Rebooked - what can/should I do?

[ffhound]

Hi everyone

I have a couple of Qantas related questions please.

First this saga begins with a classic award booking I had as follows in J for 1 June

QF691 MEL-ADE 3.40PM 1 June
CX176 Ade-HKG 9.20PM 1 June

The reason I am flying via Adelaide is twofold. First I could not find award seats in J around that time direct from Melbourne and I wanted to fly at night.

Earlier I had a 4.30PM flight to Adelaide on 1 June but Qantas changed that back to the 3.40PM flight above.

2 days ago I received a text from Qantas to say that my QF176 booking had been cancelled and I was now booked on a day flight (in J ) CX174 at 1.00 P.M. on 31 May (the day before my connecting flight from Melbourne).

I have looked at the booking engine but there don't appear to be J availability direct or indirect from Mel to HKG for 1-3 June.

I called Qantas but they told me there was nothing they could do other than the flight the day before.

It appears that my Qantas experience has been enhanced (TM).

Do Qantas have J award availability that one can not see online? If worst comes to worst I can fly on 31 May if the connecting flight is changed to that day. What can/should I do?

One other question. I did consider Premium economy although there is no availability in classic awards. Do Premium Economy seat holders get the same food as those in J. If so it makes me think that for day flights there is not much advantage in flying J over Premium Economy.

Thanks Peter

 

[Austman]

Meal presentation counts.

But even CX J meals are not stellar! Then present them in PE in a Y like style and I'd call them Y+.

Unlike some other airlines that actually present their PE meals in a J like style.

 

[henleybeach]

I just had a similar experience-
I originally booked HKG-ADL on Cathay (business classic reward x2) departing at 1920, then 2 months later then flight schedule change and was re-booked on the re-timed flight departing at 0945am. I was actually happy with the change and meant no overnight flight.
Then last week I got another email, changed again, the flight on the Saturday is cancelled and we are re-booked to depart the next morning at 0020hrs.
I rang Qantas and was on hold for 50 min so I tried the SMS feature , that was useless, eventually got some a nice gentlemen on the phone who sent off a email to Cathay to change us to go via Melb or Sydney at a more civilised time. A week went by yesterday , rang back up and the gentlemen said he hasn’t heard back Cathay and that he will escalate it and I should hear back in a week.
0845am a lady from qantas rang and we are rebooked HKG-MEL-ADL departing at 1900 with Cathay and qantas . Kudos to qantas for hassling Cathay and changing it, I’ve heard stories when on reward fares and flight changes happen , you get what your given and you can only change if there is reward availability