HNL Hurricane Lane - bloody Qantas

[juddles]

YES! In that Airlines have a "Duty of care" for passengers affected by cancellations and significant delays for any reason. The regulation states that PAX so affected must be accommodated, and fed.

Have there been any cancellations or delays by QF due to Lane?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

but surely using your concept, this would be the same in the absence of a hurricane - ie airlines should never charge more than your "$20" for pax who on a whim want to change flights?

Comes down to the difference between a voluntary and involuntary change. Weather is involuntary - and the airlines rely on this all the time. It's not a stretch to extend the same to passengers.

Appreciate the hurricane may not have caused any cancellations, but the issue here was the potential at the time the change was requested (that is, no one really knew how bad it was going to be).

 

[juddles]

Comes down to the difference between a voluntary and involuntary change. Weather is involuntary - and the airlines rely on this all the time. It's not a stretch to extend the same to passengers.

Appreciate the hurricane may not have caused any cancellations, but the issue here was the potential at the time the change was requested (that is, no one really knew how bad it was going to be).

This was totally a voluntary change - the Op just wanted to avoid rainy days on his holiday....

 

[drron]

Well NZ have cancelled flights-
Travel alerts - Travel alert information - Flight information - Plan | Air New Zealand – Australia

Just remember the hurricane is meant to hit Saturday-sunday our time.The fact that no QF flights were cancelled today is irrelevant.
Other airlines had already been cancelling saturday flights.

 

[odysseus]

Weather is weather, but it seems that many people expect an airline to "pay for" these eventualities. That is what travel insurance is for. I know it would be much easier to be able to simply phone the airline and get them to change things to suit, but why should they bear the brunt of weather??

They're not bearing the brunt. They're gaining. The seat has already been paid for - they're not giving away a flight free. However, they're gaining by not having to have as many passengers to reorganise and schedule when things do go pear shaped. Which means less hassle, less costs for the airline.

That's why US lines do it - it makes business sense. Do you think the land of first charging for luggage, first cutting back on onboard snacks, and now introducing budget economy would make a decision if it wasn't of benefit to them?

 

[Popeye]

Looks like a waiver might be in place now

Options are available to Qantas customers holding a valid ticket issued on/before 23 August 2018 who are affected by Hurricane Lane for travel to/from Hawaii on/after 23 August 2018 and on/before 27 August 2018.

Just called them and the waiver of change fees is only if they cancel the flight. FYI all 15 airports in Hawaii are still open and QF3 landed this morning .

Lane has now been downgraded to a tropical storm but torrential rain is still expected tomorrow and Sunday.

 

[Popeye]

Just called them and the waiver of change fees is only if they cancel the flight. FYI all 15 airports in Hawaii are still open and QF3 landed this morning .

Lane has now been downgraded to a tropical storm but torrential rain is still expected tomorrow and Sunday.

STOP PRESS

Just called again, got a different agent , who after listening to what I said to the previous agent and what they said , apologised profusely and said that what I was told was not correct and of course you are eligible for the change fee waiver.

So flight changed to tomorrow, seats allocated .... in the words of Jaar Jaar Binks "me'sa going home"

 

[snabbu]

STOP PRESS

Just called again, got a different agent , who after listening to what I said to the previous agent and what they said , apologised profusely and said that what I was told was not correct and of course you are eligible for the change fee waiver.

So flight changed to tomorrow, seats allocated .... in the words of Jaar Jaar Binks "me'sa going home"

A classic example of HUACA.

 

[Popeye]

A classic example of HUACA.

Maybe that what I should have done on Tuesday ... oh well

 

[Pushka]

I think you got lucky then.

 

[Popeye]

I think you got lucky then.

Maybe but it doesn't matter now ... we are on

 

[serfty]

I think you got lucky then.

More like unlucky with a dud agent in the first instance:

Options are available to Qantas customers holding a valid ticket issued on/before 23 August 2018 who are affected by Hurricane Lane for travel to/from Hawaii on/after 23 August 2018 and on/before 27 August 2018.

Seems the "options" that are "available" depend on the quality of the agent.

 

[Popeye]

This was totally a voluntary change - the Op just wanted to avoid rainy days on his holiday....

Sorry Juddles, it wasnt that I wanted to avoid rainy days, I didn't want to put my disabled(terminally ill) wife through the stress of going through having to shelter from a category 4 Hurricane, but thanks for your empathy or lack of it .... it all worked out in the end

 

[sjk]

Anyone can request a change, why should those with a bit of initiative be denied just because it might trigger others to do the same? And conversely, why should someone who can't be bothered calling in to change flights be rewarded by being given the same flights as those who might have called hours earlier?

Quite hilarious given your support for the poor underpaid public servant who can't be bothered to select their seat in advance and ends up sitting between two gamers (or traumatized by the thought of having to).

 

[cjd600]

I was on QF3 Friday evening.
Now sitting on the beach on the Oahu north shore sucking back some cold examples of Kona Brewing Co's finest.
Kids playing in the surf. Bit overcast, but hopefully clear skies ahead for the rest of the trip

 

[Popeye]

I was on QF3 Friday evening.
Now sitting on the beach on the Oahu north shore sucking back some cold examples of Kona Brewing Co's finest.
Kids playing in the surf. Bit overcast, but hopefully clear skies ahead for the rest of the trip

Hi CJD600, So you got to one of the few ABC store that were open and lined up to get your brewskies. I am sitting on my balcony on the 21st floor of the Sheraton at present sitting in the gusty wind and intermittent showers and enjoying a Steinlager that was only 6.99 a 6 pack. Luckily I got it before they all closed
With all the restaraunts and shops closed and the hotels running on limited services , there isnt much to enjoy at present. Also the buses arent running so you cant go anywhere much.
Enjoy your stay but there is at least another 4 more days of coughpy weather to come. Not sure when they will go back to normal, the septics are very conservative and risk averse

 

[Popeye]

I was on QF3 Friday evening.
Now sitting on the beach on the Oahu north shore sucking back some cold examples of Kona Brewing Co's finest.
Kids playing in the surf. Bit overcast, but hopefully clear skies ahead for the rest of the trip

Sorry just noticed you said north shore.

Its coughpy here in Waikiki .... but thisnt over yet ... there is a stack of rain to come.

We went to the North Shore Wednesday and it was windy and rainy

Cheers

 

[cjd600]

Sorry just noticed you said north shore.

Its coughpy here in Waikiki .... but thisnt over yet ... there is a stack of rain to come.

We went to the North Shore Wednesday and it was windy and rainy

Cheers

Yeah, we actually loaded up at Walmart in Waikiki this morning (food, and amber liquid food) before driving to north shore.
We aren't due in Waikiki until Wednesday (for 5 nts),so fingers crossed its all opened up by then.
Good luck!

 

[Forg]

There are clouds in the sky in Sydney ... hope that helps.

 

[Popeye]

Yeah there are clouds here too but its 25 degrees not 18