og

Absolutely unreasonable to attack the individuals at the (various) call centres. Direct blame and attacks at QF Management that does not provide sufficient training for these agents to do their job to the satisfaction of the customers.

Mwenenzi

Seems a practical solution. Leaving a few hours earlier and getting more time to transit the long haul flight.
Will be notes in the reservation from the phone agents.
Doubt if the dedicated email would offer anything different.

edit
Between now and March 2024 schedules may change again.

Dave Noble

It doesn't matter what a monkey might prefer, what matters is what the organ grinder has to provide - if Qantas is prepared to book on the earlier RAK-LHR flight than it has met its obligation under EC261 and you are not entitled to anything more

That you might prefer something else is irrelevant - if it has agreed to rebook on the earlier flight then that is all done - if you choose to take a flight that requires an overnight stay instead, then the overnight costs are then at your expense

Koru Flyer

Boiling it down you have three reasonable options all within GB620/EU261 duty of care.
1. Take the earlier flight from RAK/LHR - while I realise lounges are not everyone cup of tea - there are some great lounges in T3
2. Take the QF flight the next day, accommodation etc at your expense, as you are refusing the (1) option. Of course you could try and send a email with receipts to CR after the flight and see if they do as a gesture of goodwill etc reimburse.
3. Get a refund and start again

The EK flight is over 500 miles from LHR so that is not going to happen - unless there is award space, you may talk them out of change fee.

KF

mustkill

If you need to be "trained" to look up airport codes or basic geography, then it's hardly management's problem but an individual's inept and wilful ignorance. Anyway we are going OT here.

If Qantas have met their obligations by providing rebooking to an earlier RAK-LHR flight, AND we have no choice but to accept or refund, then fine: end of story.

But what if we had an appointment making the earlier RAK-LHR untenable? Would Qantas have met their obligations then??

​​​​

Dave Noble

Yes it would have met its obligations - you could choose a refund or rebooking on another flight subject to availability - so you could change to another later Qantas flight as long as there is award availability and not have to pay a change fee

mustkill

Okay thanks mate. Case closed I guess.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

Post #9 of this thread: LOT Polish Denied Boarding in PEK provides case law where EU261 did not apply where the itinerary is a single ticket and ticketed to start and end outside the EU. That is, the EU is only a transit.

Not binding on the UK I wouldn’t have thought, but it may be an argument put forward by the airline, and could be a risk to the passenger relying on it as ‘guaranteed’?

Would be good to hear your take on that case and whether it might have implications for the OP here, or other itineraries of a similar nature.

Dave Noble

If the ECJ has ruled in that way, then indeed cannot rely on EC261 - regardless, the airline is liable to rebook based on the change

That there is an option that requires no effort , it would seem madness to me not to take the available rebooking option

Evem if EC261 applies, then QF has met its obligation by agreeing to rebook on the other BA flight

Koru Flyer

Dave, very clear. I am not actually sure what the Op wants, the time of the flights changed - that is disappointing but definitely common these days ,and only a few hours and should be in any plan. The airline seems to accommodate that either (a) can fly earlier to make the QF flight, or can fly as booked from RAK but fly on the QF flight a day later (at their own personal cost for accommodation - which could be claimed through insurance or even QF CR perhaps - no phone agent, even on a clear cut case is going to agree to pay and organise accom - it is just outside of their approval and training).

I am not actually sure what the Op reasonably wants from QF? To be fair I did not know where RAK was either, and QF do not seem to have a fare (at least online) from RAK to AU, so it is in the bucket of allowable but strange FF routings, I am not surprised it was not on the top of the global training manual. And given that one of QF's call centres in in South Africa, some including myself might take enormous offence to the above chatter....

It may be time to close this thread?

KF

DownUnderFlyer

[mod hat] Closed for moderator review. [/mod hat]