John Cogley

Wednesday evening Syd-Mel I used echeckin to obtain BP for the 8pm flight. Since it was 6.50pm was asked did I want to take an earlier flight. Cheekily ( I was on red edeal) I replied in the affirmative and was shocked to see (first time ever)

Your discounted fare does not allow flight changes BUT (my capitals) on this occasion, that restriction will be waived.

I accept the offer take my boarding pass and go to the gate lounge, where I am rejected at the gate since the BP had flight 487 not 467 and was sent to the counter. I was effectively accused of making up the yarn to get myself on an earlier flight. That couldnt have happened sir, I was impolitely told.

No matter how I argued she was not going to listen to me. At this stage the flight was boarded and I am holding eveyone up. She relents and gives me a middle seat down back.

Who is a fault here? She cant be blamed since the Qantas software has failed and she sees a BP for 487 when I am trying to board 467 and she sees scam. I am not sure what she can see of my booking at the gate, as it would show I was moving to later flight than my original booking.

I called customer care next morning (nice lady, they all are) and I am sure she didnt get it either but offered me some red which of course I took. So she is not going to fix anything.

My fault was I did not LOOK at the BP(I never do on domestic flights) to see the correct flight was showing.

So if you are offered and earlier flight, check the BP.

Kiwi Flyer

So there is a bug with PYOB?

Being offered an earlier flight is not that unusual (if on flexible fare, or flight you are booked on is full and earlier flight is not 100% full).

serfty

The term echeckin was a bit confusing initially.

I presume this offer was made specifically at a Quick Check machine; not while using OLCI?

og

[QUOTE=serfty;7905107]The term echeckin was a bit confusing initially.
QUOTE]

I can see this becoming "easy chicken" with out too much trouble.

John Cogley

Sorry guys, it was Quick Check of course. It occurs if you use OLCI you may/would not be offered earlier flights, even if eligible

Kiwi Flyer

I've been offered the earlier flight before on Quick Check, but BP had the correct flight number.

Then again bugs are nothing new.

perthite

I have been offered a change under the same situation, and got the same message. But it then informed me it couldn't change me!

Anyway, not usually much options for change this side of the country

drewbles

I too have used Quickcheck with O/N class fares to be declared the same 'normally you are not eligible on this fare class but on this occasion this has been waived'. New BP prints and all is fine. I've probably had it 3-4 times now and never had a problem yet. Maybe just a random computer glitch. The gate staff may not be aware the system even can bend the rules.

KFly

Abit OT, but I had lounge agents getting me on earlier flights even though my fare types were not eligible (Red E-Deals, Super Savers).

And from the comments above, it seems QF has an unwritten rule that do permit "change of flight" on cheapie fares.


K

trekkie

qantas do have lots of flexibility. If you are high QF plat of chairman club, most fees do not apply. except the mile hight club of course

RichardMEL

I imagine if the loads are low enough on an earlier flight they might allow a N/O fare to get on since it won't stop any walk up Y (business pax) fares from also getting a seat.

As for being accused of something.. if the bloody boarding pass was printed on QF stock you either got it from a QC machine or an agent (ie: didn't print it at home) so how could you make up the correct or incorrect number on the QF stock??? I don't get how they could accuse you of anything. A quick look at your PNR would have showed them what you had and what was changed if they could have been bothered.

And yes the "easy chicken" has been around on the UA boards for sometime....

og

My point exactly. It is consistent with QF innovative way of adopting the good ideas of others - even years and years afterwards .

John Cogley

It happened again tonight Syd-Mel. Offered me an earlier flight which I accepted then issued a BP for my original flight. I was pre security and got the earlier flight. Informed staff of situation and she smiled and said it happens regularly. Oh well an hour is an hour.

perthite

On O/N fares, sometimes they have moved me to an earlier flight, sometimes they tell me my fare class won't allow it. I am sure Qantas have some formula for deciding when they will allow it, but who knows

BD1959

Maybe it's just you, John

Not that I'd be paranoid or anything like.....!!

BD