Qantas Frequent Flyer - SYD-LAX QF11 back to 747. What can I do?

Hi all,
Back in April, I made a reservation specially on QF to get an A380 on the return trip (DL was cheaper). I even bought advance seating assignment to make sure I would have a seat I love on the whale.

Today they sent me an email showing the flight QF11 has a schedule change of +5min. What they forget to mention sneakily is that it also reverted to a 747. Great! After all the mambo jumbo telling us most of the US would be an A380 station by now...

What is my recourse? What can I do?
I have a feeling I am screwed on this one because of all the small line provisions on their carriage contract but I feel screwed nonetheless. I am not sure I would have bought advance seating to fly on the Ol'itch..

Anyone with sympathy?
:mad:

Minos

I think you are going to get the following suggestions:
1. File a complaint with the DOT.
2. File a lawsuit in Small Claims court
3. Get other passengers on your flight to start a Class Action lawsuit
4. Complain to Customer Relations
5. Write to the media as to how they deceived you
6. Suck it up OR just pay a change fare and change your flights

Above are the things that serve me from recent memory. I am sure there will be other suggestions too.

I think a reasonable response would be to contact QF and state your disappointment. They may offer you to change dates, but realise that aircraft type, while a deciding factor, is never guaranteed.

Other than point 6, the suggestions above are bordering on the ridiculous.

Other than point 6, the suggestions above are bordering on the ridiculous.

I think they were meant to be ;)

I think you are going to get the following suggestions:
1. File a complaint with the DOT.
2. File a lawsuit in Small Claims court
3. Get other passengers on your flight to start a Class Action lawsuit
4. Complain to Customer Relations
5. Write to the media as to how they deceived you
6. Suck it up OR just pay a change fare and change your flights

Above are the things that serve me from recent memory. I am sure there will be other suggestions too.

7. Not Small Claims. Class Action.

You can always try calling up and asking nicely if you can switch to the A380 flight for free. (I assume they're still running an A380 and a 747 per day?)

And when they say no, you can try hanging up and calling again a few times to see if you get lucky.

Otherwise: sorry, bad luck!

I had a similar experience a couple of months ago, and, to their credit, QF called us to see if we wanted to switch to the MEL-LAX which was still operating as a 380. As it turned out, the timing didn't work for us, so we kept our upper cabin seats on QF11 and survived. ;) But if you call and explain your situation, they might be able to switch you and not even charge you for it.

Saved my precious frequent flyer miles to enjoy the fantasy of First Class on the A380 this past May and though I'd checked in a few times to verify a spa appointment and
curb side assistance, I was not notified a 747 was to be substituted for the A380. Figured it was just what it is, a high class problem, though I felt disappointed to have a date with the older, less tech flashy, less luxurious sister.
It would have been a nice courtesy if I had been advised of options, such as taking the earlier 747 SYD-LAX that day on a 747 arriving home with a shorter layover. When airlines are struggling one has to expect there'll be short cuts to survive.

Same thing happened to me but I didn't 'acknowedge' the change when the email notified my. I called them and they were happy for me to change to the next day to travel on the A380.

Did you 'confirm' the change in the email? If you didn't, ring them up and ask them if you can change. You might be only able to change to the day before or after but it is worth asking.

As an aside, If anyone is flying SYD-HKG on QF 127/128 in August/September/October (particularly on a Sunday) you should check your reservation as flights are now showing up as a 744 instead of a 388.

Reason #1928374576 to fly CX SYD-HKG.

747s covering for A380s are likely due to 3 aircraft (VH-OQG, OQI and OQH) becoming due for C-checks in the next few months.

Thanks.

I have not agreed to anything but I have seen that there is no A380 from SYD to LAX on October 10th. MEL would be working but this is a further detour.

I totally understand the fact that equipment is not guaranteed, but when the website is full of 380 pictures and ads about how great it is, how the experience will be improved and blah blah blah it is quite disappointing to see it go without a word from QF besides a notification of a 5min schedule change. Nor any offer on their part to change the itinerary to still fly the Whale. I'll be coming from BNE.

Having flown the 747 many many times, I do not quite care about the seat. I would have hoped they would offer to waive the seating fee that I paid because I wanted to carefully choose my seat on the Whale. But I guess it's never going to happen. This being said, I heard their new friend Emirates had offered compensation in the past for some pax not flying what they initially booked (380). Could be first class pax though

Plus I would have to check, but there might no longer be seats I am interested in on the Queen i.e. Left window far from lavatories and within the 8 rows following the 5th row after the trailing edge of the 747.

Minos

With all 6 of the 744ER's now reconfigured and having no F, these substitutions are much less likely to be scheduled for the MEL QF93/QF94 flights.

To do so would be to deny F as Qantas really cannot efficiently operate the MEL flights with other than a 388 or a 744ER.

What's QF doing with those booked in F on QF11 then? QF don't sell F on QF107, so are they pushing them via SYD-xMEL-LAX with SYD-MEL in J?

What's QF doing with those booked in F on QF11 then? QF don't sell F on QF107, so are they pushing them via SYD-xMEL-LAX with SYD-MEL in J?They stay in F on QF11 ...

If the passenger complains with enough weight I suggest they would be either rerouted via MEL for a 388 as you indicated or moved to another day.

This is Flyertalk. Demand LAX-LHR BA F connecting to LHR-HKG in CX F connecting to HKG-SYD in QF F and accept nothing less.

This is Flyertalk. Demand LAX-LHR BA F connecting to LHR-HKG in CX F connecting to HKG-SYD in QF F and accept nothing less.
+1

Just found out my flight from SYD to LAX on QF11 in late October has also been changed to the 744. Should I stay with row 13 or change to row 16 (exit row)? I think F still available on this flight too. Anyway, are these 744s refurbished with the new Skybeds?