Qantas stuff up with booking - rectified by good luck

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kermatu

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Just had a very troubling experience. Secured a points upgrade for London to Dubai on QF2. Booked as P1 but now WP so it came through 12 hours before flight. No notification from Qantas. Just happened to see my seat vacant on EF.

Checked MMB and was stunned to see my flight was now showing the following day, that is, I has booked to fly on Monday, it now showed flight on Tuesday. First I thought it a glitch or that I had made a horrible error in booking my flight. But no, it was a mysterious move to the following day. I had spoken twice with the chauffeur drive company in London so knew they were picking me up on on Monday.

Called QF call line back home. Got through quickly thankfully and, as per usual, the agent was terrific and sorted it. Took about 10 minutes during which I got no information but several apologies /updates that it would be a couple of minutes more. I was looking at EF for the 2 days in question and could see that it was being rectified so was not worried.

Eventually the gentleman came back on and told me it was all fixed and that the upgrade to first was still ok. Very relieved. He said that when processing the upgrade it had been inadvertently made for the next day. No other explanation.

The rest of my experience was fantastic -first time in QF F. Great crew, good food onboard and very quick through Heathrow and Dubai.

But I shudder to think what would have happened had I not checked my booking and just turned up at the airport Monday and been told I was booked for Tuesday. I am really surprised this happened obviously but also that there's no notification of an upgrade or that the system didn't spit out a 'your flight has changed' email. Seems like it was human error. I hope it was and not a system issue. Mistakes happen but if it's a system issue that's a wider problem.

i was just relieved it was fixed so didn't pursue with the agent on the phone or seek further info etc. But would appreciate knowing if anyone else has had a similar experience? Would it have just been human error (I assume upgrades are carefully managed)? Is it worth providing feedback to QF on this?
 
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I have never received a 'notification' of an upgrade. You just log into MMB and look for yourself or you get a new boarding pass at the gate.
 
I have never received a 'notification' of an upgrade. You just log into MMB and look for yourself or you get a new boarding pass at the gate.

Really? We always get one when its a points upgrade.

Why is it a non story? It's a good warning to all.
 
Would it have just been human error (I assume upgrades are carefully managed)? Is it worth providing feedback to QF on this?

While it most likely would have been a human error, I'd be happy to look in to this for you. Please send a private message with your details as reference.
 
Certainly not a "non story" - such an error can have expensive and possibly serious ramifications.


I look at it this way...Human Error..Telephone call...QF fix it...Takes the flight..Has a good experience...Instead of complaining say thanks QF for being so proactive and having fixed the problem.

"Let they who have never erred throw the first stone".....or something like that.
 
I look at it this way...Human Error..Telephone call...QF fix it...Takes the flight..Has a good experience...Instead of complaining say thanks QF for being so proactive and having fixed the problem.

"Let they who have never erred throw the first stone".....or something like that.

It sounds to me that this was resolved as a result of the OP, not QF being proactive.
 
I think the value of the OP (and a word in Red Roo's ear) is that there may be a way of ensuring that doesn't happen again. As we all know accidents can happen but hopefully not when you are taking one flight of a long RTW trip.
 
I look at it this way...Human Error..Telephone call...QF fix it...Takes the flight..Has a good experience...Instead of complaining say thanks QF for being so proactive and having fixed the problem.

The OP did exactly that and was not complaining or bagging QF, but was rather helpfully informing the community of a possible glitch in the system and reminding pax with upgrade requests to actively check their bookings. Not everybody does this so it was a useful post, unlike yours, I'm afraid.
 
I look at it this way...Human Error..Telephone call...QF fix it...Takes the flight..Has a good experience...Instead of complaining say thanks QF for being so proactive and having fixed the problem.

"Let they who have never erred throw the first stone".....or something like that.

OK, why should you need to keep logging into a website when overseas when you have paper copies of all your flight details - just to make sure that the airline hasn't randomly changed your flight. They sure were proactive - in moving the flight to the next day!
 
I look at it this way...Human Error..Telephone call...QF fix it...Takes the flight..Has a good experience...Instead of complaining say thanks QF for being so proactive and having fixed the problem. ...
Sure - but the OP is an experienced traveller who noticed and went to check seating using EF.

I hate to think what would hvae hppened to someone not so experienced or not so versed who fronts up at the airport to check-in to find no seat on a sold out flight with perhaps an agent having a bad day.

IMHO, it is useful to know this type of thing can actually happen and help make us more alert.
 
Really? We always get one when its a points upgrade.
Same here. I get an SMS informing me my flight details have changed and to collect a new boarding pass from the service desk at the airport.
 
Not all of us have expert flyer subscriptions which monitor and send us an email when our seat is vacated. Also, not everyone checks classic check my trip in the 24 hours leading up to departure.

Think of the storm that raged on here when the OP's parents were "downgraded" at LAX.

Some of us too book separate flights - eg from LAX onto other USA destinations. I can't think of trying to explain to a disinterested AA person that I actually need to travel next day to flights in my booking!
 
First off Thanks to the OP for posting and providing a reminder to us all.

Secondly I agree that errors mistakes what ever you want to call them happen, they provide an opportunity to review and put in place procedures to help prevent things like this recurring. I know in my business life I take customer comments and complaints as a great opportunity to improve and increase customer satisfaction levels and increase the profitability of the business.
 
I hate to think what would hvae hppened to someone not so experienced or not so versed who fronts up at the airport to check-in to find no seat on a sold out flight with perhaps an agent having a bad day.

As the passenger was departing from the EU they would have been more than adequately looked after (next available flight) and compensated as per EU261 if eligible (depending on how late they arrived on their new flight).

If the passenger was leaving from any other port, they would have been dealt with under some guidelines (which we don't seem to know) and perhaps accommodated in economy class with a few dollars refund.
 
As the passenger was departing from the EU they would have been more than adequately looked after (next available flight) and compensated as per EU261 if eligible (depending on how late they arrived on their new flight).

If the passenger was leaving from any other port, they would have been dealt with under some guidelines (which we don't seem to know) and perhaps accommodated in economy class with a few dollars refund.
Would the inexperienced traveller have known to ask for such remedies (although the latter protection I find hardly equitable)?
 
Would the inexperienced traveller have known to ask for such remedies (although the latter protection I find hardly equitable)?

the airline is under a legal obligation to display EU261 at check-in. That's about as good as it's going to get I suppose.

But the advantage is that any compensation a passenger might have accepted without being properly informed of their rights under EU261 can be overridden and proper compensation awarded. So there are protections.
 
Thanks for views and input. Have been sleeping / touring / travelling so apologies for not getting in sooner.

i have started a PM exchange with red roo and will advise anything of value that I can.

i certainly did not intend to merely bag Qantas as someone suggested. The purpose of the post was to ask if anyone else had such an experience and, as many have noted, to advise / forewarn others of what may happen. Now that I have been in contact through red roo I hope it also helps avoid the situation in future.

While it did all end up fine it was only through my good fortune of seeing it through EF and because I checked my booking. That's the worrying aspect for me. Inexperienced flyers would be at risk, but even experienced flyers may not have time or opportunity, or even feel the need to check.
 
Thanks for views and input. Have been sleeping / touring / travelling so apologies for not getting in sooner.

i have started a PM exchange with red roo and will advise anything of value that I can.

i certainly did not intend to merely bag Qantas as someone suggested. The purpose of the post was to ask if anyone else had such an experience and, as many have noted, to advise / forewarn others of what may happen. Now that I have been in contact through red roo I hope it also helps avoid the situation in future.

While it did all end up fine it was only through my good fortune of seeing it through EF and because I checked my booking. That's the worrying aspect for me. Inexperienced flyers would be at risk, but even experienced flyers may not have time or opportunity, or even feel the need to check.

FWIW I don't think your post bagged Qantas at all and I think you were right to draw attention to the problem for the reasons you and others have described.
 
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