Woeful ground handling at LAX (LAX-JFK flight)

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Last week I had the (dis)pleasure of flying QF J LAX-JFK after coming in from Sydney in F a week or so prior. I had a confirmed ticket in J and had allocated seat 1A some many months prior.

All was fine, until at the gate I got the dreaded red light, only to be handed row 6 centre aisle seat - a seat not even remotely near my profile preference of forward window, heck, even window would have been fine, but center aisle?

I queried this, growing more terse as the explanations became more ridiculous. First the explanation was that they neede to accommodate a family. I'm going to be honest, I understand families wish to travel together and should be accommodated, but to displace your WPs is the wrong strategy. I was then told that I had been 'upgraded'. This took the cake. Never had I been so annoyed at the gate, having a confirmed paid business seat in 1A, being moved to row 6, then being told I was upgraded.

Had I not been in TSA heartland I probably would have torn up the BP and lost my cough.

Anyway, arrived inboard to find no family in Row 1, and a family occupying my allocated seat. After some inboard cluster cough**** I was temporarily 'moved' by an FA into Y while they sorted it out. Long story chort, the family ended up separated, I ended up with my coughpy back of J aisle seat, nobody was happy.

I have never experienced such an amateur hour with QF ex-AU,SG or UK, but this isn't my first US 'experience' which leads me to believe there are systematic problems with ground handling in the US.

I wanted to know if others had similar experiences ex-US? I also realise seats change for operational reasons but to not even get a window as a WP was pretty poor.

I have a number of J & F commercial and points tickets booked into the future but considering my options on my refundables as my loyalty appears little value to QF.

 

[dfcatch]

Last week I had the (dis)pleasure of flying QF J LAX-JFK after coming in from Sydney in F a week or so prior. I had a confirmed ticket in J and had allocated seat 1A some many months prior.

All was fine, until at the gate I got the dreaded red light, only to be handed row 6 centre aisle seat - a seat not even remotely near my profile preference of forward window, heck, even window would have been fine, but center aisle?

I queried this, growing more terse as the explanations became more ridiculous. First the explanation was that they neede to accommodate a family. I'm going to be honest, I understand families wish to travel together and should be accommodated, but to displace your WPs is the wrong strategy. I was then told that I had been 'upgraded'. This took the cake. Never had I been so annoyed at the gate, having a confirmed paid business seat in 1A, being moved to row 6, then being told I was upgraded.

Had I not been in TSA heartland I probably would have torn up the BP and lost my cough.

Anyway, arrived inboard to find no family in Row 1, and a family occupying my allocated seat. After some inboard cluster cough**** I was temporarily 'moved' by an FA into Y while they sorted it out. Long story chort, the family ended up separated, I ended up with my coughpy back of J aisle seat, nobody was happy.

I have never experienced such an amateur hour with QF ex-AU,SG or UK, but this isn't my first US 'experience' which leads me to believe there are systematic problems with ground handling in the US.

I wanted to know if others had similar experiences ex-US? I also realise seats change for operational reasons but to not even get a window as a WP was pretty poor.

I have a number of J & F commercial and points tickets booked into the future but considering my options on my refundables as my loyalty appears little value to QF.

It's a F$&.up, I would complain to Customer Care and would expect some love in return.

If nothing else - the explanation is unacceptable.

And I agree - as a WP with a selected seat - the only person who I would accept being moved for would be Bossreggie.

I am happy to be "asked" to move - as I was on a 737 from 1D to 3B to accommodate a family, CSM asked nicely, poor girl was only 8 or 9 and would have been split up, of course I said yes.

In your situation - hell no.

 

[Leumas]

So who ended up in 1A? Maybe a member of the family is a P1 or CL? Also, isn't row 1 a bassinet row?

(It doesn't make it less of a screw up though.)

 

[Lisee]

I have never experienced such an amateur hour with QF ex-AU,SG or UK, but this isn't my first US 'experience' which leads me to believe there are systematic problems with ground handling in the US.

I wanted to know if others had similar experiences ex-US? I also realise seats change for operational reasons but to not even get a window as a WP was pretty poor.

I have a number of J & F commercial and points tickets booked into the future but considering my options on my refundables as my loyalty appears little value to QF.

I have not had a similar experience to you, but can confirm that I have been subject to some stuff-ups courtesy of QF ground staff at LAX accompanied by a 'zero care factor' attitude. These situations occurred on regular transits through LAX on QF metal or QF codeshare. It is a real shame, as everyone makes mistakes, but a poor attitude towards a polite customer is not good enough.

I understand why others would advise you to contact Customer Care. Indeed, I note that Red Roo sometimes advises on this forum to do so if you are unhappy with Qantas. I have tried this method, which has been met with a wide spectrum of results from Customer Care. I have spoken/ corresponded with some QF CC or phone agents that have been absolutely lovely & falling over themselves to assist, through to those that are so arrogant & unhelpful that I want to tell them to quit their job & stop wasting my time.

It's still worth a shot at contacting CC though! I am just getting disillusioned after years of supporting what should be the best airline in the world. As a manager myself, I think everything is top down, so it seems to me that QF need to get it right from AJ onwards. I am passionate about Australian industry succeeding, really love the idea of flying an airline with such a proud history, & find it so frustrating that a few things letting Qantas down should be simple to fix. Arghhh!

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I have not had a similar experience to you, but can confirm that I have been subject to some stuff-ups courtesy of QF ground staff at LAX accompanied by a 'zero care factor' attitude. These situations occurred on regular transits through LAX on QF metal or QF codeshare. It is a real shame, as everyone makes mistakes, but a poor attitude towards a polite customer is not good enough.

I understand why others would advise you to contact Customer Care. Indeed, I note that Red Roo sometimes advises on this forum to do so if you are unhappy with Qantas. I have tried this method, which has been met with a wide spectrum of results from Customer Care. I have spoken/ corresponded with some QF CC or phone agents that have been absolutely lovely & falling over themselves to assist, through to those that are so arrogant & unhelpful that I want to tell them to quit their job & stop wasting my time.

It's still worth a shot at contacting CC though! I am just getting disillusioned after years of supporting what should be the best airline in the world. As a manager myself, I think everything is top down, so it seems to me that QF need to get it right from AJ onwards. I am passionate about Australian industry succeeding, really love the idea of flying an airline with such a proud history, & find it so frustrating that a few things letting Qantas down should be simple to fix. Arghhh!

I made contact with customer care, received apology and advised a Sydney First Host would put notes in my booking so my seating allocation didn't change on the way back. Wow. I'm so enamoured at the lengths they went to make it right (insert sarcasm here).

Seating allocation didn't change for both legs, got my requested seat.

Some token gesture might have been nice. Perhaps I have too high expectations.

On the upside, on return I'm now LTS. not sure much good it will do me if they keep treating me like this.

You hit the nail on the head with the 'zero care factor' attitude. Anyone would think they were AA staff put out to pasture.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Frankly I don't care who was in 1A, it's not the point. But there were no children. I would have been happy with 2A/K, 3A/K, etc

 

[dfcatch]

I would respond to Customer Care and advise that you are underwhelmed by their response.

 

[Leumas]

Ultimately, it's a seat. Eventually, they will throw you a line saying seat allocation is not guaranteed.

You got a seat in the cabin you booked in.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

Ultimately, it's a seat. Eventually, they will throw you a line saying seat allocation is not guaranteed.

You got a seat in the cabin you booked in.

And if that is their response, I will change my loyalty patterns. Put quite simply, premium seat allocation is a published WP benefit they failed to deliver on.

 

[NM]

If they need to seat a family together, then rearrange things so they can sit together in row 6, moving others more forward in the process. In my opinion, the only reason to move someone out of row 1 would be to accommodate someone needing the bassinet or if the seat is deemed unserviceable.

 

[dfcatch]

If they need to seat a family together, then rearrange things so they can sit together in row 6, moving others more forward in the process. In my opinion, the only reason to move someone out of row 1 would be to accommodate someone needing the bassinet or if the seat is deemed unserviceable.

Yes I agree, also - you weren't provided a seat in the cabin.... You were stuck in whY while they shunted you around.

Not optimal for a WP - period.