Delayed first leg resulting in missed connections - Experiences?

[fairbasa]

Curious to hear others experiences regarding QF (or other airlines) proactively re-booking pax in the event of a delayed first-leg.

• SWMBO (NB) was travelling alone MEL-SIN-HEL-TLL.
  
  
• She was booked on QF37 which was delayed 3 hours due to late inbound aircraft

• Check-in agent wouldn't discuss re-booking her on SQ to SIN despite the fact she would miss her connection to HEL - a once a day flight.
  
  
• Upon arriving in SIN 3hrs late she discovered she'd been re-routed with SQ, SIN-LHR-ARN-TLL, adding 8.5hrs to her journey and causing her bags to arrive 3 days late (they didn't make the tight connections). Bags were also destroyed, requiring replacement (unlucky).

Curious to hear if anyone has ever had luck getting re-booked in such circumstances?

I understand airlines wouldn't be in the habit of re-booking everyone off a delayed flight for fear of missing a connection. However, I would have thought there were circumstances (such as this) where it would make sense to do so to minimise impact. Instead of re-booking her on one flight with SQ, they ended up re-booking her on 3, likely costing them more and significantly inconveniencing the passenger.

One would think it wise in circumstances such as this to have automated systems triage most affected pax and proactively re-book them, rather than do so reactively when it's already too late.

 

[davidj]

Sad to hear your case.

Check-in agent wouldn't discuss re-booking her on SQ to SIN despite the fact she would miss her connection to HEL - a once a day flight.

Did you manage to speak with the CS desk at the airport? They may have likely worked out a solution. I'm not sure how much authority check in has to change routings (they are after all 'check in' agents on your current ticket).

One would think it wise in circumstances such as this to have automated systems triage most affected pax and proactively re-book them, rather than reactively re-book them when it's already too late.

Yes you would think that?

Unfortunately this sounds like another 'computer says no' situation, and they only react once they are 'forced' to, obviously in this case costing the pax and airline more *bang head*. They should have directed you to CS.

Bags were also destroyed,

Do you know how the bags were "destroyed"? Which airline/airport is likely to have caused this? I'm curious.

 

[fairbasa]

Did you manage to speak with the CS desk at the airport? They may have likely worked out a solution. I'm not sure how much authority check in has to change routings (they are after all 'check in' agents on your current ticket).

No, I didn't try. I didn't want to come off as one of those difficult types, especially as I wasn't even travelling. Agent said "there's nothing we can do until she gets to SIN" and you could tell from her face she wasn't going to entertain a discussion.

I guess what I'm really asking is - should I have been pushy to get the desired outcome, or is there no chance QF would ever do it?

Unfortunately this sounds like another 'computer says no' situation, and they only react once they are 'forced' to, obviously in this case costing the pax and airline more *bang head*. They should have directed you to CS.

Yes, I definitely think so - where policy gets in the way of good judgement. I can understand them not wanting to do much until the situation is definite i.e. if there was a tech problem I can understand them not re-booking as they might end up chasing their tails. However, in this case, there was no way the plane was ever going to make it back in time for her to make her connection to HEL.

Do you know how the bags were "destroyed"? Which airline/airport is likely to have caused this? I'm curious.

No idea. We don't exactly know where the bags went, although they did pass through WAW? The bag was severely ripped so possibly snagged in conveyor somewhere.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I guess what I'm really asking is - should I have been pushy to get the desired outcome, or is there no chance QF would ever do it?

I think it comes down to the fact that there is little financial incentive for QF to accommodate you on another flight. They might as well carry you to SIN and sort it out from there. After all, the flight ex SIN could have been delayed meaning they had to pay out nothing.

If this had been a flight ex Europe you would more than likely have been re-routed given the compensation regime. And in the USA also (they reaccommodate pax as a matter of course over there).