HA day of flight switch from A330 to old 767
 

Had booked a specific flight in First Class because it was an A330. I've flown this aircraft in F before on HA and really liked it.

To my shock when I boarded I saw it was an old un-refurbished 767. Uncomfortable old cramped seats. No AVOD (those "digeplayers" are awful, greasy, scratched and mine kept on freezing. Also you can't have a meal and watch at the same time.). Obviously no power outlets or USB ports (when this plane was built, anything like USB was something out of a science fiction novel). Ran out of power on my laptop in which I intended on doing work on.

The FAs voiced their unhappiness at the equipment swap too. They say it was because the scheduled A330 was stuck in LAS. I looked at the weather in Vegas that day and there was no WX issues.

Would've chosen DL where I have Gold Medallion status over HA where I have no status had I known this was going to be a flying dump. DL has flying dumps too, but at least I get status perks and earn MQMs and DL doesn't market/promise anything better, at least on their Hawaii flights.

Yes I know the language of the COC says something like "aircraft can change at any time etc.", but still.

I wrote to HA but so far have no received a response. What would be a fair compensation for this bait-and-switch?

1. Not bait and switch. That would only be true if HA advertised aircraft A, knowing at the time that it would operate the flight with aircraft B. Unless you have solid proof of that, I'd drop it.

2. Reason for aircraft stuck in LAS could be all kinds of things having nothing to do with WX (or particularly WX at LAS). Could be MX, could be crew timed out due to prior delays and so on.

3. Unlikely HA will do anything. Not just the COC which makes this clear, but the reality of air travel these days is that w. capacity cuts, there's simply fewer aircraft out there and when the scheduled bird is out-of-position, the choices become cancellation or subbing a less tasty bird.

HA may throw a few miles OP's way as a CS gesture, but that would likely be it. More likely zippo if OP uses the "bait & switch" language or goes beyond voicing disappointment that he didn't get what he likes most.

Correction, didn't get what was heavily marketed and scheduled.

You can always try for compensation, but it is well within the COC for HAL to perform an equipment change. Aside from a few lacking amenities that you were expecting (never promised) you got to your destination safely and I presume within a reasonable time compared to the original schedule. In this sense, HAL performed as expected and delivered what it sold you.

Look at it this way... the equipment change saved the cancelation of the flight, in which it would have REALLY inconvenienced you. Calling the plane a "flying dump" is a bit of a stretch. Yes, not as modern as the 330s, but hardly a dump.

If there was little or no marketing of the A330 product, then you wouldn't see this post. But HA markets the aircraft in a big way.

They were actually taking volunteers. If they had announced it was because it's a 767, I would've volunteered and be happy to safely arrive at my destination later.

Seriously?

You're not entitled to anything, but if they could be bothered to chase you they are certainly entitled to damages from you for defamation. "Flying dump" and 'bait and switch" are strong expressions for you to have used.

You booked a First Class flight from A to B on Hawaiian Airlines at a certain time.

They had to change the metal, but you still got your First Class flight from A to B at the right departure time, without a reroute or delay.

In practice, the substitution of aircraft meant that instead of a seat with 42 inch pitch and 18.5 inches of width on an A330 you got one with 42 inch pitch and 18.5 inches of width on a 767, with the same catering, same baggage allowance, same departure time and an on-time arrival.

The only thing that changed was that it was an aircraft without seatback AVOD so they gave you a complimentary Dig-e-player instead.

This is nothing. I booked a Business Class flight on a 777 with lie-flat beds last year and the schedule changed it to a 763 with recliners. It happens. I understand that you're disappointed and that you might have had a better experience on Delta, but you haven't been wronged, and you're not a victim. You accused often1 of seeming angry, but actually you're the one here who has been defaming people and claiming to be entitled to compensation, which you're clearly not entitled to at all.

Hawaiian certainly don't owe you compensation. If I was running their Customer service department I might offer you miles equal to what you would earn on a flight to a neighbour island, which would be around 100 miles. (Having said that, it's more likely that your letter has gone all around the customer service department in a less positive way).

Actually there was an MX delay.

As mentioned above, if HA had little or no marketing of the A330 aircraft, yo wouldn't see this thread. But in fact they do market it big time.

You've posted that link twice, and it is nothing like what you are purporting it to be.

It is simply a page which explains the IFE options on each of two sorts of widebody aircraft. It's not "marketing" at all, it makes no effort to funnel you towards the A330 or the 767, it just tells you what each of them has. And you got precisely what your page says the 767 has.

I'm going to exit this thread now, because each time any of us try to explain to you what your rights are you accuse us of being angry. If you don't want to learn what the rest of us think, that's your prerogative.

This community exists so that we can give one another the benefit of our own experience, but each time you receive a reply you don't like you make accusations against the poster in question. It's probably time for this thread to be locked by the moderators.

Actually I found azj's response above informative and not angry.

Aloha kakahiaka!

Unfortunately, I have had to edit posts that were personal attacks, snarky, off-topic, or generally lacking in aloha spirit. Some posts have had to be deleted for the same reasons.

If there is something else civil and helpful to say on the topic, feel free. Otherwise....

cblaisd
Co-Moderator, Hawai`i-based Airlines forum

I wouldn't call this "in a big way." They are listing the aircraft they fly, you might notice they list the 767 right below it. They simply put the new aircraft on top, just like anyone would do.

Sounds like you were in the class of service paid for and were given the transportation paid for.

Sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches. Get a few miles from HA and go back to flying DL, chalking it up to a learning experience.

If I ran an airline and got your message, I would tell you to go back to DL. Just becasue the weather in LAS is crystal clear doesn't mean that something might be wrong with the A330.

Ya... 'cause DL or any other airline never makes equipment changes.

I understand your disappointment with HA, but all airlines reserve the right to change the aircraft for operational reasons and it happens quite frequently especially on worse airlines like UA.