QF changes my flight and annoys me in the process

[Natalie_B]

During the week, I got an email from QF saying that my 10.35am flight SYD/BNE had changed and I was now on the 11.05am flight. The email didn't require any action from me.

When I logged into my booking, I saw that I was left with 15 minutes to transfer to my BNE/TSV flight. Figuring this wouldn't work, I contacted QF and asked to be put on the earlier flight but am continually told there are no seats, even though I can see red e-deal seats available for purchase. I assume they are in different classes, but I'm feeling frustrated that I'm now being told I need to be on the 12.05pm flight out of Sydney and then on the later flight out of BNE, arriving into TSV two hours later that originally planned.

Normally I fly JQ as its direct on this route but thought I'd try QF with the stop in BNE to allow my two small kids a chance to move about but I think I've learnt my lesson. Except that these tickets were bought during the double SC promotion, I'd almost be tempted to cancel them and start again.

Am I being unreasonable for feeling jerked around? What would have happened if I'd done nothing and turned up expecting to make the 15 min transfer?

 

[moa999]

They might have reissued you a BP for the later BNE-TSV at checkin.
They might have left it and it may/ may not have worked - all the gates at BNE pier are pretty close.

Agree that not moving you to an earlier flight seems strange, but potentially load/fare bucket related

 

[medhead]

not unreasonable. Not sure how best to deal with it. But ring, outline how they cancelled the flight, the original change was just ok but the 2 hour delay is unacceptable as you have a meeting in townsville that can't be changed.

 

[Mattg]

Unless it's completely sold out, I don't see why they wouldn't just move you to the 10:05 SYD-BNE flight. They cancelled the original flight, not you.

I've had no problems in the past getting moved to a later/earlier flight where QF have cancelled or re-timed one of the flights resulting in a tight connection.

 

[Natalie_B]

Update to the situation- I called QF and spoke to Shaun from the Premium desk. He was super helpful and my new favourite person!

When he opened my booking, and looked for the flight I wanted, his system said it was full. However he logged out of my booking and could see plenty of seats on the flight I was asking to be put on (and that I could see available for sale). In the end he did some things at his end (forced booking?) and problem solved! So relieved as I couldn't believe how annoyed I was started to feel about the situation.

 

[TomVexille]

Good to see common sense prevailed in the end

 

[dajop]

Update to the situation- I called QF and spoke to Shaun from the Premium desk. He was super helpful and my new favourite person!

The question remains, what would happen if you didn't have sufficient status that prevented you from speaking to Premium Desk?

It is becoming increasingly common these days that if a so called "premium" airline cancels a flight, all they want to do is rebook you on a flight with the same fare class, as if they're doing you a favour by waiving the change fees and that is all.

 

[Natalie_B]

The question remains, what would happen if you didn't have sufficient status that prevented you from speaking to Premium Desk?

It is becoming increasingly common these days that if a so called "premium" airline cancels a flight, all they want to do is rebook you on a flight with the same fare class, as if they're doing you a favour by waiving the change fees and that is all.

I don't have premium status, it was completely luck of the draw. Having two children in close proximity has put a big dent in my SC earnings.

I tried calling earlier in the day and was told that the wait time was between 23 and 33 minutes, but the kids had a meltdown and I hung up without requesting a call back. When I called the next time, I was told the wait time was between 16 and 21 minutes. I decided to hold on rather than request a call back since the time appeared quite good compared to what I had read on here. I think the call was answered in less than 3 minutes. Definitely the stars were aligned.

 

[basso]

I would suggest feedback to QF outlining the issue that arised. It sounds very much to me as there is a problem in their married segment logic, shich has thrown up a suboptimal result (The fact that different things can be seen when using the PNR versus a general search suggests married segment logic in play)

 

[serfty]

I would suggest feedback to QF outlining the issue that arised. It sounds very much to me as there is a problem in their married segment logic, shich has thrown up a suboptimal result (The fact that different things can be seen when using the PNR versus a general search suggests married segment logic in play)

Certainly screams "Married Segments" to me ...

 

[Natalie_B]

Once I said that I could see the flight I wanted for sale, he knew exactly what the glitch was. He was going to prepare a note for his supervisor as well as one for the people I had been speaking too. But I definitely thought how lucky I'd been to get someone who knew to check as the previous two people just kept telling me it wasn't available and were unable to tell me why I could see it.

 

[harvyk]

Good to hear it's been sorted, my general rule when dealing with call centres is if first I don't succeed hang up and try again (potential a couple of times). Some operators are worthless, whilst others are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately you don't know what type of operator you're going to get until the telephony gods connect your call.

 

[bsb]

Update to the situation- I called QF and spoke to Shaun from the Premium desk. He was super helpful and my new favourite person!

When he opened my booking, and looked for the flight I wanted, his system said it was full. However he logged out of my booking and could see plenty of seats on the flight I was asking to be put on (and that I could see available for sale). In the end he did some things at his end (forced booking?) and problem solved! So relieved as I couldn't believe how annoyed I was started to feel about the situation.

I Often find one persons no at Qantas, is another persons yes. I'm always super nice when I need something and they respond in kind

 

[docjames]

Sounds like the default system is to look for SYD-TSV availability and perhaps the BNE-TSV was full so it couldnt "find" the SYD-BNE availability (as it was looking for the whole lot tied together).

The smarter operator managed to perhaps separate the segments, thereby freeing up visibility of the 1005 flight and keeping the BNE-TSV leg untocuhed.

In the end, who knows, but the HUACA approach works (again).

 

[ftm]

Certainly screams "Married Segments" to me ...

Exactly what I think has happened. Plenty of seats available on the individual segments, but the new fancy yield management system says no when you look at the overall Origin/Destination.

 

[RichardMEL]

sometimes these "auto change" things seem weird and make no sense. For example, I was on an AA codeshare flight SFO-LAX connecting to LAX-MEL. The flight I was on left at like 4:30pm getting into LAX at 6, with a boatload of connection time to the MEL flight (I booked it factoring in SFO delays and F lounge time to be comfy) anyway QF sent me the flight change thing and the system had rebooked me onto a 12pm flight which was ridiculous, leaving an 8 hour layover at LAX. I called up QF and the agent absolutely understood that was stupid and even my 4:30pm flight had just changed to 4:50pm or something, which was just as fine, and they put me onto that instead, which made far more sense. there was also a 6pm flight or so which was just as valid a connection to the MEL flight yet QF's system wasn't smart enough to find that one (and the appropriate booking class, I in this case, was open on all flights so that wasn't the issue). very strange how that "works" sometimes but common sense did prevail pretty quickly once I spoke to a human

I'm glad you got this one sorted out in the end too. you know in the end though you prob would have been forced onto the later TSV flight from the misconnect, which was QF's own fault (if you'd done nothing). still not good enough.

 

[drewbles]

QF changed a flight I have coming up later in the year by moving me from a 1500 flight I had booked PER-MEL on an A330 with J upgrade confirmed, to 1720.

I'm connecting out to an EY flight on a separate ticket, and the earlier flights ex-PER are all 737 (booo!) but the super helpful premium desk agent confirmed my U class on the earlier flight, despite there being no U showing on EF.

When you get a good QF premium desk agent, they're worth their weight in gold!

 

[ozmille]

Certainly screams "Married Segments" to me ...

it certainly does