Don't be caught by QF downgrading [Status Change] mid-flight[Journey - less luggage]

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Martin Hughes

Guest
Recently bought return flight with Qantas, found that I had my status downgraded mid-journey (despite tickets being bought together under a higher grading) and was asked to pay extra for luggage (or otherwise reduce it) for my return home. No warning of any type (who memorises their renewal date), and surely the conditions of purchase should not change subsequent to ticket purchase!

Tried emailing Qantas and (as usual with complaints) got an automated message saying they would reply within 15 days. As usual (there is often some sort of major problem) the time passed and I have never heard again. Time to try another airline - cannot consider travelling with an airline that does such arbitrary things! :shock:
 
Take your example to the extreme. You will lose (presumably Gold?) status tomorrow. You buy a ticket for six months later. Should you really expect Gold privileges?

Your reference to the "conditions of purchase" is basically meaningless. Show us something saying words to the effect of "Your status at the time of purchase shall apply throughout the entire journey".


 
Sorry but your thread title is misleading and wrong. You weren't downgraded mid-flight, but you had your status revert mid-journey. Unfortunately your checked in allowance was for your appropriate status level.

Using your logic, those who buy a ticket whilst PS are lumped with the PS allowance for the entirety of a journey, even if they achieve WP status. Clearly doesn't work that way.
 
And here i was thinking you were moved from J to Y in the middle of a flight..

Oh and yes my renewal date is etched in too...
 
Recently bought return flight with Qantas, found that I had my status downgraded mid-journey (despite tickets being bought together under a higher grading) and was asked to pay extra for luggage (or otherwise reduce it) for my return home. No warning of any type (who memorises their renewal date), and surely the conditions of purchase should not change subsequent to ticket purchase!

No the conditions on the ticket don't change - but the extra baggage allowance is based on your FF status. So if your FF status changes, so does your allowance. The return part of a ticket can be nearly 12 months away.

From a QF eticket:

All other International Destinations
ECONOMY
Non Frequent Flyer, Bronze 30kg (66lb) See codeshare exceptions below
Qantas Club, Silver 42kg (92lb)
Gold 46kg (101lb)
Platinum/Platinum One 50kg (110lb)

The big drop is silver to bronze - 12 kg - and the same for most classes of travel. The other drops aren't so much.

To/from North and South America it's a one-piece drop, sometimes 23 kg, sometimes 32 kg.
 
I suppose to those not well versed with their FF benefits and such, their renewal date wouldn't be etched into their minds, but all seems fair in the scenario you have advised (as corrected by other posters). What wouldn't be cool would be receiving an amenity kit on boarding say, only to have it taken away mid-flight because you crossed to midnight and you dropped a level... but of course, that didn't happen.

This is one of those cases where making sure you have checked all the details of your trip is useful. One little error that you overlooked can lead to a whole load of problems, such as the ones you experienced.
 
Don't get caught by Qantas downgrading you mid-flight

Recently bought return flight with Qantas, found that I had my status downgraded mid-journey (despite tickets being bought together under a higher grading) and was asked to pay extra for luggage (or otherwise reduce it) for my return home. No warning of any type (who memorises their renewal date), and surely the conditions of purchase should not change subsequent to ticket purchase!

Tried emailing Qantas and (as usual with complaints) got an automated message saying they would reply within 15 days. As usual (there is often some sort of major problem) the time passed and I have never heard again. Time to try another airline - cannot consider travelling with an airline that does such arbitrary things! :shock:

Welcome to AFF :)
As others have said what you have experienced is an entirely normal part of dropping status on an airline. Things like seat selection are locked in but unfortunately things like lounge access and luggage allowance are dependent on your status at the time of the flight not the time of booking.
Yes it's frustrating and yes you most likely won't be warned that your status is about to be downgraded.
I doubt that you will have a better experience if you do decide to credit to another airline and have the same timing of a drop in status.
My own advice is that you stick around here and learn how to optimise your earning and status on the airline of your choice.
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

Welcome to AFF :)
As others have said what you have experienced is an entirely normal part of dropping status on an airline. Things like seat selection are locked in but unfortunately things like lounge access and luggage allowance are dependent on your status at the time of the flight not the time of booking.
Yes it's frustrating and yes you most likely won't be warned that your status is about to be downgraded.
I doubt that you will have a better experience if you do decide to credit to another airline and have the same timing of a drop in status.
My own advice is that you stick around here and learn how to optimise your earning and status on the airline of your choice.

A wee bit pedantic perhaps and hardly misleading - no, they did not eject my luggage mid-air? And I would usually consider the conditions of my ticket on anything was for carriage of me and my luggage not just me, if it was the permitted allocation when booked (the return ticket actually listed me as having the higher grading, not just the outgoing ticket) - and I would expect it to therefore be set when I booked (it would not be unreasonable to at least make this clear and what the consequences could be because they do not handle luggage the same as they handle passengers - why make passengers learn the hard way that it is different to all other forms of transport?). And far from booking months in advance, this was all over two weeks from beginning to end, just a quick return trip. And the reason for leaving Qantas is not just that this occurred, but primarily that on every occasion when a complaint is made, including this occassion, they consider that sending a reply that they will reply within 15 days and then not doing so (ever) is acceptable. So after ALWAYS flying Qantas for myself and staff where a Qantas flight is available I will certainly be using the opposition where practicable - but with the exception of one American airline, I have found most others better anyway (where no alternative existed) and I have found others far more responsive to complaints when they have got things wrong (at least they have always replied, not almost never). That is where the real frustration lies, not solely the luggage issue, or the fact that the video screens over many rows didn't work at all, or that the headphones were faulty, or that I could not get replacement headphones (same flights as the luggage issue)....but at least this time they did not bump me of overseas for 5 days mid-journey saying I had not confirmed my return flight, giving no assistance whatsoever, then asked on my return why I hadn't taken the flight - or said they had sent my Joburg luggage to Pago Pago when they had actually misdirected it to Harare!
 
Things like seat selection are locked in but unfortunately things like lounge access and luggage allowance are dependent on your status at the time of the flight not the time of booking.
Good to hear your selection sticks on QF. I think I read that on BA if you drop status and you previously selected a seat that is normally reserved for higher tiers you get turfed out.
 
...(as usual with complaints......

......on every occasion when a complaint is made....... I have found others far more responsive to complaints ....

You seem to make a hell of a lot of complaints?? In decades of travel I dont recall ever having to ¨make a complaint¨. (About the only time I ever got upset was when LAN destroyed one of my bags, but airport staff fixed that.)


Maybe there is a percentage of travellers who frequently feel like ¨making a complaint¨, and furthermore are prepared to argue their point without end, even if it is quickly shown to be incorrect. Perhaps the QF system that irritates so much is their way of trying to deal with complainers in a reasonable and economically realistic way.


I dont want my airfares to go up to cover a massive call centre full of people hired to indulge in endless arguments with people who are unreasonable.

Maybe that´s a tad unfair to the OP, but I think the number of initial responses to this thread should have finished it. I don´t have the patience and grace of Princess Fiona :)
 
Welcome to AFF Martin Hughes :)

People, lets go a bit easier on a newcomer! As you say juddles, others have fairly pointed out the situation, but the type of 'complaint' the OPs has posted isn't unique, even amongst more seasoned forum members, let alone travellers perhaps.

And as for complaining .. if one hasn't had cause for complaint in decades of travel, they are very lucky :) . I'm afraid as I get older and more crotchety I do see a well argued and documented complaint as usually the only way of getting things rectified when things go wrong. But my very first question when I feel aggrieved is "Can you please clarify the rules on this situation", so I know if a complaint is justified. And an organisation like Qantas should always respond to complaints and should always follow up if they undertake to do so. I'm afraid its the price of doing business (especially a large business with a major component of personal customer interaction).

If an organisation is smart, it will take complaints seriously, either an indication of poor service amongst its workforce, or possibly more often, that its customers aren't understanding its T&Cs and maybe it has to do a better job of getting the customers to understand them - to the benefit of its customers and the bottom line of the organisation.
 
And I would usually consider the conditions of my ticket on anything was for carriage of me and my luggage not just me, if it was the permitted allocation when booked (the return ticket actually listed me as having the higher grading, not just the outgoing ticket) - and I would expect it to therefore be set when I booked (it would not be unreasonable to at least make this clear and what the consequences could be because they do not handle luggage the same as they handle passengers - why make passengers learn the hard way that it is different to all other forms of transport?). And far from booking months in advance, this was all over two weeks from beginning to end, just a quick return trip.

So if your status increased after booking and you were entitled to additional luggage would you think that status at time of booking applied?

Also how can Qantas warn you about the drop of your status and effects until your year finishes (+ a reasonable notice period)?
 
So if your status increased after booking and you were entitled to additional luggage would you think that status at time of booking applied?

Also how can Qantas warn you about the drop of your status and effects until your year finishes (+ a reasonable notice period)?

First line - I think that's the analogy that clinches the argument. Although not knowing about a drop is worse than not knowing about an improvement (think an at-the-gate travel class downgrade Vs an upgrade)

Second line - Air Canada / Aeroplan and many hotel chains do it : send e-mails saying you don't appear to have enough points for "requalify status", so why not take a bunch of flights / stay a bunch of nights to get the required points?

Well, waddayaknow: there's an idea for Qantas!
 
So after ALWAYS flying Qantas for myself and staff where a Qantas flight is available I will certainly be using the opposition where practicable - but with the exception of one American airline, I have found most others better anyway (where no alternative existed) and I have found others far more responsive to complaints when they have got things wrong (at least they have always replied, not almost never).

Sounds like you weren't flying enough that's why you lost your status.
Situation will be the exact same no matter which airline you were flying.
 
TBH I had never considered what would happen if status changed during a trip. Thanks to the OP for highlighting the issue.

But if I did drop status (shudder) during a trip, I would know when it was to occur and would expect the T&Cs of the new status to apply. Not something to complain about.
 
Interesting about the e-ticket - all that I have received show only the standard allowance against each segment; nothing additional for status has been shown.
 
I'd not given luggage limit due to status change mid trip much thought either but in our big flights through Europe we often have no status with a small internal carrier so we always pack for the strictest limit.
 
This thread should be called "don't get caught by Qantas status change mid journey". What happened was not a downgrade and it was not mid-flight.
 
Re: Don't be caught by QF downgrading [Status Change] mid-flight[Journey - less lugga

Interesting about the e-ticket - all that I have received show only the standard allowance against each segment; nothing additional for status has been shown.

I am guessing what the OP is referring to is that their status at the time of booking was printed on the e-ticket, not the status allowance necessarily.
 
Re: Don't be caught by QF downgrading [Status Change] mid-flight[Journey - less lugga

Interesting about the e-ticket - all that I have received show only the standard allowance against each segment; nothing additional for status has been shown.

It was a cut-and-paste from one of my Qantas etickets, page 3. It's on other ones too.

I wonder if the OP could tell us what their luggage limit dropped to, how much they tried to check-in, what travel class and what check-in airport? I would have thought that a bit of check-in staff discretion could have been appropriate - even if they needed to get it approved.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Enhance your AFF viewing experience!!

From just $6 we'll remove all advertisements so that you can enjoy a cleaner and uninterupted viewing experience.

And you'll be supporting us so that we can continue to provide this valuable resource :)


Sample AFF with no advertisements? More..
Back
Top