Check in for QF flights after a JQ - QF transfer

[JayJ]

I was recently booked on a JQi flight (Business Max) from MEL which was delayed 21 hours for engineering requirements. I got transferred to QF and re-routed via SYD. I arrived at MEL for a noon flight at 9:30 am but could not check in. The reason was that JQ had not sent through the passenger information for all the pax moved to the QF flight. QF staff could see that a block of seats were occupied but not who was assigned them. JQ staff and the call centre blamed QF IT for having an incompatible booking system, claiming details can only be sent as a block once all finalised. QF staff tell me this was not unusual. Even with the QC / J check-in priority line, I didn't manage to check in until 11:25 am with my luggage for the connecting QFi flight. JQ provided details to QF between 11:15 and 11:25, and I know other pax missed the flight and had to be rebooked a second time, this time by QF. I spent nearly 2 hours standing around unable to check in with JQ blaming QF and unable to go to QC lounge.

I don't blame QF for this situation, JQ should have provided the pax details as each was rebooked. JQ are unapologetic, QF staff are powerless to help, and I am peeved about standing around in the check in area doing nothing.

Is this a widespread problem? Is QF doing anything to fix it, because I doubt JQ will do anything? Is there anything I could have done, and has anyone else encountered the JQ approach of blaming QF for its own faults / failures?

 

[moa999]

Sounds like it more JQs problem if their system can't properly transfer pax to QF.

 

[clazman]

They have different systems, seems strange seeing they are related

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I was recently booked on a JQi flight (Business Max) from MEL which was delayed 21 hours for engineering requirements. I got transferred to QF and re-routed via SYD. I arrived at MEL for a noon flight at 9:30 am but could not check in.

The reason was that JQ had not sent through the passenger information for all the pax moved to the QF flight. QF staff could see that a block of seats were occupied but not who was assigned them. JQ staff and the call centre blamed QF IT for having an incompatible booking system, claiming details can only be sent as a block once all finalised.

QF staff tell me this was not unusual. Even with the QC / J check-in priority line, I didn't manage to check in until 11:25 am with my luggage for the connecting QFi flight. JQ provided details to QF between 11:15 and 11:25, and I know other pax missed the flight and had to be rebooked a second time, this time by QF. I spent nearly 2 hours standing around unable to check in with JQ blaming QF and unable to go to QC lounge.

I don't blame QF for this situation, JQ should have provided the pax details as each was rebooked. JQ are unapologetic, QF staff are powerless to help, and I am peeved about standing around in the check in area doing nothing.

Is this a widespread problem? Is QF doing anything to fix it, because I doubt JQ will do anything? Is there anything I could have done, and has anyone else encountered the JQ approach of blaming QF for its own faults / failures?

As far as I'm aware every time JQ cancel a flight the JQ employees or contract staff who do JQ checkin at that city contact JQ Ops in MEL to advise how many seats they need for the affected pax. JQ Ops then call QF ops in SYD to hold a block of seats in the meantime to protect the space on or more QF flights or VA depending on the destination and capacity constraints.

As JQ have a ticketless system they would need to advise pax names as well as a form of payment to QF or VA so etickets can be issued for all pax before they could checkin. As for the comments re it being QF IT's fault, it's nothing to do with the airline's IT department. They may have different systems but QF chose Amadeus about 15 years ago some years before JQ were even thought of so it would have been JQ's choice to follow suit or go with their LCC system of choice.

JQ undertake to advise names one hour prior to departure so only once they fax these to QF can the names finally be added into the block booking of seats held so pax can be checked in on the new flight. The actual time they do this probably depends on how many other operational situations they have on their plate at the same time.

 

[BD1959]

Neither QF IT nor JQi's fault.

I'd blame the person who "booked orange" in the first place.

Just plain silly in my book!!

Regards,

BD

 

[Flying mermaid]

Neither QF IT nor JQi's fault.

I'd blame the person who "booked orange" in the first place.

Just plain silly in my book!!

Regards,

BD

I actually thought exactly the same when I saw the original post, but then thought it would be a bit mean to say it

 

[JayJ]

So it's my fault that JQ makes check in impossible until the last minute on transfers to QF because of incompatible systems? And all the people being caught by this stupid limitation can just get screwed because they (we) made JQ bookings? I feel really welcomed here, thanks a bunch, BD1959 and Flying Mermaid.

 

[hutch]

So it's my fault that JQ makes check in impossible until the last minute on transfers to QF because of incompatible systems? And all the people being caught by this stupid limitation can just get screwed because they (we) made JQ bookings? I feel really welcomed here, thanks a bunch, BD1959 and Flying Mermaid.

You may need to learn to take things as they clearly were intended... in jest.

 

[Flying mermaid]

So it's my fault that JQ makes check in impossible until the last minute on transfers to QF because of incompatible systems? And all the people being caught by this stupid limitation can just get screwed because they (we) made JQ bookings? I feel really welcomed here, thanks a bunch, BD1959 and Flying Mermaid.

Sorry - you are obviously upset at what happened and needing some sympathy and I should have been more sensitive. . I do not fly Jetstar because I am not prepared to have issues like this (heard of too many), but you have the right to feel differently.

 

[BD1959]

So it's my fault that JQ makes check in impossible until the last minute on transfers to QF because of incompatible systems? And all the people being caught by this stupid limitation can just get screwed because they (we) made JQ bookings? I feel really welcomed here, thanks a bunch, BD1959 and Flying Mermaid.

Oh dear.

Sorry JayJ that you took the jest in completely the wrong way. FYI: there's a convention that a comment followed by a smilie is NOT a serious comment.

You will - however - come across some very negative sentiment toward Jetstar on this forum. Please be aware: quite a few on here use Qantas for such as weekly commutes (it *is* after all the Qantas Frequent Flyer community). Qantas - as a full-service airline - are pretty good at service recovery. Jetstar - on the other hand - are a low-cost airline. Most of the travelling public view this to mean that fares are low; in practice it means that the costs to the company are low. One of the ways that Jetstar - and other LCCs - maintain their low cost-base is through minimal service levels, including service recovery. You *should* be aware of this when you choose to purchase a Jetstar fare (Australia, you have a choice!)

I apologise that I did *not* see that you are a mere maiden on this Board otherwise I would have been gentler in my jest toward your purchase decision. Hopefully you'll stay around and learn as much as I have via the truly great resources available here.

Regards,

BD