am and first off went to the premium check-in counter or whatever it's called. Was told that if it was a flexi fare they could check me into the earlier flights if there were same fare buckets available but since I was on a cheap E fare ticket she couldn't do it and directed me to the service counter. The lady at the service counter said cause I was travelling on a E fare ticket the best she could do was sell me another ticket for $230... No way was I going to pay for a new ticket so off to the QP I went. The lady behind the desk was happy to change flights for me even though I was on an E fare but had to check with her supervisor who also was happy to accommodate me after checking availability on the flight, 2 mins later I was told to relax in the lounge while they dealt with the matter. And at 12.50pm was happily waiting in line to board in my eyes a 5 hour savings and a nice upgrade from a 737 to a refurbed 767. Exciting thing was when I checked seating on EF there was a block next to me! Didn't really matter cause the flight was about 2/3rd full with plenty of empty seats and rows but I was happy in my window seat near the front of Y with lots of space

 

[hdfb]

Qantas has flow forwarding in place a lot of times when the weather is looking slightly dodgy.

Qantas also has flow forwarding in place some of the time when the weather is not looking slighting dodgy.

Yes I was put on an earlier CBR-SYD flight at my request so I could reach the airport the same time my partner from MEL did. The weather in Sydney was really dodgy that day so they put me on the earlier flight I pretty much walked to the gate as soon as I got to airport. That said I then had to wait at SYD as my partner coming in from MEL had his flight delayed!

 

[RickyT84]

If I want to get on an earlier flight, I always ask at the QP (rather than the service desk) as the staff there appears to have more power in terms of shifting flights. I have tried only on a few occasions and almost every time the staff will try to accommodate my request.

 

[Markmat]

this is good advice, need to try this later this week as I think a meeting I have will end early. Flying on that day from Mel back to Bris

 

[samh004]

No way was I going to pay for a new ticket so off to the QP I went. The lady behind the desk was happy to change flights for me even though I was on an E fare but had to check with her supervisor who also was happy to accommodate me after checking availability on the flight, 2 mins later I was told to relax in the lounge while they dealt with the matter.

This is great, though annoying from the perspective of anyone with luggage. Even though you'd assume you might get slightly better service in a lounge, consistency is useful too.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I've has reasonable success swapping to earlier flights between SYD-CBR when travelling on cheap tickets with HLO. I always ask very politely in the lounge, don't expect to get it and grateful when I do.

 

[CaviAck]

This is great, though annoying from the perspective of anyone with luggage. Even though you'd assume you might get slightly better service in a lounge, consistency is useful too.

That's why I decided to leave half the stuff I wanted to bring with me behind and go HLO. I guess if I can't spend a week at home missing a few shirts and shorts then I'm doing it wrong.

 

[Markmat]

got transferred to an earlier flight by asking nicely at the lounge. This was despite having a cheap fare. Very happy with Qantas!

 

[cmon0005]

When flying from AKL-SYD (LAN J) we were late leaving AKL, had a separate ticket on QF(red edeal) for SYD-MEL but looked like I would miss this leg by about 15 mins.
I asked at QF J lounge in AKL she said she could hold a seat for me on a later flight, but couldn't move me due to being on red e-deal.
Then tried calling QF reservations, they said best they could do was upsell me to a Flex fare extra $230 including change fee,etc, yet I could book my own SYD-MEL through QF.com for $130.
In the end just decided to chance it to see what would happen in syd, so checked in on my mobile.
I landed in SYD Intl exactly the same time as my SYD-MEL departure and there was a missed call from QF asking where I was, but alas was too late.

Went to the domestic transfer terminal and just told them I missed my earlier flight due to LAN (OW partner) being late and the guy happily moved me to the next flight in 30 mins time (catering not assured), this was when I was only QP PS. Very happy!