Compensation for no IFE in J Syd to HNL

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Newtothegame

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Recently flew from Sydney to Honolulu on a J classic reward. Two of our seats had no IFE throughout the entire flight (it's a night flight).

Cabin staff behaved well, but still very disappointed by the lack of any IFE! Cabin manager provided 10K points (for both seats) as 'compensation' during the journey.

Complained after I got back and got the following reply. Was very surprised that Qantas feels 10K qantas points for IFE completely not working on 2 J seats on a 10 hr flight is appropriate.

Having read similar threads I was surprised by the low amount, I can only guess it's because they were classic reward flights rather than paid with cash? Given these flights cost ~$6K return I would've thought more compensation would be appropriate.
 
I understand the inconvenience and agree that I wouldn't be happy, but I think the compensation you got was generous.

After travelling on China Eastern earlier this year I know to make sure to always bring my own device, even when the airline offers a working product.
 
I had similar issues last year same route on good old VH-OEB (luckily she’s retired). I got 10k to use on a domestic upgrade which was an absolute joke. That was on a paid J ticket. I spoke to several people but they didn’t want to do more than that. I ended up getting 5k points in account and 10k on a domestic upgrade.

Unfortunately QF seem to get away with it
 
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I may have a some what different opinion to others, when I travel with any airline my contract is to get me from point A to B and it ends there. IFE, coughpy food, PJ's, amenity kits are all just a by-product.

I have no idea what aircraft QF regularly fly to HNL if it is a 747 I would just assume the IFE will not work. I agree with @Dr Ralph travel with your own device.
 
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I may have a some what different opinion to others, when I travel with any airline my contract is to get me from point A to B and it ends there. IFE, coughpy food, PJ's, amenity kits are all just a by-product.

I have no idea what aircraft QF regularly fly to HNL if it is a 747 I would just assume the IFE will not work. I agree with @Dr Ralph travel with your own device.

Where does that end, though? Travel with your own food just in case catering isn't loaded? Don't check bags in case your bags don't make it? Bring your own pillow in case they've run out? Your own water bottle? The Qantas booking engine lists the in-flight amenities on its search engine. In the case of SYD-HNL that includes "On demand entertainment".

I do admire your viewpoint on A to B, though. It's just not what I share. I just think for a flight of 10 hours in J, 10K is definitely not enough.
 
It was 10K in total for both seats.

I should have mentioned my wife and I were travelling with a 3 year old - if this was a day flight I would’ve totally lost it with Qantas, but being night it was bearable for a few hrs before sleeping.

It was a 747, the only reason could get 3 J reward seats. I’ve flown many 747’s in J and haven’t had IFE go out on two seats for the whole flight.
 
Those tired 747s will all be gone fairly soon.
No one is happy when IFE doesn’t work.
 
I may have a some what different opinion to others, when I travel with any airline my contract is to get me from point A to B and it ends there. IFE, coughpy food, PJ's, amenity kits are all just a by-product.

Not exactly. Your overall contract includes your flight from A to B as well as any additional items specified at the time you bought your ticket. This includes food, drink, IFE, lounges, FF points. They are all factored in to the final price of you pay.

For me, I'd be happy with 10K points as compensation. Works out to about $70 at QF's notional value on points. But I only watch maybe 2 hours max on any flight.
 
Having read similar threads I was surprised by the low amount,

These type of complaints do seem to be dwindling in recent times. Not because the machines are breaking down less, but more I think because so many people BYO these days using an iPad or similar.
 
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Last year flew SYD-DXB-FCO on EK metal under a QF flight number with no IFE (which also took out the USB charger and reading light) for the entire SYD-DXB leg. 14 hours went by very slowly!

Provided feedback via email to EK customer service, who handballed the complaint to QF, who in turn provided 10k QFF points as compensation.
 
To the OP, first off, I completely understand your issue. A long haul flight without decent IFE is to me a very poor experience.

I have a few thoughts/opinions on this.

Although I understand and get the viewpoint of Matt_01, I disagree. Matt and I travel an obscene amount, so you do actually get to a point that you become philosophical, and after many such experiences (both the inflight inconvenience and the learning that complaining/seeking compensation is just too hard) you end up not even bothering after the flight, as that just extends the unpleasantness....

But on a personal level I do actually feel that IFE is a fundamental part of flight - especially long haul. IFE was invented by airlines as a way of making those endless hours in a metal tube in an uncomfortable situation more bearable. This applies equally to Y as to J, and even F.

From a consumer point of view (and I know taking a pax point of view will astound some of my usual AFF "adversaries" in debates on this forum), I think that the position taken by airlines is completely at large with the understandable expectations of pax of flights. IFE is VERY important. To put it another way, would you have purchased the business fare at a 5K discount in points knowing in advance you would have no IFE? Probably not.

I have sufferred everything from failed IFE to non-reclining seats in premium cabins. Every single time the compo offerred did not make me feel good. Maybe I am wrong, but to me, there is not just the issue of loss of a specific part of the expected package, but there is also the sufferring I I had which I feel I should be COMPENSATED for.

Airlines handle this differently, with QF at the lower end of the "making amends" scale. I feel that consumer fights to improve this are good, as it could change their procedures in fixing things. If they "Know" that failing to fix an IFE system at a non-home port would cost them just 5k points, but actually fixing it would cost much more, then of course they will just fly with the faulty system.

The amount of points that can realistically be garnered would depend on many things, including your perceived value to them as a customer. But if they offer you 10K as an initial thing, rest assurred that you should be able to at least double that with skillful negotiation. What they offer you at first is a bold-faced low-ball thing.

Fight.

For all of us :)
 
My son and husband flew to Hong Kong a few weeks ago, a night flight. Flight was delayed 1 hour because the whole planes IFE was not working didn’t get it fixed so they offered each passenger $25 voucher to spend in the bookshop at the airport. No points were even mentioned. The voucher was only good to be used that night.
 
Many, many years ago I flew SYD-SIN-LHR in SQ J with no IFE. I believe it was a fairly new 747 too. Needless to say I made substantial progress with the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
 
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