QF119 BNE-AKL last minute swap from 787 to A330

[LondonAussie]

In Europe when flights are overbooked you’ll be asked at check in if you’d be willing to take alternate flights in exchange for €250-€600 compensation depending on distance. These amounts are mandated by the EU regulations so are the same for all airlines.

Some even have it in the app now during OLCI. It lists the options and the amount of compensation you’ll be paid to accept an alternate.

Payment is instant.

 

[Aeryn]

In other words, QF does not value all its passengers, only those whom it thinks are valuable to them.

Far from unique to Qantas, pretty much all airlines have similiar method for deciding who to bump.

A business wants to stay in business. Makes sense they bump the infrequent low revenue traveller who if they lose as customer has less impact to bottom line over the actual frequent flyer who buys tickets more regularly and woukd impact bottom line more if they lose.

How would you propose it be managed instead? Date of booking ? Someone misses out either way. Whilst some J passengers got downgraded, its likely some whY were bumped from flight altogether.

This is why i always check-in as close as possible to when olci opens, waiting tio airport just increases risk of offboarding/downgrade due to irrops or other.

Overselling is more common in US and EU, and whilst they ask for vlunteers by offering compenswtion, if they dont get enough thise who checked in late without an assigned seat are first to be bumped.

 

[transpactraveller]

Im guessing those surprised didnt do OLCI? First thing i do is check my boarding pass following olci to ensure seat has stuck.

When aircraft downgrades happen causing flight to be over booked, waiting to check in at airport just increases chance of being bumped.

Unless aircraft was swapped after check in closed (highly unlikely) any chnage of seat / class should have been aparent at check in. Better to speak with check in staff at that point than take it out on gate staff.

She completed OLCI the night before (around 12 hours prior to departure) and downloaded a boarding pass with 2A.

So the aircraft change must have happened late overnight or on the morning of the flight. After most people would have completed OLCI and already got BPs.

Anyone travelling with hand luggage only could bypass the airport check in desks, so the gate staff could be the first staff they spoke to.

In my friends case it was the lounge staff that told her of the change and printed her a new BP.

The app didn't notify of the change or generate a new BP. This would be a good update for the app.

 

[Quickstatus]

Makes sense they bump the infrequent low revenue traveller

Is this apology, the "fix" and the meaning of "customer" , only for frequent high revenue travellers?

The fix is simple:
Passengers should not be worse of because of airline initiated changes.
Excellence is not doing the ordinary or routine well, but the ability to manage the extraordinary - when the hits the fan.
Passengers want to know if they are going to be looked after when things go awry.

 

[transpactraveller]

I'd actually suggest bumping the QFF status pax would make more sense from a business perspective. They're loyal customers, like one of them above who said "cough happens, it's only a 3 hour flight". These people will keep coming back to QF for their lounge access, points and SCs, regardless of how poorly they're treated.

Meanwhile the infrequent low revenue traveller could be someone who's trying Qantas for the first time, maybe seeing if the higher price is worth it compared to their usual Jetstar or Virgin flight. If it all went well, they might change future bookings to Qantas. But after something like this they're now unlikely to choose to pay a premium for Qantas again.

Or maybe this is where QF can be proactive and communicate to their status pax that the flight is overbooked and they can be offered extra points or SCs to take a different flight

 

[Aeryn]

If due to irrops a smaller plane has to be used on a route, no airline can magically make more seats on that flight. Unless a significant number of passengers miss the flight then some will get bumped.

You havent offered a simple fix, just a whinge. We have no evidence that those impacted werent looked after. We do know some clearly didnt bother to look at their BP until boarding, and didnt notice the aircraft change during OLCI.

On a full service airline, those who get downgraded will get a refund of the points/cash they paid for service not received (yes may have to ask or followup), but its never just a case too bad so sad. If they arent happy to fly whY they can ask to be reaccomadted on next flight with J availablity.

Those who get offloaded, will be reaccomdated on another flight and if not in their home city, usually offered accomdation if that other flight is not the same day.

Was there a comms failure here re aircraft chnage, possibly but no evidence of customers being abandoned or not refunded.

Its not like Air NZ or Virgin could have magically found 2 smaller aircraft to fly at same time so no one got downgraded if the same situation where original larger aircraft was not avaialble happened to their passengers.

Does it suck if you are affected, yes. Do irrops happen, also yes.

 

[RooFlyer]

These people will keep coming back to QF for their lounge access, points and SCs, regardless of how poorly they're treated.

You are right! They keep going back year after year.