It has been reported that Qantas forced an elderly gentleman out of business class and into economy for a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide recently.

Stephen Roy Jones, a 78-year-old former combat veteran, had already paid for a comfy, spacious business class seat but instead found himself cramped at the back of the plane in economy.

He and his wife were travelling back to Adelaide from the majestic landscapes of New Zealand when their peaceful journey was suddenly marred by this incident during a stopover at Melbourne.

According to Mr Jones, they were in the Business Lounge, savouring their coffees, when they received a startling intercom call.

The Qantas employee said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped,’ he recounted to Melbourne radio station 3AW.

Mr Jones explained that it didn’t register at first, considering he wasn’t sure what ‘bumped’ meant.

Qantas 'bumped' Mr Jones from Business class to economy for a Qantas staff member. Image source: Shutterstock.

The Qantas employee then went on to explain, 'I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide, and his contract states that he must fly business class.'

'Bumped' from business to economy after you’ve already paid a business class fare? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares to us.

Mr Jones went on to say that the Qantas employee, now the occupant of Mr Jones' seat, chose not to engage in conversation with Mrs Jones, even though the employee knew Mr Jones had been what Qantas referred to as ‘involuntarily downgraded’.

As a result, Mr Jones penned a strongly worded letter to Qantas. In response, the airline offered him 5,000 airline points as a 'goodwill gesture'. Now, he didn't think this was a fair way to express 'goodwill', given that his payment had secured a business class seat, not a measly corner in economy class.

'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg, your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' stated Mr Lawrence, a lawyer who's evidently well-versed in the slippery terms and conditions of air travel.

He suggested that any disgruntled business or first-class passenger who finds themselves ‘involuntarily’ downgraded should decline to fly that particular leg in order to maintain a stronger case for compensation.

Qantas did apologise to Mr Jones and refunded half his business class fare in the end. They also clarified that the Qantas employee was not a tech but a pilot who had taken Mr Jones' seat.

Mr Lawrence explained that 'as part of their enterprise agreement, pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class'. Explaining further, he said, 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it.'

As strange as it sounds, 'involuntary downgrading' is clearly a common phenomenon in the world of airlines, not just confined to Qantas. It makes us question — Has this ever happened to you before?

Key Takeaways

• A 78-year-old Vietnam veteran was downgraded from business class to economy on a Qantas flight to make room for an employee.
• The veteran, Stephen Jones, was informed of the change at a Melbourne stopover during his return flight from New Zealand with his wife.
• Qantas responded to Jones' complaint by offering him 5,000 airline points, which he refused, and later refunded half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight upon his story being mentioned on radio station 3AW.
• Lawyer Justin Lawrence explained that airlines can downgrade passengers due to their terms of carriage, warning passengers not to accept the downgrade if they wish to make a successful claim for compensation.

The moral of the story? Scrutinise the fine print on your ticket before flying and ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Do your research and select an airline with a reputation for prioritising customer satisfaction.

What do you think of this story, members? We’d be very interested to read your thoughts below!

 

[juno28]

It has been reported that Qantas forced an elderly gentleman out of business class and into economy for a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide recently.

Stephen Roy Jones, a 78-year-old former combat veteran, had already paid for a comfy, spacious business class seat but instead found himself cramped at the back of the plane in economy.

He and his wife were travelling back to Adelaide from the majestic landscapes of New Zealand when their peaceful journey was suddenly marred by this incident during a stopover at Melbourne.

According to Mr Jones, they were in the Business Lounge, savouring their coffees, when they received a startling intercom call.

The Qantas employee said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped,’ he recounted to Melbourne radio station 3AW.

Mr Jones explained that it didn’t register at first, considering he wasn’t sure what ‘bumped’ meant.

View attachment 29199

Qantas 'bumped' Mr Jones from Business class to economy for a Qantas staff member. Image source: Shutterstock.

The Qantas employee then went on to explain, 'I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide, and his contract states that he must fly business class.'

'Bumped' from business to economy after you’ve already paid a business class fare? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares to us.

Mr Jones went on to say that the Qantas employee, now the occupant of Mr Jones' seat, chose not to engage in conversation with Mrs Jones, even though the employee knew Mr Jones had been what Qantas referred to as ‘involuntarily downgraded’.

As a result, Mr Jones penned a strongly worded letter to Qantas. In response, the airline offered him 5,000 airline points as a 'goodwill gesture'. Now, he didn't think this was a fair way to express 'goodwill', given that his payment had secured a business class seat, not a measly corner in economy class.

'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg, your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' stated Mr Lawrence, a lawyer who's evidently well-versed in the slippery terms and conditions of air travel.

He suggested that any disgruntled business or first-class passenger who finds themselves ‘involuntarily’ downgraded should decline to fly that particular leg in order to maintain a stronger case for compensation.

Qantas did apologise to Mr Jones and refunded half his business class fare in the end. They also clarified that the Qantas employee was not a tech but a pilot who had taken Mr Jones' seat.

Mr Lawrence explained that 'as part of their enterprise agreement, pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class'. Explaining further, he said, 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it.'

As strange as it sounds, 'involuntary downgrading' is clearly a common phenomenon in the world of airlines, not just confined to Qantas. It makes us question — Has this ever happened to you before?

Key Takeaways

• A 78-year-old Vietnam veteran was downgraded from business class to economy on a Qantas flight to make room for an employee.
• The veteran, Stephen Jones, was informed of the change at a Melbourne stopover during his return flight from New Zealand with his wife.
• Qantas responded to Jones' complaint by offering him 5,000 airline points, which he refused, and later refunded half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight upon his story being mentioned on radio station 3AW.
• Lawyer Justin Lawrence explained that airlines can downgrade passengers due to their terms of carriage, warning passengers not to accept the downgrade if they wish to make a successful claim for compensation.

The moral of the story? Scrutinise the fine print on your ticket before flying and ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Do your research and select an airline with a reputation for prioritising customer satisfaction.

What do you think of this story, members? We’d be very interested to read your thoughts below!

Once again it comes down to selective customer service.
Employees of airlines will allways come before the comfort or rights of the NOT POLICY OF THE CUSTOMER IS ALLWAYS RIGHT ONCE AGAIN QANTAS HAVE DUPED ANOTHER SOCALLED CUSTOMER ..JW

 

[maherdj]

This is just disgusting. I don't think much of the so called pilot, taking somebody's astronomically priced seat. To hell with his "right" why can't he sit in economy, if there are no available business class seats.Why should you have to refuse to fly in order to have a better case to claim compensation. The law is ridiculous. I also think that leg of the journey should have been compensated in FULL, he didn't get what he paid for
and was forced to travel in an uncomfortable economy seat for which he should be compensated.

Shocking treatment for the old fella. Every airline always has at least one seat available for emergencies why couldn't the Pilot sit in that one oh sorry it was probably in economy. One reason he had to fly because his wife was on the same flight but there must have been someone else flying in Business that were travelling alone could have been downgraded.

 

[bschulze]

It has been reported that Qantas forced an elderly gentleman out of business class and into economy for a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide recently.

Stephen Roy Jones, a 78-year-old former combat veteran, had already paid for a comfy, spacious business class seat but instead found himself cramped at the back of the plane in economy.

He and his wife were travelling back to Adelaide from the majestic landscapes of New Zealand when their peaceful journey was suddenly marred by this incident during a stopover at Melbourne.

According to Mr Jones, they were in the Business Lounge, savouring their coffees, when they received a startling intercom call.

The Qantas employee said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped,’ he recounted to Melbourne radio station 3AW.

Mr Jones explained that it didn’t register at first, considering he wasn’t sure what ‘bumped’ meant.

View attachment 29199

Qantas 'bumped' Mr Jones from Business class to economy for a Qantas staff member. Image source: Shutterstock.

The Qantas employee then went on to explain, 'I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide, and his contract states that he must fly business class.'

'Bumped' from business to economy after you’ve already paid a business class fare? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares to us.

Mr Jones went on to say that the Qantas employee, now the occupant of Mr Jones' seat, chose not to engage in conversation with Mrs Jones, even though the employee knew Mr Jones had been what Qantas referred to as ‘involuntarily downgraded’.

As a result, Mr Jones penned a strongly worded letter to Qantas. In response, the airline offered him 5,000 airline points as a 'goodwill gesture'. Now, he didn't think this was a fair way to express 'goodwill', given that his payment had secured a business class seat, not a measly corner in economy class.

'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg, your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' stated Mr Lawrence, a lawyer who's evidently well-versed in the slippery terms and conditions of air travel.

He suggested that any disgruntled business or first-class passenger who finds themselves ‘involuntarily’ downgraded should decline to fly that particular leg in order to maintain a stronger case for compensation.

Qantas did apologise to Mr Jones and refunded half his business class fare in the end. They also clarified that the Qantas employee was not a tech but a pilot who had taken Mr Jones' seat.

Mr Lawrence explained that 'as part of their enterprise agreement, pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class'. Explaining further, he said, 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it.'

As strange as it sounds, 'involuntary downgrading' is clearly a common phenomenon in the world of airlines, not just confined to Qantas. It makes us question — Has this ever happened to you before?

Key Takeaways

• A 78-year-old Vietnam veteran was downgraded from business class to economy on a Qantas flight to make room for an employee.
• The veteran, Stephen Jones, was informed of the change at a Melbourne stopover during his return flight from New Zealand with his wife.
• Qantas responded to Jones' complaint by offering him 5,000 airline points, which he refused, and later refunded half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight upon his story being mentioned on radio station 3AW.
• Lawyer Justin Lawrence explained that airlines can downgrade passengers due to their terms of carriage, warning passengers not to accept the downgrade if they wish to make a successful claim for compensation.

The moral of the story? Scrutinise the fine print on your ticket before flying and ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Do your research and select an airline with a reputation for prioritising customer satisfaction.

What do you think of this story, members? We’d be very interested to read your thoughts below!

nil sympathy here any one who has any thing to do with quantas is leaving them selves wide open to be treaated like a dog

 

[JKM_Storyteller]

Back in the 70s when I was crewing BOAC international flights, Qantas had a stellar reputation. Even when it came to aircraft servicing. I remember one day, when I was walking back from my pay point (down on the apron) after collecting my wages, I overheard a chief engineer talking to a group of his service technicians. He'd pointed out the nearby Qantas 747 that was undergoing checks by the Qantas service techs and engineers, and said "That's what you have to live up to, lads. See how that chap is checking the fuel tanks? And watch the chap checking the pitot tubes. Thorough, they are. And their norm is the bar you should be setting for your own work."

For years after I returned to Australia, I would fly Qantas. But then somewhere around the start of the new millenium it started to slide. Aircraft servicing moved offshore. For customers, it became more and more difficult to actually speak to a human being when you called Qantas. Even frequent fliers were facing very long times on hold. Increasingly, customers where being pushed to use the online facility to resolve their own questions/issues. Yet their ticket prices were among the highest.

By 2010 I had stopped flying with Qantas. It had become the first airline I avoided. If I was flying to Europe, I flew either Emirates or British Airways. It was only when I had to fly to the US that Qantas became an evil necessity.

But having said that, I must also say that the service I enjoyed on my last Qantas flight from LA to Sydney was remarkable. I had suffered a broken collarbone in New York after being collected by a motorbiker going the wrong way up a traffic-jammed one way street behind my hotel in Times Square. I didn't know my collarbone had been fractured until I was back here and had an x-ray, but it hurt like the devil. I'd had to fly to LA with American Airlines, and that was excruciating. So I wasn't looking forward to the LA to Sydney leg at all.

But the guy working the service cart right after take-off, took one look at me and asked if I was alright. I told him my shoulder and back were agony; that I'd been hit by a motorcyclist in New York, and the steward apologised to his crew partner, took off, and came back a few minutes later. Apologising for the 'improvised heat packs' - a couple of disposable baby nappies he'd filled with water and 'cooked' in the microwave - he slipped them behind my back and shoulder, gave me a couple of panadol and a miniature bottle of white wine to take them with. He then invited the chap in the window seat to relocate to another vacant window seat a few rows forward, which left me with the three seat row to myself. So the steward helped me to stretch out, fetched blankets and extra pillows; and every hour, he or a colleague would bring me new 'heatpacks', and every four hours, I was given two more panadol and another mini bottle of white wine. When we were approaching Sydney, the steward asked if Sydney was my final destination. I said no, I had to make a connecting flight a couple of hours after arriving in Sydney. So he hurried off and returned with another couple of bottles of white wine, and some panadol. He took my backback from the luggage rack, and tucked the wine and panadol into an outer compartment, then told me to stay put when we landed. That it would be easier for me if I waited until everyone else had disembarked, and that they had organised a wheelchair to meet us at the door, which would also expedite my progress through border control. It also meant I would be transferred to the domestic terminal by one of the ground crew.

And why have I told you all this? To share with you the lessons I learned on that trip: that even when the airline's corporate reputation is in the can, we must remember that the people on the ground (or in the air, in this case) are not the problem. They are the pure gold hidden by the bigger lumps of dross. And they too, are as much a victim of the corporate greed or culture as the customers.

Jess

 

[Jay Jay]

I do not understand why anyone would choose to fly with this airline. Their service has been appalling for years not just since covid. After being brought up to support 'our' airline I gave up abour 20 years ago. I would never recommend them to fellow Aussies or my overseas friends.

 

[Reet]

It has been reported that Qantas forced an elderly gentleman out of business class and into economy for a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide recently.

Stephen Roy Jones, a 78-year-old former combat veteran, had already paid for a comfy, spacious business class seat but instead found himself cramped at the back of the plane in economy.

He and his wife were travelling back to Adelaide from the majestic landscapes of New Zealand when their peaceful journey was suddenly marred by this incident during a stopover at Melbourne.

According to Mr Jones, they were in the Business Lounge, savouring their coffees, when they received a startling intercom call.

The Qantas employee said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped,’ he recounted to Melbourne radio station 3AW.

Mr Jones explained that it didn’t register at first, considering he wasn’t sure what ‘bumped’ meant.

View attachment 29199

Qantas 'bumped' Mr Jones from Business class to economy for a Qantas staff member. Image source: Shutterstock.

The Qantas employee then went on to explain, 'I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide, and his contract states that he must fly business class.'

'Bumped' from business to economy after you’ve already paid a business class fare? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares to us.

Mr Jones went on to say that the Qantas employee, now the occupant of Mr Jones' seat, chose not to engage in conversation with Mrs Jones, even though the employee knew Mr Jones had been what Qantas referred to as ‘involuntarily downgraded’.

As a result, Mr Jones penned a strongly worded letter to Qantas. In response, the airline offered him 5,000 airline points as a 'goodwill gesture'. Now, he didn't think this was a fair way to express 'goodwill', given that his payment had secured a business class seat, not a measly corner in economy class.

'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg, your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' stated Mr Lawrence, a lawyer who's evidently well-versed in the slippery terms and conditions of air travel.

He suggested that any disgruntled business or first-class passenger who finds themselves ‘involuntarily’ downgraded should decline to fly that particular leg in order to maintain a stronger case for compensation.

Qantas did apologise to Mr Jones and refunded half his business class fare in the end. They also clarified that the Qantas employee was not a tech but a pilot who had taken Mr Jones' seat.

Mr Lawrence explained that 'as part of their enterprise agreement, pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class'. Explaining further, he said, 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it.'

As strange as it sounds, 'involuntary downgrading' is clearly a common phenomenon in the world of airlines, not just confined to Qantas. It makes us question — Has this ever happened to you before?

Key Takeaways

• A 78-year-old Vietnam veteran was downgraded from business class to economy on a Qantas flight to make room for an employee.
• The veteran, Stephen Jones, was informed of the change at a Melbourne stopover during his return flight from New Zealand with his wife.
• Qantas responded to Jones' complaint by offering him 5,000 airline points, which he refused, and later refunded half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight upon his story being mentioned on radio station 3AW.
• Lawyer Justin Lawrence explained that airlines can downgrade passengers due to their terms of carriage, warning passengers not to accept the downgrade if they wish to make a successful claim for compensation.

The moral of the story? Scrutinise the fine print on your ticket before flying and ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Do your research and select an airline with a reputation for prioritising customer satisfaction.

What do you think of this story, members? We’d be very interested to read your thoughts below!

I would have suggested they find a single traveller to down-grade.

 

[Janet g]

Surely they would NOT have announced it over the intercom but approached the man quietly and explained the situation .Also the re the “tech “ how could they sell a seat that’s all ready sold ?

 

[Maurice_McGahey]

It has been reported that Qantas forced an elderly gentleman out of business class and into economy for a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide recently.

Stephen Roy Jones, a 78-year-old former combat veteran, had already paid for a comfy, spacious business class seat but instead found himself cramped at the back of the plane in economy.

He and his wife were travelling back to Adelaide from the majestic landscapes of New Zealand when their peaceful journey was suddenly marred by this incident during a stopover at Melbourne.

According to Mr Jones, they were in the Business Lounge, savouring their coffees, when they received a startling intercom call.

The Qantas employee said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped,’ he recounted to Melbourne radio station 3AW.

Mr Jones explained that it didn’t register at first, considering he wasn’t sure what ‘bumped’ meant.

View attachment 29199

Qantas 'bumped' Mr Jones from Business class to economy for a Qantas staff member. Image source: Shutterstock.

The Qantas employee then went on to explain, 'I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide, and his contract states that he must fly business class.'

'Bumped' from business to economy after you’ve already paid a business class fare? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares to us.

Mr Jones went on to say that the Qantas employee, now the occupant of Mr Jones' seat, chose not to engage in conversation with Mrs Jones, even though the employee knew Mr Jones had been what Qantas referred to as ‘involuntarily downgraded’.

As a result, Mr Jones penned a strongly worded letter to Qantas. In response, the airline offered him 5,000 airline points as a 'goodwill gesture'. Now, he didn't think this was a fair way to express 'goodwill', given that his payment had secured a business class seat, not a measly corner in economy class.

'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg, your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' stated Mr Lawrence, a lawyer who's evidently well-versed in the slippery terms and conditions of air travel.

He suggested that any disgruntled business or first-class passenger who finds themselves ‘involuntarily’ downgraded should decline to fly that particular leg in order to maintain a stronger case for compensation.

Qantas did apologise to Mr Jones and refunded half his business class fare in the end. They also clarified that the Qantas employee was not a tech but a pilot who had taken Mr Jones' seat.

Mr Lawrence explained that 'as part of their enterprise agreement, pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class'. Explaining further, he said, 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it.'

As strange as it sounds, 'involuntary downgrading' is clearly a common phenomenon in the world of airlines, not just confined to Qantas. It makes us question — Has this ever happened to you before?

Key Takeaways

• A 78-year-old Vietnam veteran was downgraded from business class to economy on a Qantas flight to make room for an employee.
• The veteran, Stephen Jones, was informed of the change at a Melbourne stopover during his return flight from New Zealand with his wife.
• Qantas responded to Jones' complaint by offering him 5,000 airline points, which he refused, and later refunded half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight upon his story being mentioned on radio station 3AW.
• Lawyer Justin Lawrence explained that airlines can downgrade passengers due to their terms of carriage, warning passengers not to accept the downgrade if they wish to make a successful claim for compensation.

The moral of the story? Scrutinise the fine print on your ticket before flying and ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Do your research and select an airline with a reputation for prioritising customer satisfaction.

What do you think of this story, members? We’d be very interested to read your thoughts below!

Another example of "We do whatever we like." of airlines. this is made possible by the concentration of airline ownership. QANTAS wouldn't dare if they had real competition. Let Qatar IN! Give us the competition that those touting "Capitalism is the best" claim. All I see at present is socialism for corporations.

 

[GOM1983]

I do not understand why anyone would choose to fly with this airline. Their service has been appalling for years not just since covid. After being brought up to support 'our' airline I gave up abour 20 years ago. I would never recommend them to fellow Aussies or my overseas friends.

Sometimes you don't have a choice. There have been times when I had no choice - except to drive - and that was not really an option due to time and distance. And it seems Qantas has the power/influence to maintain their dominance on flight routes - e.g. Qatar not being allowed to offer more flights. How is that not against anti-competition laws?

 

[Crockett]

It has been reported that Qantas forced an elderly gentleman out of business class and into economy for a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide recently.

Stephen Roy Jones, a 78-year-old former combat veteran, had already paid for a comfy, spacious business class seat but instead found himself cramped at the back of the plane in economy.

He and his wife were travelling back to Adelaide from the majestic landscapes of New Zealand when their peaceful journey was suddenly marred by this incident during a stopover at Melbourne.

According to Mr Jones, they were in the Business Lounge, savouring their coffees, when they received a startling intercom call.

The Qantas employee said, 'I've got some bad news for you, you've been bumped,’ he recounted to Melbourne radio station 3AW.

Mr Jones explained that it didn’t register at first, considering he wasn’t sure what ‘bumped’ meant.

View attachment 29199

Qantas 'bumped' Mr Jones from Business class to economy for a Qantas staff member. Image source: Shutterstock.

The Qantas employee then went on to explain, 'I have to reissue your ticket for economy class, we have a tech who's flying to Adelaide, and his contract states that he must fly business class.'

'Bumped' from business to economy after you’ve already paid a business class fare? Sounds like the stuff of nightmares to us.

Mr Jones went on to say that the Qantas employee, now the occupant of Mr Jones' seat, chose not to engage in conversation with Mrs Jones, even though the employee knew Mr Jones had been what Qantas referred to as ‘involuntarily downgraded’.

As a result, Mr Jones penned a strongly worded letter to Qantas. In response, the airline offered him 5,000 airline points as a 'goodwill gesture'. Now, he didn't think this was a fair way to express 'goodwill', given that his payment had secured a business class seat, not a measly corner in economy class.

'The minute you take that (downgraded) leg, your claim for compensation reduces to almost nil,' stated Mr Lawrence, a lawyer who's evidently well-versed in the slippery terms and conditions of air travel.

He suggested that any disgruntled business or first-class passenger who finds themselves ‘involuntarily’ downgraded should decline to fly that particular leg in order to maintain a stronger case for compensation.

Qantas did apologise to Mr Jones and refunded half his business class fare in the end. They also clarified that the Qantas employee was not a tech but a pilot who had taken Mr Jones' seat.

Mr Lawrence explained that 'as part of their enterprise agreement, pilots that are flying to another city to then operate flights are to be provided with a seat in business class'. Explaining further, he said, 'This is just standard operating procedure from the point of view of the airline - not just Qantas, they all do it.'

As strange as it sounds, 'involuntary downgrading' is clearly a common phenomenon in the world of airlines, not just confined to Qantas. It makes us question — Has this ever happened to you before?

Key Takeaways

• A 78-year-old Vietnam veteran was downgraded from business class to economy on a Qantas flight to make room for an employee.
• The veteran, Stephen Jones, was informed of the change at a Melbourne stopover during his return flight from New Zealand with his wife.
• Qantas responded to Jones' complaint by offering him 5,000 airline points, which he refused, and later refunded half his business class fare for the Melbourne to Adelaide flight upon his story being mentioned on radio station 3AW.
• Lawyer Justin Lawrence explained that airlines can downgrade passengers due to their terms of carriage, warning passengers not to accept the downgrade if they wish to make a successful claim for compensation.

The moral of the story? Scrutinise the fine print on your ticket before flying and ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions. Do your research and select an airline with a reputation for prioritising customer satisfaction.

What do you think of this story, members? We’d be very interested to read your thoughts below!

It’s no wonder Qantas is losing popularity, no customer satisfaction, don’t care, and the people on the Qantas Board should all be sacked, start fresh and customers may start to respect the once top airline, which is now floundering thanks to Joyce

 

[Harro1948]

Sad story indeed, and wrong on many reasons, they should never have picked on this gentleman, he is travelling with his wife. There must have been some single travelling passengers, they could have moved. Also I fully understand about the "flight deck crew" travelling to next port, and having to sit in Business class. Why couldn't he have travelled on flight deck, on spare seat up there, or was that taken. Qantas has a history of bad customer service. (I worked for them for over 25 years and boy there are stories to tell, on bad customer service, and I worked in area's of face to face)