CX cancel even more F cabins
Feb 10, 2016, 12:20 am
#31
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Close in or same day, goodwill payment.
May 30, 2016, 3:31 pm
#32
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From my limited experience, it depends when the plane swap happens.
If it happens in advance (like more than 1-2 days), you may get compensation depending on your fare. I've been on award tickets where the highest class of service applied, and because the remaining sectors were in F, I got nothing. If you have a complex itinerary, the difference between F and J for that sector may also mean little or no refund.
If the swap happens on the day, they give you some cash compensation at the airport. I got this even though I was on an award with other sectors still in F.
Of course if you have a cash sector fare, easy for them to refund you the difference.
If it happens in advance (like more than 1-2 days), you may get compensation depending on your fare. I've been on award tickets where the highest class of service applied, and because the remaining sectors were in F, I got nothing. If you have a complex itinerary, the difference between F and J for that sector may also mean little or no refund.
If the swap happens on the day, they give you some cash compensation at the airport. I got this even though I was on an award with other sectors still in F.
Of course if you have a cash sector fare, easy for them to refund you the difference.
About a year ago I was on an award ticket flying TG in F between HKG-BKK and onward (on the A380) to CDG. The HKG-BKK was downgraded day of flight and I was met at check-in by a manager who handed me about HKG$1500 or so and asked me to sign a release for the cash. I hadn't a clue what the fare difference would have been on a revenue ticket, but the cash I got paid for my previous hotel night in Hong Kong, so I wasn't complaining. I am sure CX -- or any other airline -- would do something similar on a similar downgrade, award or revenue ticket. (And no, I never went back to the FF program to ask for a rebate of 1/4 of the mileage difference between a F and J award.)
As for CX -- and other airlines -- that have cancelled F cabins, it's the nature of the demand, and award tickets don't justify maintaining these cabins on other than the primary global business routes. Unlike the Gulf carriers, other airlines have shareholders who believe airlines must make a profit or go out of business.