I'm headed over to Perth from Sydney on QF 581 and at try time of booking and seat selection ( about a week ago) it was clearly an A330 and yet I'm sitting on a 737. I deliberately booked this flight because it was a 330 service and whilst I'm no fan of that plane I did book because of it.
I know they are well within their rights to cancel and substitute machines etc. However does this happen often and doesn't this amount to a bait and switch by Qf given the differences in comfort between the 73 and 330 ?
It happens alot, I always use check my trip so I get notified if the aircraft type changes. Maybe the flight wasnt fully sold, or the A330 was needed somewhere else in the network to replace another A330 which went tech.
It's only "bait and switch" if the original intent was always to do the swap, i.e. they intended to deceive passengers. With airlines, that's virtually never the case, because operational requirements can change very suddenly.
Good case in point was earlier in the week, when QF had to swap a 737 for the 787 on a MEL-PER flight - because the 787 got struck by lightning on an earlier flight. As you can imagine, lots of people had booked on that particular flight to experience the 787. But there's nothing much that an airline can do about lightning strikes, bird strikes, broken parts, etc.
This has happened to me as well. Some transparency from Qantas (i.e. publishing which route and frequency they do this) would make it easier for the consumer. However they may also lose business to another airline. If you knew you were likely to get an uncomfortable squashed 737 for a 5 hour flight you might book with someone else.
Like many 'last minute' airline changes that are downgrades, there is never any compensation.
This has happened to me as well. Some transparency from Qantas (i.e. publishing which route and frequency they do this) would make it easier for the consumer. However they may also lose business to another airline. If you knew you were likely to get an uncomfortable squashed 737 for a 5 hour flight you might book with someone else.
Like many 'last minute' airline changes that are downgrades, there is never any compensation.
There's only two airlines that operate A330s between Sydney and Perth. Both of them substitute 737s from time to time.
All fair enough except...two crew members told me that they had been rostered on that flight for close to a week meaning the airline knew well in advance that the 330 wasn't going to make that particular flight. So when I booked it had already been reassigned...I feel for the pax on the 787 !
This is no bait and switch in the sense of any illegality.
Change of equipment happens all the time, whether decided hours, days, or weeks in advance. I certainly appreciate the disappointment when this happens, but changing airline loyalties because of this would seem a bit drastic, especially as all airlines do this.
I can also think of instances where a flight upgauged, to my pleasant surprise (and comfort).
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Bait and switch ?
Booster
Booster
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
Member since 17 Feb 2016
Total posts 29
I'm headed over to Perth from Sydney on QF 581 and at try time of booking and seat selection ( about a week ago) it was clearly an A330 and yet I'm sitting on a 737. I deliberately booked this flight because it was a 330 service and whilst I'm no fan of that plane I did book because of it.
blaird
blaird
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 01 Aug 2013
Total posts 36
It happens alot, I always use check my trip so I get notified if the aircraft type changes. Maybe the flight wasnt fully sold, or the A330 was needed somewhere else in the network to replace another A330 which went tech.
John Phelan
John Phelan
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 28 Oct 2011
Total posts 262
It's only "bait and switch" if the original intent was always to do the swap, i.e. they intended to deceive passengers. With airlines, that's virtually never the case, because operational requirements can change very suddenly.
rk1
rk1
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 19 Oct 2015
Total posts 31
This has happened to me as well. Some transparency from Qantas (i.e. publishing which route and frequency they do this) would make it easier for the consumer. However they may also lose business to another airline. If you knew you were likely to get an uncomfortable squashed 737 for a 5 hour flight you might book with someone else.
brinkers
brinkers
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 16 Jun 2011
Total posts 233
There's only two airlines that operate A330s between Sydney and Perth. Both of them substitute 737s from time to time.
Booster
Booster
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
Member since 17 Feb 2016
Total posts 29
All fair enough except...two crew members told me that they had been rostered on that flight for close to a week meaning the airline knew well in advance that the 330 wasn't going to make that particular flight. So when I booked it had already been reassigned...I feel for the pax on the 787 !
drgmarshall
drgmarshall
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 May 2012
Total posts 106
Happened to me on a family booking from Perth to Auckland on Christmas day 2016. I stopped flying Q and switched my travel to Air NZ.
User
User
Member since 01 Jan 1970
Total posts 0