Loyalty is a one way affair - goodbye QFF

[Paulw]

Please let me state the facts and you will understand my current feeling towards Qantas:

Ticket Fully Flexible purchased from Qantas. MEL to HCM to MEL (all via Singapore)

Return Leg 28th April QF 5158 Ho Chi Minh to Singapore. Checked in for flight in Ho Chi Minh and received boarding pass for this flight and also the next leg Singapore to Melbourne QF36

20 minutes before original boarding time Jetstar Operated QF 5158 was notified of delay due to inward flight being late, new departure time given.
Thought I have boarding pass and no luggage still time to make QF36.
(Had I know this was to be a problem I could have jumped on a Vietnam Airlines flight to Singapore to make QF36)

Arrived Singapore and go to gate, still boarding, still passengers behind me in the queue, no problem. Scan boarding pass and get told that my ticket has been cancelled. Escorted back out to corridor and told go see Jetstar. (That's a Strange thing to hear I know i purchased Qantas tickets and Qantas have my money)

Went to transfer lounge, see Qantas staff and they tell me as Jetstar is late it’s a Jetstar problem and Jetstar have issued a new ticket for Wednesday May 1 (arriving for work and meetings Thursday morning over 3 full days late)

Asked Qantas desk staff to try to help to get me on QF38 later flight same night but they said it was already overbooked.

Tried to get some help at Qantas lounge and after not being able to be put on this later flight was told to go back to transfer lounge. Qantas staff at transfer lounge help me by calling Jetstar and handing me the phone as I was a Jetstar problem not a Qantas problem. Jetstar confirm that this is the best they can do: Wednesday night arriving Melbourne Thursday. Asked them to look at any routes as I had to be back and this was not acceptable. Their words “they are a low cost carrier and do not have the option of putting me with other airlines or other routes and this is the best they can do, take it or leave it”. (Yet Qantas tickets, Qantas payments, Qantas FF)

Qantas not willing to help, Jetstar doing what Jetstar do, I am left stuck in Singapore till Thursday after making my flight on time, just to be turned away at the gate. But the worst part was the follow up lack of support provided by Qantas. Once back in Australia complained to Qantas and they left a message on my phone that i missed their call and they would call back in half an hour, they did not...

Needing to be back I join Kris Flyer and get the only ticket I can with Singapore Airlines for the following night as this night is done. They only have one seat left on Melbourne flight and I need to be back already missing and rescheduling appointments, unfortunately costly as Premium Economy ticket, I have no choice but to buy it. $2,115.90 SGD out of pocket (and no pre-flight drink, sorry being petty now I guess)

How would you feel in the same circumstances ? Not that it should make any difference but I am just about to qualify as Platinum One....

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF, sorry about the circumstances.

We hear this quite a bit, especially on code shares. QF code sharing with JQ seems to be no different from QF code sharing with, say CX.

The airline/agent who takes our money and issues the ticket in their own name (Qantas, in this case) should be the one to assist when things go wrong. They should not have tried to palm you off onto Jetstar - you were a Qantas customer on, effectively, a Qantas flight. They had your money.

 

[Paulw]

Thanks for the welcome
Yes that what I assumed also but sadly was not the case
Still awaiting an explanation from Qantas but not holding my breath

 

[Aus ATC]

An unpleasant chain of events - especially cancelling your QF36 without any negotiation - I can't see how that would be Jetstar's problem to resolve. Presumably the minimum connection time between the delayed JQ flight and QF36 was infringed. Good luck getting appropriate compensation.

 

[dajop]

Disappointing. No attempt to put you onto QF 8404, which also operated to MEL that evening (operated by EK)?

 

[Paulw]

Yes thanks, according to the Qantas desk although it was a QF ticketed code share flight and all was purchased from Qantas, once Jetstar code share caused the delay I belonged to them. Must be in the small print somewhere...

 

[Paulw]

Disappointing. No attempt to put you onto QF 8404, which also operated to MEL that evening (operated by EK)?

 

[craven morehead]

How can DeathStar cancel a QF ticket. That just seems wrong!

 

[Paulw]

No attempt to do anything within reason. To them it was fixed as they had put me on a flight out Wednesday night. Three and half days later... Words very clear "take it or leave it"
approx 1m points to spend then I will take their advice at this stage...
They could have even flown me to Singapore - Darwin - Melbourne anywhere Melbourne but from what i see they really do not care

 

[Paulw]

How can DeathStar cancel a QF ticket. That just seems wrong!

 

[Paulw]

Was worse than that.
Not only did they cancel my flight but they adopted me.....

Anyway I must be an ugly child as Qantas ever so willing to give me away...

 

[dajop]

Have you posted on QF's facebook or twitter? If you're up to it, public shaming is one way that seems to deliver results in 2019.

Dealing with customer (lack of) care, or whinging on AFF which has for several years now been irrelevant for QF, will not achieve anything.

 

[Paulw]

Have you posted on QF's facebook or twitter? If you're up to it, public shaming is one way that seems to deliver results in 2019.

Dealing with customer (lack of) care, or whinging on AFF which has for several years now been irrelevant for QF, will not achieve anything.

Thanks

Dealing with customer (lack of) care, or whinging on AFF which has for several years now been irrelevant for QF, will not achieve anything.
[/QUOTE]

Will lick my wounds and bang my head against the lack of care department until it feels better to stop
My whinging is over except I like your idea, might give the daughter a facebook thing to do
Ultimately we vote with our feet
Was fun to be in an airport for a change and not the lounge, back to looking for the cheap tickets forget the status

 

[woodborer]

Was worse than that.
Not only did they cancel my flight but they adopted me.....

Anyway I must be an ugly child as Qantas ever so willing to give me away...

If JQ, or 3K, or whichever edition of Jetstar it was, caused the misconnect, it is likely up to them to resolve the situation.

 

[RooFlyer]

If JQ, or 3K, or whichever edition of Jetstar it was, caused the misconnect, it is likely up to them to resolve the situation.

But this is where the whole code-share thing comes in. After all there years of operation, its still a black hole.

The pax pays money to Qantas, gets a Qantas flight number, earns Qantas SCs and points etc. They are a Qantas customer, who happens to be on Jetstar plane, arranged by Qantas.

The attitude of the ticketing airline should be "Sorry, we failed to fulfill our side of the transport agreement, these things happen, now lets see what we can do for you." But no. They palm you off to the other airline, knowing full well that the other airline won't care very much at all. The whole process stinks.

 

[Andz]

Unfortunately you are right!!! I got burnt in 2014 and ever since I have no loyalty to any airline. I go with the cheapest fare or the most convenient schedule. I'm Virgin Platinum now and use QF C/C points to fly QF at a minimal charge. QFF has made the VP services a joke and loyalty worth nothing more than 1 cent.....I expect nothing and surprised by the good old customer service on occasion.

 

[stm1sydney]

How crazy of Qantas to actively go out of their way to really piss off a loyal customer. If Jetstar is a different operation, how would Qantas have even known that the pax was running a bit late? They obviously did, though, and then had the gall to actually make the effort to cancel his ticket becase he MIGHT miss the connection, even though he actually made boarding time, instead of just treating it as a no show and keeping his money.

Do they have a special section which is devoted to driving away customers?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

i wonder if the Jetstar flight from HCM was covered by the Montreal Convention, and what was the reason for the delay. If it was within Jetstar's control you may be able to make a claim for the delay for the cost of your replacement ticket.

but it might require a bit of research to see if (a) the convention applies and (b) the cause of the delay (and the Jetstar response to handling the delayed aircraft and getting it back on schedule. ).

 

[Pleb Status]

JQ et al are members of the QF group only when it suits QF (when taking your money).

Did JQ/3K/QF offer accommodation in SIN?

I would never trust JQ/3K for business travel (or even mildly important personal travel). I have had 3K lie directly to my face on previous occasions.

This booking would have been on SQ all the way if I was booking it. Could have been cheaper overall as well.

Also, the IATA code for Ho Chi Minh City is SGN.

 

[Paulw]

i wonder if the Jetstar flight from HCM was covered by the Montreal Convention, and what was the reason for the delay. If it was within Jetstar's control you may be able to make a claim for the delay for the cost of your replacement ticket.

but it might require a bit of research to see if (a) the convention applies and (b) the cause of the delay (and the Jetstar response to handling the delayed aircraft and getting it back on schedule. ).

Thanks for the reply. Yes will look into that. Turn around flight was over an hour late leaving Singapore for Ho Chi Minh, so Jetstar new it would be late going back. Asked them why they did not sms or call me and was told that’s not there job they don’t have the people to do that. Yes things go wrong, no one want so to be on a dodgy plane but just keep the customer informed. I could have flown with VA to Singapore and made my connection earlier. Be honest and keep customers informed as in today’s electronic society It is not that difficult.