Who says QF Silvers have no sway?

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Groundfeeder

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After reading a lot of queries about where one would benefit out of being a QFF PS I offer a little booster!

Checking in the TSV QP today, I was given 4C, where my profile requests A or F. On querying the QC Lounge Not-A-Dragon if windows were available, she said the nearest available was about row 154. Given this is a 738, I was slightly concerned as I had not packed my woolly gear for the Townsville climes!

She remarked that the first 12 rows were solidly WP's on this flight, but would do some searching for me. After my first cleansing ale I remembered that I'd come up to CNS in 4F with miles of legroom and perhaps I should remain quietly contented with 4C. By the time I got to the QP desk she had come up with 4A - all this in a large scrum of WP's!!

I'm postulating it was either because I was on a Y fare, was QC PS, was sequence number 8, but naturally comforted myself she was clearly stunned by this stunning 17 year old body hiding a 99 year old bloke!!

QC PS rools - don't be fooled!!
 
Probably due to the WP originally assigned to 4A either changing flights or receiving a BP for row 3 or less.
 
In my experience the people at the desk in the TSV QP are the BEST I have ever come across - they go the extra mile to help and their level of service is consistencty excellent.

I have had cause to submit a letter of thanks to senior management in recognition of their high service levels.
 
A number of times I have had the QP ladies move me to an earlier flight on a deep discount ticket.

Only QP in OZ that this has ever happened.
 
bravoecho1
Only QP in OZ that this has ever happened.
As I travel frequently in NQ from BNE, I have the option of accessing either CNS and TSV and exiting vise versa as I road it between cities over a week or so.

From experience I can solidly support your contention as CNS QP tends to deal with more (says respectfully) cheapo tourist travellers with families clogging flight amendments, and have been guilty of this.

TSV has a solid business base and not too many "tourists", and QC staff respond magnificiently in this regard.

The great cards I was holding last Friday pm at TSV also included the CIP designation which must equate to a "full hand"!!
 
A number of times I have had the QP ladies move me to an earlier flight on a deep discount ticket.

Only QP in OZ that this has ever happened.

I had that happen once to me in Rocky. After JQ "changed" my flight by 8 hours I was forced to book a last minute frequent flyer seat from ROK-BNE-SYD. I was travelling with two others who managed to grab the last seats on the earlier flight out of ROK with a good connection in BNE (I was stuck on a later ROK-BNE flight with a 6 hour wait in BNE).

Anyway when checking in the agent asked "Do you feel like going home early?" and with a few button pushes I was moved onto the earlier flight out of Rocky and onto a connecting BNE-SYD with just over an hour stopover.

While I'm not a big fan of Qantas, I'll always remember that little turn of fortune when all my faith in them is lost!
 
Groundfeeder said:
QC PS rools - don't be fooled!!
Groundfeeder - lucky bugger!

I've just booked SYD-MEL on QF25 and return on QF452. I tried to use some upgrade credits to go from Y to J but no go. QF25 will be a 743 so I thought there'd have to be a chance on that one. Not so. And I'm SG! :(
 
danielribo said:
I had that happen once to me in Rocky. After JQ "changed" my flight by 8 hours I was forced to book a last minute frequent flyer seat from ROK-BNE-SYD.

Anyway when checking in the agent asked "Do you feel like going home early?" and with a few button pushes I was moved onto the earlier flight out of Rocky and onto a connecting BNE-SYD with just over an hour stopover.

While I'm not a big fan of Qantas, I'll always remember that little turn of fortune when all my faith in them is lost!

Just to spoil it a bit :) .. iirc, X is one of the booking classes that actually does permit getting on an earlier service, so I don't think that they did anything special

Dave
 
Have to agree WRT TSV QP - is a while ago now (well before the new terminal opened), but I was booked on a direct TSV-SYD flight, and finished what I was doing early. To get out of the oppressive humidity I decided to spend the extra time at the QP.

They happily changed my red e-deal TSV-SYD onto a TSV-BNE-SYD leaving 4 hours earlier. The consequent extra SC's and miles were greatly appreciated.

Dave
 
thadocta said:
They happily changed my red e-deal TSV-SYD onto a TSV-BNE-SYD leaving 4 hours earlier. The consequent extra SC's and miles were greatly appreciated.

Dave
Must have been before the Fuel Fines were added per sector. I wonder if they would be able to make a similar change now without hitting you up for an extra $40 or so in fines?

It is nice when they bend the rules, but not something we should expect to be done or get stroppy about when they do not (and I know you follow this belief, Dave).
 
I like when QuickCheck asks if you want to check earlier flights while travelling on a red E-Deal. I've got messages about how the fare conditions don;t allow it, but for today QuickCheck will waive the rules!
 
oz_mark said:
I like when QuickCheck asks if you want to check earlier flights while travelling on a red E-Deal. I've got messages about how the fare conditions don;t allow it, but for today QuickCheck will waive the rules!

They must have been oversold. A nice way to solve their problem by helping you.
 
NM said:
thadocta said:
They happily changed my red e-deal TSV-SYD onto a TSV-BNE-SYD leaving 4 hours earlier. The consequent extra SC's and miles were greatly appreciated.

Dave
Must have been before the Fuel Fines were added per sector. I wonder if they would be able to make a similar change now without hitting you up for an extra $40 or so in fines?

It is nice when they bend the rules, but not something we should expect to be done or get stroppy about when they do not (and I know you follow this belief, Dave).

They certainly can (I've had extra segments added in involuntary situations) but that doesn't mean they will.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
oz_mark said:
I like when QuickCheck asks if you want to check earlier flights while travelling on a red E-Deal. I've got messages about how the fare conditions don;t allow it, but for today QuickCheck will waive the rules!

They must have been oversold. A nice way to solve their problem by helping you.

I think I may have mentioned it before, but one time I arrived 2 hours earlier than expected at the QC but was on the scummiest fare. I commented to the Check-in Chick that she probably wasn't allowed to put me on an earlier flight, and she replied "No, I can't .... but the computer is telling me I should so you're in luck."

So I think your Quick Check experience is a case of "Computer says yes"!


Cheers,

AC
 
Qantas occassionally goes into forward loading mode when they see a possible problem with weather or special event traffic later in the day, the rules are thrown out when this happens in the interests of everyone winning.
 
bravoecho1 said:
A number of times I have had the QP ladies move me to an earlier flight on a deep discount ticket.

Only QP in OZ that this has ever happened.

Well NOT moving someone to an earlier flight is just plain bad training on the part of Qantas.

In most places, airline agents are routinely trained to understand that airline seats are "perishable"; you can't sell a seat on a flight that's already left. With that in mind, a good airport agent will quickly honor a request for an earlier flight if a seat is available, which frees up the later seat and the chance to resell it.

This goes against the "top down" management structure at Australian airlines, where the agents aren't empowered to do anything.
 
Amerrican said:
Well NOT moving someone to an earlier flight is just plain bad training on the part of Qantas.

I dont think its bad training but a deliberate strategy by QF (and indeed NZ too). If you have a restricted ticket and want to change then you need to pay (unless it particularly suits QF eg flight you're on overbooked and they may be happy to bump you to earlier flight). This encourages pax who want flexibility to pay more for a flexible ticket.

For those used to this situation, the us airlines treatment is a little ridiculous. Buy a cheapo ticket and still get flexibility - get auto upgraded to nice seat (eg E+ or even to first on some not quite so cheap tickets) plus can change flights almost at will despite the ticket restrictions. There is no incentive to buy an expensive ticket unless cheap ones aren't available.
 
Kiwi Flyer said:
I dont think its bad training but a deliberate strategy by QF (and indeed NZ too). If you have a restricted ticket and want to change then you need to pay

For those used to this situation, the us airlines treatment is a little ridiculous. Buy a cheapo ticket and still get flexibility

There is no incentive to buy an expensive ticket unless cheap ones aren't available.

I should have been more clear in my answer; this generally only happens to those in "elite" programs, only when the situation is favorable to the airline, and only at the airport on the same day. It is considered an unwritten "perk" of elite status, but clearly it's at the discretion of the agent and asking nicely and not being a jerk about it also helps.

Just a few weeks ago I was on a RTW "Y" Star Alliance; the change of routing I requested (SIN/BNE instead of SIN/SYD) should have attracted a US$75 charge - the SQ agent pointedly said to me "elite, no charge" with a smile and a wink. This was clearly discretionary on her part.
 
Amerrican said:
I should have been more clear in my answer; this generally only happens to those in "elite" programs, only when the situation is favorable to the airline, and only at the airport on the same day. It is considered an unwritten "perk" of elite status, but clearly it's at the discretion of the agent and asking nicely and not being a jerk about it also helps.

Just a few weeks ago I was on a RTW "Y" Star Alliance; the change of routing I requested (SIN/BNE instead of SIN/SYD) should have attracted a US$75 charge - the SQ agent pointedly said to me "elite, no charge" with a smile and a wink. This was clearly discretionary on her part.

Perhaps I should offer a counter example. On AA recently I bought a cheapo ticket. T&Cs have all sorts of non-changeable non-refundable language on them. At the last minute, another flight was more convenient to me and AA happily changed it for free without checking my status or the fare rules. On QF or NZ most likely I would have had to pay $50 + difference in fare (which would be considerable for a last minute change). Result AA missed out on revenue.

Another example on United - I got a fully flexible YUP in domestic 2-class first for cheaper than a flexible economy ticket and only marginally more than the cheapest economy ticket available at the time of booking, and was then able to change my booking in "A" to another flight with 3-class and stay in first no questions asked.
 
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