thepumpkin

As I am currently based in the US --I was looking forward to flying on the A380 back to LAX today---in F.
I had not been on QF for some years as most of my travel has been on UAL.
I was hoping to use more QF for my trips to SYD and planned this.

So far---left my apartment and all looked good on line....no phone calls from QF about any issues.
Arrived at First class check in at SYD---lots of perplexed upset people and we are all told that the A380 is unserviceable and another plane was to be found---given a lunch voucher and told to return.
Eventually a 747 had been located ---no F---just business ---but "new sky beds."--will see!

Many people were upset at the way the delay was handled ---as people were just sitting around with their luggage and information was slow to come.

I wonder if that is the norm for QF ---but really wanted to use them for trips to SYD.

moa999

Planes going unserviceable is an ocassional issue for all airlines. Unfortunately with A380s currently getting a refit one by one there is probably a little less slack (ie spare aircraft in the system).

The new J on the 747 is quite good, and QF has recently upgraded J bedding and plate service.

I would hope however you get a nice refund check for the difference in price between F and J.

I also hope you were enjoying your time in the F Lounge rather than using the voucher.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

...as long as QF doesn't offer the standard pre-determined compensation levels. They are potentially woefully inadequate. To the OP - make sure you do some proper comparisons between the actual cost of a business class ticket and F class ticket before accepting any cash compo!

og

And if you are on a AONEx ticket, be aware that you may get nothing at all as compensation for the downgrade.

RooFlyer

I think one of the issues identified by OP was the lack of prior advice that the A380 had gone unserviceable. It may have been decided while the OP was in transit to the airport but then again it may have been apparent for some hours.

If the latter, then totally unacceptable for a F pax (and WP1, WP for instance) not to be contacted and advised, even if only by text. Even if nothing can be done, I would expct this courtesy from the airline.

In cases like this (with an undeniable superior experience in A380 F Vs alternative), if the A380 is u/s with plenty of notice resulting in a metal downgrade, F (& WP1, or WP in any cabin) are pax entitled to re-book?

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

F class can rebook, obviously, as there is no F cabin. For others, if the product is not the same as advertised, they can also rebook. If you are in economy, probably not too many options.

moa999

RooFlyer, agree with your sentiment. However I believe Qantas typically runs a 3-4hr turnaround on most A380s at Sydney thus it is fairly likely that the issue wasn't discovered until near checkin (or even more often when the customer is in the lounge)

walter82

Not so sure it is a sudden problem.
Qantas source says:
17/02/2013 QF11 Sydney Los Angeles VH-OQA A380-800 14F/72J/32W/332Y
18/02/2013 QF11 Sydney Los Angeles VH-OJL B747-400 14F/52J/32W/255Y
20/02/2013 QF11 Sydney Los Angeles VH-OQI A380-800 14F/72J/32W/332Y
21/02/2013 QF11 Sydney Los Angeles VH-OJT B747-400 58J/36W/270Y

I am flying tomorrow so hopeful that A380 is back by then.

thepumpkin

The flight left about 4 hours late -it was one with the new lie flat Skybed -so it was certainly comfortable and crew great; although only 3 lavs for 58 passengers caused a rush to change out of the PJs!
Unfortuneately it ended at some distant location requiring a bus to the TBIT what was absolutely saturated with people and long long lines ...where an immigration offical told me we arrived in rush hour.
I wonder if I shall get a reply from QF customer care as I am only bronze (however a potential customer of premium fares) but I wanted to compare it all to United with whom I flew in Global First (who have recently upgraded their GF) .
The situation at check-in was not handled well...as speaking to other passengers who arrived long before me that they were not allowed to check-in and told to take a seat.Many were top level QF members and they were not happy!---and told me so!
If an issue like that happened with UAL---you often received substantial compensation at check in...esp if an international F class passenger...

grahampros

I must say it's a bit amusing and one of the first times i've herd someone prefer UA to QF on this route. Equipment swaps happen on any airline, so i dont quite get all the complaining. And i certainly dont get folks saying how great UA is in such circumstances. They have their own horrible track record in such circumstances.

medic51vrf

I fly QF over 60 times a year and I can tell you that lately, yes, this IS the norm.

number_6

Thus no lounge access and the need for the dining vouchers (I wondered where QF thought you would get food as good as served in the F lounge). That does make the delay unacceptable. Presumably this is a gov't regulation that requires a valid BP be issued prior to entry airside and would apply to all airlines at SYD and not just QF. If it is a QF specific policy, then it has to be changed! QF has long been good at rubbing salt into wounds, preferably after shooting foot.

m0hamed

This is laughable! I draw your attention to the 85 pages in the thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...d-threads.html

SYD/MEL UA flights are know to go unserviceable more often than any other international flight out of SYD.

My father was due to fly to JFK via LAX on UA. Aircraft went unserviceable, placed into the Holiday Inn at SYD, he was rerouted via SFO the next day, but only because I intervened and called UA (no information was given at the hotel).

Perhaps the most ludicrous aspect of this trip was that the outbound sector was marked as a no show, and despite UA's rebooking (this was booked direct and not through a TA) when he checked in at JFK he was told that the ticket had been cancelled. Needless to say more frantic calling was made.

I'll take QF over UA, any day!

thepumpkin

I think I have been misunderstood.
I was trying QF as I wanted to switch my US-AUS flights to QF.
Delays due to mechanical issues occur---and anyone who travels regularly accepts this.
It was the handling of the issue what was so poor----no one had been contacted,a crowd of QF most important flyers herded into an area of the first class check-in and told to wait(some had been there an hour before I arrived )...unable to leave their baggage and with little information from staff --some becoming upset as they had to be in places like NYC for important meetings.As we all chatted to each other---many were commenting that this is an increasing occurrence.
My only comparison with United was relating to an international first class passenger downgraded was that substantial compensation would have been forthcoming.
I was told --"contact customer care."
As I said earlier the flight in business on QF was excellent---with a comfortable flat bed and a great crew---so I am not going to let one incident totally bias me.

number_6

Rather ironically this ("contact customer care") was a policy that QF brought in a few years ago to fix this problem by having a central department that was accountable and measured by how well this customer care was delivered. QF used to have terrible service at certain ground stations -- and much better at others -- so it was a somewhat sensible solution. But to have this happen at the doorstep of QF headquarters ... Joyce should have been down there, at F check-in, after the first hour

Do contact customer care, the times that I have resulted in far better resolution than I have had from UA or AA, for example, so you may yet be pleased. One drawback is that I suspect customer care is heavily CIP oriented, so their evaluation of your commercial importance will affect what you are offered as compensation. Case of Grange, anyone?

Question: why was check-in not allowed? Dropping bags and going on to the F lounge would have satisfied most pax at F check-in, so was this government restricted? I have had several delayed flights at SYD in the past few years, and have always been happy waiting in the F lounge, but I was in transit and not originating in SYD; getting stuck landside is no fun at SYD.