Should airlines let you change flights for free if they swap to a different aircraft type?

[JackMiles]

Is that because you stopped all that walking?

Exactly. Discussing aviation esoterica at a brisk pace made it difficult for people to keep up.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Of course airlines should let you swap if there has been a material change in the seat type.

I don’t know why they don’t.

airline conditions of carriage and other caveats we drafted more than half a century ago… time they were updated.

Last minute substitution is perhaps understandable, but when it’s done well in advance, just let the passenger change! Even for last minute, give the passenger a choice to take a later flight FOC.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

So when the airline changes from 737 to A330, you should pay more?

I've always thought airlines should be instantly paying passengers while boarding large cash sums if:
- Wifi does not work
- IFE does not work
- Meals not available
- Broken seat

Additionally, provide an instant full refund of ticket+taxes & provide additional cash compensation & pax still flys if a passenger is downgraded in cabin.

"Our job is to get you there safely" is the oldest excuse, dreamed up by lifelong airline employees is the most toxic thing going imo.
Sadly the airline industry pays extremely low vs other career paths and thus attracting new thinking is nearly impossible.

 

[blackcat20]

Given we couldn't even get a replacement for a cancelled flight, I wouldn't hold my breath...

 

[Haplo]

If you are in Y then it probably wouldnt matter too much if you move from wide body to narrow body.

If you are in J and it is short haul then I think the airline probably doesnt need to compensate.

However if you are in long haul J and they put you in a narrow body then you should be compensated because you paid for a flat bed which you are not going to get in a narrow body.

 

[AuSammy]

If you are in Y then it probably wouldnt matter too much if you move from wide body to narrow body.

If you are in J and it is short haul then I think the airline probably doesnt need to compensate.

However if you are in long haul J and they put you in a narrow body then you should be compensated because you paid for a flat bed which you are not going to get in a narrow body.

Some airlines have flat bed in narrow body

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you are in Y then it probably wouldnt matter too much if you move from wide body to narrow body.

If you are in J and it is short haul then I think the airline probably doesnt need to compensate.

However if you are in long haul J and they put you in a narrow body then you should be compensated because you paid for a flat bed which you are not going to get in a narrow body.

Couple of issues here.

The title of the thread is whether airlines should let you change, free of charge. I think they should.

As there is no fare difference between 737 and a330, I don’t think compensation is due. But you should be offered a refund or free change.

It doesn’t matter if you booked short or long haul. If you have specifically selected the a330 from the list of flights, you should have the option to change.

 

[offshore171]

Same scenario with rental cars. You can select a particular model but they don’t guarantee you’ll get that specific make/model.

 

[Forg]

Same scenario with rental cars. You can select a particular model but they don’t guarantee you’ll get that specific make/model.

Very true … probably more-so with rentals, you choose “Z Model or similar” whereas when buying flights the type of the aircraft is treated very secondarily. A car enthusiast like me is annoyed if renting something like a manual Yaris and they only have automatic SUV’s when you get there; but most don’t care, and most are conditioned to think “bigger is more expensive so getting it for no extra money is a good thing” … it’s all about expectation, although the costs with a rental are normally a fair whack lower than a J flight.

How recently was it made apparent what type of aircraft you were buying tickets on, in fact? I know it was over a decade ago, but can’t recall when it became obvious - I’m pretty sure it wasn’t made apparent in 2008, I also don’t think you could choose seats more than a few days out so I’m moderately sure the airlines weren’t publishing that info early to allow themselves to change aircraft schedules without as much i pact to them right up to a few days before a flight.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

How recently was it made apparent what type of aircraft you were buying tickets on, in fact? I know it was over a decade ago, but can’t recall when it became obvious - I’m pretty sure it wasn’t made apparent in 2008, I also don’t think you could choose seats more than a few days out so I’m moderately sure the airlines weren’t publishing that info early to allow themselves to change aircraft schedules without as much i pact to them right up to a few days before a flight.

Before the internet airlines used to publish timetables. Most major carrier used to include aircraft type for each sector as well as seat maps.

You could usually ring and reserve a seat, exit rows sometimes being the exception. Even on BA intra-Europe you could call and get the first row of economy, left side, where it was still configured in Club Europe

 

[Daver6]

Same scenario with rental cars. You can select a particular model but they don’t guarantee you’ll get that specific make/model.

But if you select a 7 seater and then get a 5 seater, it wouldn't be acceptable.

 

[Forg]

But if you select a 7 seater and then get a 5 seater, it wouldn't be acceptable.

No … but more in context of this thread, if you reserve a small fun hatchback and get a lumbering boring thirsty child-murdering automatic SUV it’s considered perfectly acceptable.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Couple of issues here.

The title of the thread is whether airlines should let you change, free of charge. I think they should.

As there is no fare difference between 737 and a330, I don’t think compensation is due. But you should be offered a refund or free change.

It doesn’t matter if you booked short or long haul. If you have specifically selected the a330 from the list of flights, you should have the option to change.

The problem I have with being offered a refund is that the airline is incentivised for you to take the refund.

Most aircraft swaps are within 3 days of departure.
Between the time you booked your ticket and 3 days prior, ticket prices went up considerably.
Sure you can get a refund, but if you need to fly on that date you're stuck paying more than your original amount.
So the situation here is you get your refund, and the airline easily sells your original seat at a higher amount.

This scenario is similar to how they choose who to bump from flights.

There should be no scenario where airlines are financially incentivized to screw customers like they are today.

 

[lovestotravel]

I copped an Air France to Hop Downgrade for J

Was going to be an A220 with a full meal service and now it's a cold snack plate on an Embraer 190

However, I was offered a full refund/change due to the flight timing changing

I still would have like the full hot meal though as they are pretty good even on Euro J

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The problem I have with being offered a refund is that the airline is incentivised for you to take the refund.

Most aircraft swaps are within 3 days of departure.
Between the time you booked your ticket and 3 days prior, ticket prices went up considerably.
Sure you can get a refund, but if you need to fly on that date you're stuck paying more than your original amount.
So the situation here is you get your refund, and the airline easily sells your original seat at a higher amount.

This scenario is similar to how they choose who to bump from flights.

There should be no scenario where airlines are financially incentivized to screw customers like they are today.

The refund is at the choice of the passenger.

The passenger should either be able to stay on the flight but voluntarily accept the aircraft change, wait for another flight where the flat bed is available, free of charge, OR get a refund.

It’s not an automatic refund at the discretion of the airline.

It makes little sense for airlines to baulk at changing for free given its 26 seats down to 12. You’d think they’d want to encourage pax to swap.

If you’re an av geek and specifically chose the a330 as content for a blog and you now want a refund, why not?

 

[Forg]

If you’re an av geek and specifically chose the a330 as content for a blog and you now want a refund, why not?

I’d suggest that the reason is ‘cos the airline isn’t offering “a flight on an A330”, they’re offering certain seats & certain food/drink & a certain level of service.

I’m not saying it should be that way; just that it is. If enough people cared (and I suspect there wouldn’t be enough) then maybe the ACL could be changed to say that if you publish a particular aircraft on a flight then an alternate flight on the same aircraft should be offered at no extra cost to the consumer?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’d suggest that the reason is ‘cos the airline isn’t offering “a flight on an A330”, they’re offering certain seats & certain food/drink & a certain level of service.

I’m not saying it should be that way; just that it is. If enough people cared (and I suspect there wouldn’t be enough) then maybe the ACL could be changed to say that if you publish a particular aircraft on a flight then an alternate flight on the same aircraft should be offered at no extra cost to the consumer?

Yes that’s right… in this context a330 = flat bed. If they subbed a 787 no one would be complaining.

Lots of reasons why people may specifically choose a flat bed (and a330).

Does the ACL need updating? Or does it come under existing provisions of a product being fit for purpose?