QF139 turnback and IRROPs handling

[mad_atta]

I was on QF139 SYD-CHC on Thurs 2/10, which turned back to SYD roughly an hour or so after take off due to "pressurisation issues". Although it would have been much less disruptive to carry on to Christchurch, the pilot said they turned back "for safety reasons" (and it's true we were less than halfway there) - he said that the problem meant they'd have to fly at lower altitude, and that there was the small issue of a few mountains between us and CHC.

Based on the FR24 feed I'm not sure how convinced I am by that - we carried on at 35,000ft for the rest of the flight, which seems pretty normal for a B738. But fair enough that QF would have more resources to deal with maintenance issues in SYD than CHC, so I see the logic for turning back.



So that was a bit of a PITA but these things happen. I'm curious about how they handled the IRROPs and rebooking though.

I was on a paid r/t ticket: discount business class SYD-CHC and sale economy CHC-SYD on the EK A380 (QF codeshare) a few days later. Given it would be 11pm by the time we landed in SYD, my first thought was to try to get put on the QF EK codeshare around 0750 the next morning, as it's the next nonstop flight and I assumed there'd probably be space on the A380, but using the inflight wifi to check loads I saw to my surprise it was full in J. Wide open in all other classes though.

Once on the ground and I could call, I asked to be put on that flight and said I'd be happy to be downgraded to premium economy, but the call centre said they were unable to downgrade me, and the only flight they were offering was the 'take 2' of our original flight, QF139A, scheduled to depart at 2pm the following day which meant a late evening arrival into CHC. I could see there was one remaining J seat on the 10.10am nonstop so I managed to grab that. I felt bad for my seatmate on a paid JNB-SYD-CHC biz ticket who had already suffered a 24h delay out of Jo'burg and now was facing almost another 24h lost, but the call centre categorically refused to let her downgrade and fly earlier either (she said she was happy to fly Y if needed).

I tried ye olde HUACA and, despite getting someone very helpful, essentially got the same answer. In this instance, it didn't matter that much to me, but if I'd had an urgent need to get to CHC I'd have been pretty unhappy (as I imagine my ex-JNB seatmate was). Are there any other options in a case like this? I find it amazing that they couldn't work with me to find a solution.

I'm currently QF Gold, so I don't know if they would have done more for a Plat or above? Just curious to know what else I could have tried in this instance.? (There was nobody on the ground who seemed able to help either - the ground crew on arrival said to head to QF check in departures in zone C, but there was nobody there for a good 15 mins when I got there so I tried my luck again on the phone. I also didn't make use of the hotel which was offered, just used the Uber vouchers to zip home instead, as I'm only 20 mins away.)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If there was a potential pressurisation issue, while it may not have manifested on your flight so far, it could have done. That would have meant flying down to 10000 feet or below, which is where the mountains between you and Christchurch could have been a problem. So aside from perhaps more maintenance support in sydney, I imagine it was also precautionary in case the worst did happen.

The second issue is your seat mate getting to CHC. While the call centre may have been unwilling to help, airport staff might have had a lot more power to do so. Qantas’ conditions of carriage state they will uplift you on the next available service. If the passenger is willing to take the downgrade, no reason airport staff - who have a lot more latitude - couldn’t effect that change.

The call centre may have had conniptions regarding fares and ticketing… which airport staff are more comfortable with.

 

[AIRwin]

I was on QF139 SYD-CHC on Thurs 2/10, which turned back to SYD roughly an hour or so after take off due to "pressurisation issues".

The first screenshot was for QF137 not QF139?

 

[mad_atta]

The first screenshot was for QF137 not QF139?

You are right - sorry not paying enough attention. That's from the flight I ended up catching the next day. Here's the screengrab I should have shared from the flight which did turn back.

 

[mad_atta]

If there was a potential pressurisation issue, while it may not have manifested on your flight so far, it could have done. That would have meant flying down to 10000 feet or below, which is where the mountains between you and Christchurch could have been a problem. So aside from perhaps more maintenance support in sydney, I imagine it was also precautionary in case the worst did happen.

The second issue is your seat mate getting to CHC. While the call centre may have been unwilling to help, airport staff might have had a lot more power to do so. Qantas’ conditions of carriage state they will uplift you on the next available service. If the passenger is willing to take the downgrade, no reason airport staff - who have a lot more latitude - couldn’t effect that change.

The call centre may have had conniptions regarding fares and ticketing… which airport staff are more comfortable with.

Re the pressurisation, yep that probably makes more sense.

Re airport staff vs call centre, I did wonder if that might be the case. Ground staff at the gate said to head to Zone C in departures checkout area once through immigration and biosecurity, but there was literally not a soul there for a good ten minutes when I arrived, which I thought was a pretty poor effort since they had had plenty of warning that we were coming back.

I was in business, and travelling with cabin baggage only, so I got off and through pretty quickly, but even so, that seems like a poor effort.

Had my care level about getting onto the earlier flight been higher, or had I not managed to nab a seat on the 1010, I would have waited for someone to arrive and tried to negotiate, but by that stage it was heading for midnight and the thought of being back at the airport early enough for the 0750 EK flight was getting less appealing by the minute. But it's good to know that airport staff might potentially have been more resourceful.

 

[elanshin]

Re the pressurisation, yep that probably makes more sense.

Re airport staff vs call centre, I did wonder if that might be the case. Ground staff at the gate said to head to Zone C in departures checkout area once through immigration and biosecurity, but there was literally not a soul there for a good ten minutes when I arrived, which I thought was a pretty poor effort since they had had plenty of warning that we were coming back.

I was in business, and travelling with cabin baggage only, so I got off and through pretty quickly, but even so, that seems like a poor effort.

Had my care level about getting onto the earlier flight been higher, or had I not managed to nab a seat on the 1010, I would have waited for someone to arrive and tried to negotiate, but by that stage it was heading for midnight and the thought of being back at the airport early enough for the 0750 EK flight was getting less appealing by the minute. But it's good to know that airport staff might potentially have been more resourceful.

Last time we had irrops at SYD, we all lined up at what we thought was the desk they directed us to (QF First) but turns out they were on the side of QF F ready for us wondering where we all were until one of the staff poked their head out and asked if we were all on a specific flight that they were sorting out.

 

[mad_atta]

Last time we had irrops at SYD, we all lined up at what we thought was the desk they directed us to (QF First) but turns out they were on the side of QF F ready for us wondering where we all were until one of the staff poked their head out and asked if we were all on a specific flight that they were sorting out.

I had a good long look around all the QF counters including F section and there was nobody to be found except a cleaner.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I had a good long look around all the QF counters including F section and there was nobody to be found except a cleaner.

I guess the main issue is that even the next day, going out to the airport may prove more fruitful than any call centre.

I had a BA cancelled flight and by the time they’d reaccommodated all the top tiers the flight I was left with was 8 hours later. Call centre could do nothing, so I just went out to the airport and waited by the check-in counters. I got on the second flight out, 7 hours before my rescheduled flight!