QF11 17APR12 now 744!

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I booked a holiday well in advance flying J SYD-LAX, hoping to once again enjoy the comfort and superiority of the Qantas A380 product, only to find today my flight has been changed to a clapped-out old 744!

This may be a maintenance event as it's a 744 over and back on that day.

This would not be such a problem but considering the vast disparity between 744 and 388 products, plus the overall comfort of the 388 compared to the 744, I'm really disappointed. Even if the 744 has the 'refreshed' interior, my points upgrade request to F is probably a complete waste of points and I'm considering cancelling it... I thought these swap-outs were a thing of the past considering how many 388s that are now in operation.

Thoughts or inside info on this anyone?

It's bad enough now the LAX-JFK sector is operated by the ex-AKL 332! :shock:

- A very disappointed traveller for my twice-yearly business/first class long haul holiday jaunt :evil:

 

[VHOEJ]

You do know the A380's have to have checks for thier cracked wings........and as always happens, there are already other aircraft scheduled for maintainence too so unfortunately it means there has to be a downgrade in a flight. It happens - at least you have some notice, some of these things happen on the day of travel.

Airlines don't like changing aircraft and try to avoid it at all costs. You could be paying full fare in first class and get a downgrade - now that is a reason to be upset. Change your day of travel if it is that big of an issue.

 

[yohy?!]

A reminder of the 1 certainty in the FF game -

Your Mileage May Vary

 

[munitalP]

...

Thoughts or inside info on this anyone?

...

At least you will ge there safe and sound on a 747!

 

[amaroo]

Any chance you can fly earlier?

FWIW, I totally agree with you......I've been subbed twice & had no opportunity to change:evil:

I hate the sloping sack:evil::evil::evil:

 

[Berlin]

Any chance you can fly earlier?

FWIW, I totally agree with you......I've been subbed twice & had no opportunity to change:evil:

I hate the sloping sack:evil::evil::evil:

Totally agree and the issue here it just happens FAR TOO OFTEN and the disparity between the two products is just huge! I am basically eying my A380 bookings daily with sweat on my forehead and know that almost my entire company does the same as 99% of us here absolutely love the big bird. And yes, maintenance etc. happens but for that you could have a spare or two waiting. But no, QF of course had to delay delivery of the remaining A380s and unlike SQ, keeps using those old 747s which I dread just looking at :evil:

Okay, that was a bit of a rant. But I can totally understand the OP as it has happened to me several times before as well.

 

[serfty]

I have only ever flown QF international F once before and that was over 10 years ago.

Now, I have a booking later in April than the OP's MEL-LAX - on seeing the OP, I quickly checked but it is still a 388. I will be watching this very closely ... :-|

 

[straitman]

Airlines don't like changing aircraft and try to avoid it at all costs. You could be paying full fare in first class and get a downgrade - now that is a reason to be upset. Change your day of travel if it is that big of an issue.

Just to reemphasis what VHOEJ has said.

The subbing of aircraft is actually a bigger problem to the airline than the passengers so they try to avoid doing so if at all possible. The way some are approaching this here it sounds like people think they are doing it to deliberately stuff people around.

 

[VHOEJ]

Just to reemphasis what VHOEJ has said.

The subbing of aircraft is actually a bigger problem to the airline than the passengers so they try to avoid doing so if at all possible. The way some are approaching this here it sounds like people think they are doing it to deliberately stuff people around.

Thanks for the support! The costs to the airline for downgrade like this are a lot more than the loss to the passengers. They want aircraft to be flying, they don't make money sitting on the ground having maintainence. Airlines always want their flagship flying - and again, they put the safety ahead of anything else. The same people complaining would complain if a defective aircraft was flying as well. The airline can't win.........

And I would love to meet an airline than can just have A380's sitting on the ground ready as spares at any opportunitiy - well Emirates have that luxury to some extent but they don't have many financial issues to worry about.

 

[markis10]

QF do seem to be having some real fleet issues for whatever reason at present, with positioning flights becoming a daily occurrence all of a sudden, and lots of substitutions for Jetconnect services, including a 767 last week. Its little wonder QF Domestic carrys less passengers than DJ domestic!

 

[ajw373]

Its little wonder QF Domestic carrys less passengers than DJ domestic!

Since when, and what's your source?

 

[markis10]

Since when, and what's your source?

For a while, source being the airlines themselves:

 

[amaroo]

The same people complaining would complain if a defective aircraft was flying as well.

I don't see any complainers here!

What I do see are members highlighting their disappointment when an expectation is not met.

There will always be subs - fact of life......as are disappointments

 

[under the radar]

I don't see any complainers here!

What I do see are members highlighting their disappointment when an expectation is not met.

There will always be subs - fact of life......as are disappointments

suck it up ...s**t happens...the 'preciousness' on this forum makes me laugh... reality check is needed....oh dear...i know im gonna be chastised for these comments

 

[dfcatch]

suck it up ...s**t happens...the 'preciousness' on this forum makes me laugh... reality check is needed....oh dear...i know im gonna be chastised for these comments

I won't chastise you - but I will ask....

If you had an F award on the 380 and it got subbed for a 747 would u be happy?

Would you "suck it up"?

 

[amaroo]

suck it up ...s**t happens...the 'preciousness' on this forum makes me laugh... reality check is needed....oh dear...i know im gonna be chastised for these comments

Be happy and enjoy your view on things :mrgreen:

If you want some chastising - you'll need to try harder next time

 

[VHOEJ]

QF do seem to be having some real fleet issues for whatever reason at present, with positioning flights becoming a daily occurrence all of a sudden, and lots of substitutions for Jetconnect services, including a 767 last week. Its little wonder QF Domestic carrys less passengers than DJ domestic!

Jetconnect? They have the most reliable fleet of the QF Group. I heard the cause of it is one aircraft out due to a mishap at BNE airport requiring major repairs. They rarely have technical issues. Subsitutions are better than cancellations.

 

[markis10]

Jetconnect? They have the most reliable fleet of the QF Group. I heard the cause of it is one aircraft out due to a mishap at BNE airport requiring major repairs. They rarely have technical issues. Subsitutions are better than cancellations.

I would say thats the cause, just never seen so many positioning flights and cancellations with QF lately, for instance from QF source:

[h=2]28th February 2012 - VH-VZU Operates for JetConnect.[/h] QANTAS Boeing 737-838 VH-VZU operated JetConnect flights QF25 Melbourne - Auckland and QF26 Auckland - Melbourne today.
[h=2]28th February 2012 - Flight Cancellations:[/h] The following flights were cancelled today:
QF410 Melbourne - Sydney
QF461 Sydney - Melbourne
QF612 Melbourne - Brisbane
QF617 Brisbane - Melbourne
QF730 Adelaide - Sydney
QF779 Sydney - Canberra
QF1460 Canberra - Sydney.
[h=2]27th February 2012 - VH-VXP Positioning Flight.[/h] Boeing 737-838 VH-VXP positioned Adelaide - Sydney this afternoon as QF6111.
[h=2]27th February 2012 - VH-VXQ Positioning Flight.[/h] Boeing 737-838 VH-VXQ positioned Melbourne - Sydney this afternoon as QF6121.
[h=2]27th February 2012 - VH-VZU Operates for JetConnect.[/h] QANTAS Boeing 737-838 VH-VZU operated JetConnect flights QF25 Melbourne - Auckland and QF26 Auckland - Melbourne today.

 

[TheInsider]

I heard the cause of it is one aircraft out due to a mishap at BNE airport requiring major repairs. They rarely have technical issues. Subsitutions are better than cancellations.

Correct, one of the aerobridges came into contact with the nose of the aircraft!
Oops, for that the driver of the bridge gets the honour to piss into a cup and a few days paid leave to await for the results!

 

[Danger]

I see Airline Route is today showing LH is subbing a 744 for the A380 on their FRA-SIN route for three weeks in April.