Originally Posted by makrom

Not the least bit surprised to hear that. People are drilled to work strictly according to protocol, and if protocol doesn't foresee downgrading, you are out of luck. With any other airline, low level reps would understand the reason in your request and just escalate it to someone with enough decision power to solve it off protocol, but QR simply doesn't understand the concept of escalation.
Apparently they consider their protocols to be flawless (can't stop laughing) so that there's no need for escalation. Just look at what happens when a glass door in an outstation lounge breaks. Solving it isn't a matter of days nor weeks, it took them almost a year. Obviously the problem wasn't the "doing" or the actual planning, but simply to get it on someone's desk with enough decision power to handle such unforeseen events. I wouldn't even be surprised if said desk is the one of AAB.