Double aircraft change - options?

[Guvner]

Booked on QF2282 tomorrow. Originally scheduled as a 737, then changed to a 717, now a Dash8.
Received a text this morning at 8:05. Within a minute I followed the link to see options. Page tells me there are no options..



The next bookable QF flight is over 6 hours later and is an extra $450.
So either a) I cancel and fight for a refund, b) book on the 10:55 Virgin ($450 as well) or c) turn up at the airport at 8:30am and hope to get on the original flight. If I don’t get on then I’ll have to wait and hope to get on the next QF flight some 6 hours later.
The reason I booked the earlier flight is that I have an MRI scheduled at 3pm in Melbourne. If I miss that I’ll have to wait 4 weeks for another slot.
So, thanks to Qantas giving me no options on the website, I’ve had to book on the Virgin flight for $450.
The issue/question I have is what to do with the QF flight?
Cancel? No show? Try to check in at LST (online not available) and get the original QF flight? I’ll have to cancel the VA flight and hope for a refund if that happens.

 

[justinbrett]

Booked on QF2282 tomorrow. Originally scheduled as a 737, then changed to a 717, now a Dash8.
Received a text this morning at 8:05. Within a minute I followed the link to see options. Page tells me there are no options..

View attachment 275277

The next bookable QF flight is over 6 hours later and is an extra $450.
So either a) I cancel and fight for a refund, b) book on the 10:55 Virgin ($450 as well) or c) turn up at the airport at 8:30am and hope to get on the original flight. If I don’t get on then I’ll have to wait and hope to get on the next QF flight some 6 hours later.
The reason I booked the earlier flight is that I have an MRI scheduled at 3pm in Melbourne. If I miss that I’ll have to wait 4 weeks for another slot.
So, thanks to Qantas giving me no options on the website, I’ve had to book on the Virgin flight for $450.
The issue/question I have is what to do with the QF flight?
Cancel? No show? Try to check in at LST (online not available) and get the original QF flight? I’ll have to cancel the VA flight and hope for a refund if that happens.

If you want the QF flight, try and check in as soon as it opens (1055). If you check in and get a seat, it's much less likely you'll be bumped. If you do get bumped, you're definitely entitled to a full refund.

 

[Scr77]

I would have called Qantas about this. (Less than 30 min wait this morning)

If you’ve been bumped, you would not have had to pay extra for the next flight (I understand that flight is unsuitable)

justinbrett idea if online checkin is good too.

 

[Guvner]

Thanks. Online check in is unavailable. Seat selection is unavailable.

 

[justinbrett]

Thanks. Online check in is unavailable. Seat selection is unavailable.

It won't open until 24 hours before - give it an hour

 

[Seat0B]

Thanks. Online check in is unavailable. Seat selection is unavailable.

Seat selection is always unavailable on a Dash 8. You can only select aisle or window and they allocate seats at check in.

 

[justinbrett]

If you want the QF flight, try and check in as soon as it opens (1055). If you check in and get a seat, it's much less likely you'll be bumped. If you do get bumped, you're definitely entitled to a full refund.

Sorry mixed up the times, 1055 was your VA flight.

Check in should have just opened now - 1005. Don't delay!

 

[Guvner]

Thanks. I’ve managed to check in and snag 4D so hopefully it sticks. I’ll keep the VA booking until last minute in case I get QFd again.

 

[astrosly]

QF has been running Dash 8s on this service for several weeks. Waiting till the day before to tell you this and that they are now overbooked is hugely inconvenient for passengers and what travel arrangements had already been made.

 

[Guvner]

QF has been running Dash 8s on this service for several weeks. Waiting till the day before to tell you this and that they are now overbooked is hugely inconvenient for passengers and what travel arrangements had already been made.

There was an elderly couple distraught at being bumped when they arrived at QF check-in this morning. I felt really sorry for them (and the poor lady from QF dealing with it).
They clearly knew nothing about the change of aircraft. Probably didn't get / read the SMS. Who knows?
There were probably 10 people who had been moved to the next available flight. The next flight was nearly 3 hours late to add insult to injury.
What I found bemusing was that there were 4 or 5 vacant seats on my (apparently overbooked) flight.

 

[justinbrett]

There was an elderly couple distraught at being bumped when they arrived at QF check-in this morning. I felt really sorry for them (and the poor lady from QF dealing with it).
They clearly knew nothing about the change of aircraft. Probably didn't get / read the SMS. Who knows?
There were probably 10 people who had been moved to the next available flight. The next flight was nearly 3 hours late to add insult to injury.
What I found bemusing was that there were 4 or 5 vacant seats on my (apparently overbooked) flight.

Happy for you that you got on.

 

[Mattg]

There was an elderly couple distraught at being bumped when they arrived at QF check-in this morning. I felt really sorry for them (and the poor lady from QF dealing with it).
They clearly knew nothing about the change of aircraft. Probably didn't get / read the SMS. Who knows?
There were probably 10 people who had been moved to the next available flight. The next flight was nearly 3 hours late to add insult to injury.
What I found bemusing was that there were 4 or 5 vacant seats on my (apparently overbooked) flight.

An EU-style compensation scheme would be quite useful for these kinds of situations. Not only so that impacted passengers are appropriately compensated, but also as a disincentive for airlines to do this kind of thing.

Do you know whether the bumped passengers were compensated, or were they just told "sorry, your flight has changed"?