OK, I didn't really want to push it with her, but she was happy to give the details.
MY OP was a bit misleading. Dad had Qantas FF points. Apparently Qantas has more award flights available if you phone them, compared to on-line, but you have to spend extra points to access them.
So they put her on a QF flight operated by BA... that's how she got to fly in F at short notice. So did not really have much to do with BA compassion at all.