QF A388's out of action - who is inconvenienced? [Merged Thread]

[dfcatch]

It was a total joke!
Got our bulkhead seats and made ourselves comfortable, waiting for "the baby" to arrive.
While we waited I watched the 2 free exit row seats just in front to the right.
Our baby didnt show up, and the exit seats remained empty!

I just do not understand why it is so hard to get a simple answer to a simple question.
Q. Are there any spare exit row seats available on this flight?
A. Certainly sir, we cangive you and your wife a seat each as they are not taken.

All in all, it was a good flight although the IFE on the old 747 was pretty RS. It was in "fallback" mode which meant the movies just kept running, and there was nothing else to look at.

Of course, After a shower in Brissy, I asked if there were any exit row seats on the flight to ADL, and was told there were none available. I'll be watching when we get on the flight to test that reply.

It's not a question of entitlement, it's an issue of customer service. And regardless of whether the staff are stressed and tired at LAX, it's not difficult to say "sorry sir it's not available in my system atm, but we can let you know..."

 

[NM]

I said I was just wondering, and was there any chance of an upgrade to PE, either on the house or using points - was told "NO!"
I then asked if there were any spare exit rows or bulkhead seats, and got told "NO!"

I indicated I was not thinking of paying for them, but I would think of using points to upgrade to PE. Was told she can't do that.

The agents were 100% correct about not being able to provide points upgrades. The Qantas FF program clearly states that points upgardes for international flights must be registered (requested/waitlisted) at least 24 hours before departure. There is no discretion option or process for check-in staff to provide points upgrades at check-in time. On-Departure Upgrades (ODU) are only available at Qantas Club service desks for Australian domestic flights. ODU is not available for international flights.

I just do not understand why it is so hard to get a simple answer to a simple question.
Q. Are there any spare exit row seats available on this flight?
A. Certainly sir, we cangive you and your wife a seat each as they are not taken.

Why should they "give" them to you when they may have someone willing to pay the advertised $150 fee for those seats at any time before the flight closes?

 

[JohnK]

Why should they "give" them to you when they may have someone willing to pay the advertised $150 fee for those seats at any time before the flight closes?

So do we assume that everyone in an exit row pays for them?

How about when FA's allow people to move into empty exit rows before or after take-off when other people on the flight have paid for them? I see nothing wrong with check-in staff allowing a status passenger to move to an empty check-in row seat free of charge.

I don't mind sitting in the A or K exit row seats as the restricted leg room does not bother me that much. Can a passenger ask to be allocated one of these seats? Next time if there are available exit row seats for purchase then ask to be moved into the A or K exit row seats and if the other exit row seats are vacant move into them at take-off.

 

[equus]

I tried this recently on a DOM booking and whilst a very friendly and helpful CSA at the Premium Desk, she was unable to seat the NB pax in the status advanced seating area.

Hmm, trust the system. For a domestic booking, I called up and got two separate PNRs linked for seating (one being only the BNE-SYD return leg, having already flown SYD-BNE, the other being the outward SYD-BNE of a round trip).

Now I am PS, and the other booking is nothing at all. No way to preallocate the seating for the other booking, but took a punt and at T-80 as PS, allocated 28B on a 767 (with 28A showing empty). For some reason, attempts to OLCI got the dreaded ER100, but when we eventually managed to get the kiosk to work, the linked passenger is in 28A.

The flight was not completely full, but was far from empty. I am not sure if 28A would have shown as available to anyone else, or how quickly the linked allocation is performed, but worked for me.

 

[NM]

So do we assume that everyone in an exit row pays for them?

How about when FA's allow people to move into empty exit rows before or after take-off when other people on the flight have paid for them? I see nothing wrong with check-in staff allowing a status passenger to move to an empty check-in row seat free of charge.

I believe that they should not be "given away" until the last person has checked in and had the opportunity to choose to pay for the exit row. It becomes a commercial decision around whether to allow such discretionary decisions by check-in staff or to hold them back for sale until the last moment.

Once passengers are on board, if the cabin crew choose to allow someone to use those seats then that is their decision, just like allowing someone to move to a different cabin.

Perhaps cabin crew should have the ability to swipe a credit card to collect the $150 before allowing someone to voluntarily move to an exit row seat.

 

[Katie]

Have tried numerous times to do OLCI and it comes up with an error every time.
Guess we will drop into T4 after lunch and see what we can find for seats. I really don't understand why it is not possible to use the normal web based services once an aircraft/flight substitution has been made.

Fwiw, I wasn't able to successfully complete OLCI for either QF15 or 16 in kate Sept/ early Oct. No aircraft replacements, exit rows, or anything like that.

 

[mannej]

Out of curiosity, are the A380 pilots on extended leave, or flying on other aircraft they are rated on (747?).

I am guessing with EBO's imminent arrival, it may help to add capacity if needed

 

[samh004]

Out of curiosity, are the A380 pilots on extended leave, or flying on other aircraft they are rated on (747?).

I am guessing with EBO's imminent arrival, it may help to add capacity if needed

I'm guessing only jb747 can answer that but I recall someone saying they're still rostered and on a salary so I'd imagine now would be a good time to do more sim training.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Out of curiosity, are the A380 pilots on extended leave, or flying on other aircraft they are rated on (747?).

I am guessing with EBO's imminent arrival, it may help to add capacity if needed

Most 380 pilots are ex 747 captains (there is a requirement for some to come from the airbus stable and they require less conversion time) some training on the new birds even as old as 54 and with 15000 hrs!

I am not sure when or if tbey ever lose their rating on the 747 if they convert, an insider question no doubt.

That interview with the A380 pilot for QF on a thread here was very informative.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Out of curiosity, are the A380 pilots on extended leave, or flying on other aircraft they are rated on (747?).

I am guessing with EBO's imminent arrival, it may help to add capacity if needed

EBO? Sorry I didn't get the abbreviation.

 

[mannej]

EBO? Sorry I didn't get the abbreviation.

VH-EBO, QF's brand new A332 on its way from Toulouse. I am aware that it is replaced EBJ, but could QF hold off on that?

 

[Sprucegoose]

VH-EBO, QF's brand new A332 on its way from Toulouse. I am aware that it is replaced EBJ, but could QF hold off on that?

Thnxs. Timely addition I would say!

What do they on dry hire at present do we know?

 

[FlyboyAl]

The agents were 100% correct about not being able to provide points upgrades. The Qantas FF program clearly states that points upgardes for international flights must be registered (requested/waitlisted) at least 24 hours before departure. There is no discretion option or process for check-in staff to provide points upgrades at check-in time. On-Departure Upgrades (ODU) are only available at Qantas Club service desks for Australian domestic flights. ODU is not available for international flights.

Why should they "give" them to you when they may have someone willing to pay the advertised $150 fee for those seats at any time before the flight closes?

I've always asked if there are any spare exit row seats when I've checked in, and sometimes I get them, and sometimes I don't. I have no problem being told they are not available, its the WAY I was told.

Perhaps they could take ones name and just before calling the flight, they could allocate remaining exit row seats to those who asked.

I just call it customer service, and some staff are better at it than others.

Oh, and there were 2 free exit seats on the flight from BNE to ADL, when I was told they "were all taken". small point, but if she said they "were not available", it would have looked a bit better.

I guess these are just small gripes, and I certainly understand that the staff have been under the pump recently. as I said before, I think it is just a simple customer service issue.

 

[oz_mark]

VH-EBO, QF's brand new A332 on its way from Toulouse. I am aware that it is replaced EBJ, but could QF hold off on that?

EBJ is needed at JQ.

 

[Postcode]

Flying from HKG to SYD end of next week on what should have been a 744 on upper deck in a nice J seat. It would have been quite pleasant.

I'm well aware of reasons for substitutions. My booking now shows A330 with unspecified seat. Unspecified seat?? How many other unspecified J seats on the plane? I've missed out on a paid J seat before due to over booking. There's a paid booking here - give me a seat or contact me and explain straight away other options. Be upfront with the paying customer. Way too hard for them I suppose.

As usual nothing from QF. Waiting for reply from customer (don't)care.

 

[Flashback]

Perhaps they could take ones name and just before calling the flight, they could allocate remaining exit row seats to those who asked.

I just call it customer service, and some staff are better at it than others.

Really? Do you really think that's feasible? They already have enough to do, without adding something like that to have to bother about.

 

[oz_mark]

Depening on the day of the week, the substitution may have gone as far as you being on a CX aircraft, and they may not have done all the seating for the CX config yet. Check whether your flight is being operated by Cathay Pacific for Qantas.

Which day are you flying?

 

[mannej]

It does sound like it could be the wet leased CX A330


Sent from my iPhone using AFF Mobile

 

[MatF]

Things seem to have gone a little quiet .. the QF website has an updated statement, but there's nothing new (and some of it is now out of date).

I still have my fingers crossed our QF31 7/12 flight will be an A380 (EF still shows it as such), but I'm getting mighty doubtful.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Our 748 from LAX - BNE was only 75%-80% full - lots of spare seats. I'd say the US run has settled down and back to "normal"