Is this an "op-down" ??

[MatF]

Not happy Jan.

Through a series of unfortunate events, I was effectively given an op-down this morning.

Booked on WGA-SYD on QF2220 and then SYD-BNE on QF510.
I selected my seat on QF510 at the time of booking, and grabbed 26A.

At T-67, I logged in and managed to get 23A, and was quite happy about it!. Haven't been able to get 23A for a while.

Anyway, I arrived at WGA airport this morning, to find that we were going to be delayed about 20-25mins. As I dropped off my bag, the guy behind the counter mentioned that it looked like I'd been moved to QF512. I hadn't been asked or informed about this to this point, but I figured I wouldn't make QF510, so fair enough. It had already been done, anyway. The horse had already bolted.

We took off about 25mins late, and when we arrived in SYD I wandered over to T3 and through security. I checked the boards to find that not only had QF510 not even boarded yet, but QF512 was cancelled. Oh dear. I started to get a bad feeling. This was a work trip, and I had meetings in Brisbane.

Hightailed it over to the service desk to see what was happeneing, to find I'd been moved again, to QF516, over an hour later! Not good ....
So, I asked to be put back on QF510 if possible, since it hadn't started boarding. After a bit of discussion, I was eventually moved back to QF510 (my checked bag looked like it was going to be a curse there for a minute).

So, back to where I started .... I was then given my boarding pass for QF510 - seat 36F

Effective change? Same flight, but moved from 23A to 36F. Yes, they're both Y, but definitely an op-down in my opinion, particularly when I'd been lucky enough to grab 23A! Man, I'd forgotten what it was like down the back of the bus. :shock:

Now I realise this was a case of QF being proactive, but really, I'd rather hang on to my carefully selected seat until I've definitely missed the flight please Mr Roo.

 

[serfty]

Not happy Jan.

...
Now I realise this was a case of QF being proactive, but really, I'd rather hang on to my carefully selected seat until I've definitely missed the flight please Mr Roo.

Look's like the holes lined up in the cheese ...

... sort of.

In reality things like that happen from time to time - personally I would simply be thankful I'd arrived into BNE ...

It could have been worse - you may have indeed missed QF510 and been on QF516 ...

Stuff happens!

One evening some years ago I was flying BNE-SYD and SYD-MEL. I had a front row economy seat on my BNE-SYD flight but there was an announcment in the lounge that my flight was to be delayed by an hour due to strong winds in SYD and an ATC reduction in slots. This would make my connection tenuous at best.

I fronted the desk and was able to jump into a seat down the back in an imminent earlier SYD flight.

So far so good - I boarded and took my near back row seat only for my new flight to be cancelled after a service vehicle ran into it.

Being down the back it took some time to get off and by that time the the next flight had been slammed with rebooked PAX - I missed out. As it happened, the next flight was my original - it was now on time as it has been re-allocated a different slot, now available due to the cancelled flight. :shock:

With the certainty of missing my connection I approached the QP service desk and managed to get rebooked on a direct flight to MEL - to top it off I decided it worth the trouble doing an ODU - something I rarely do.

 

[MatF]

Heh, definitely happy to get to Brisbane, and on my original flight. Very please that the staff at the service desk did indeed move me from QF516 back to QF510.

I guess my point is that none of this needed to happen. If I hadn't been moved to QF512 in the first place, I'd have made QF510 easily, and in my original 23A

It's a bit odd - we've been late leaving WGA before, but I haven't been proactively moved from QF510. Not sure why it happened this time. Maybe one of those pesky new P1's wanted 23A on QF510 really, really badly

 

[yo yo ma]

"Is this an op-down?" No - you made the flight in the same cabin that you paid for.

 

[UP4014]

Heh, definitely happy to get to Brisbane, and on my original flight. Very please that the staff at the service desk did indeed move me from QF516 back to QF510.

I guess my point is that none of this needed to happen. If I hadn't been moved to QF512 in the first place, I'd have made QF510 easily, and in my original 23A

It's a bit odd - we've been late leaving WGA before, but I haven't been proactively moved from QF510. Not sure why it happened this time. Maybe one of those pesky new P1's wanted 23A on QF510 really, really badly

They did the right thing by moving your flight, they wanted to make sure you would get to BNE as best they could do at the time you departed WGA and not left behind anywhere. The fact you made it to your original flight was an unexpected bonus.

If missing your seat 23A is an 'op down' then perhaps you are travelling in the wrong class. :mrgreen:

Matt

 

[SeatBackForward]

Perhaps its an Op-On ? as opposed to an Op-Off!

 

[mannej]

It's better than the treatment to the lady in front of us boarding 68 last night. Apparently delayed ex LHR, she was rerouted via HKG. J was full on 68, so she took a Y seat instead of going via SYD.

Yes the downgrade was agreed to, but that was a true downgrade, considering she ended up with a seat in the 40's. I did tell her to apply for the ORC to help soften the blow✈

 

[amaroo]

Unless I'm travelling in F/J or flying longer than 3 hours - I don't really care where I sit.

 

[ReLoad]

I've almost had the same, 33A to 56E on a 767. it was definitely a OP-Down.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ram/so-close-yet-so-far-23282.html#post327544

At least you were not all the way down the back of the bus

 

[MatF]

If missing your seat 23A is an 'op down' then perhaps you are travelling in the wrong class. :mrgreen:

Oh, no doubt! Alas, I'm not paying.

We all know what the W in WP stands for, right? I want my 23A!!

 

[reductionist]

If I was somehow moved forward from 36F to 23A I would not consider it an op-up.

Therefore if the reverse happened I wouldn't consider it an op-down either.

 

[chrisb]

After all those changes if your checked bag arrived when you did I wouldn't complain too much.

 

[Leumas]

You'll be even more pissed if they didn't move you from 510 (and you keeping your seat) but you failing to make the connection...!

 

[dfcatch]

1/ Generally speaking I would consider a seat change like such to be a downgrade. And yes - I consider careful seat selection a valuable commodity.

2/ In your circumstances - I wouldn't consider it so. They proactively tried to get you to your destination on time and to look after you as best as possible. The fact that you ended up back on the original flight is coincidental and irrelevant.

3/ If everything was normal and you got bumped from your seat - it's an op-down and refer point 1 above.

 

[harvyk]

If I was somehow moved forward from 36F to 23A I would not consider it an op-up.

Therefore if the reverse happened I wouldn't consider it an op-down either.

I sort of did, last year I was moved into 4F on a 737 service, whilst it was not a true op-up in the traditional sense of the word, I did consider it a very good experience. Likewise when I have gone from good seats to poor seats, whilst again not an op-down, it did sort of feel like it.

That said I would most of the time prefer a poor seat on a flight arriving on time, than a good seat (in the same class) on a flight arriving late.

 

[JohnK]

Definitely an op-down and at the end of the day just be glad that you go to your destination and able to make your meetings. Seriously though this is something that I usually expect to happen to me.

We all know what the W in WP stands for, right? I want my 23A!!

And I do not listen to the peanut gallery who do not care where they sit. For me seating is very important and I see it as one of the major benefits of being Platinum. Last night I was back in my favoured 4C with a vacant 4B and I had a great flight as opposed to the one on Friday night in 4A with the guy in 4B taking up most of my space.

 

[kevrosmith]

And I do not listen to the peanut gallery who do not care where they sit. For me seating is very important and I see it as one of the major benefits of being Platinum. Last night I was back in my favoured 4C with a vacant 4B and I had a great flight as opposed to the one on Friday night in 4A with the guy in 4B taking up most of my space.

I agree JohnK. Having flown so much lately, it's little things like getting to select the seat you like and having the seat adjacent vacant that can really make the difference between a more pleasant and less pleasant flight.

 

[amaroo]

The only good seat is at the front....not the front of the back

 

[Kefci2000]

Unless I'm travelling in F/J or flying longer than 3 hours - I don't really care where I sit.

This is especially so if you have checked luggage unless of course you can nab a bulkhead or exit row