Shortening the story (a lot) ... I got downgraded on SFO->SYD the other night due to what we were told was a mechanical problem with the crew rest compartment heater - so those crew needed seats in C... boom, six of us get downgraded to Y.
THIS SUCKS, BUT .... HAPPENS AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT.
What I am complaining about is the borderline farcical way in which everything else was handled, and the half-dozen or more commitments that were made and subsequently broken.
When the SFO CSR came to get me out of my seat with the bad news, I said something like "I know how this works, just tell me the bad news." I'm moved back to Y, and I'm told "you will have a voucher in your email by the time you land". This did not happen. Whether it COULD have happened isn't relevant, if they couldn't do it, they shouldn't have said they could.
Then I'm told that within 24 hours, my GPU will be refunded. Again, it was not. And again, I don't really care (I know I'll get it back EVENTUALLY) but the point is do not make promises you can't keep.
Then the flight delays start - first we are told by the pilot that they didn't put enough fuel on board, and we have to wait 30 minutes. Grr, but whatever. Then I hear the flight attendants saying that they don't have enough meals on board, and sure enough 30 minutes later a ground catering guy comes in with a stack of meals. The online app says "Departure delayed awaiting inbound aircraft" -- which is patently false because that airplane arrived more than 5 hours before and hadn't moved from the gate.
Then when I get to Sydney, I don't have time to wait on an agent, but the purser (who was great, BTW) had taken all my information down and gave it to the agent meeting the flight. When I got off the airplane I spoke to her for a few minutes, and her direct quote was (pointing to my mobile number)
"I will call you on this number this afternoon, you have my word."
And (you guessed it) - 24+ hours later and no call.
Again, I do not care (or at least I'm not *angry*) that they took my seat. I'm beyond furious that every single time I was told that they'd do something, they didn't. What I'm trying to figure out is who can I talk to that might have some chance of actually doing something about it? And I don't even know what that is, but I'd really really like to see something approaching accountability or recognition of mistakes here.
THIS SUCKS, BUT .... HAPPENS AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT.
What I am complaining about is the borderline farcical way in which everything else was handled, and the half-dozen or more commitments that were made and subsequently broken.
When the SFO CSR came to get me out of my seat with the bad news, I said something like "I know how this works, just tell me the bad news." I'm moved back to Y, and I'm told "you will have a voucher in your email by the time you land". This did not happen. Whether it COULD have happened isn't relevant, if they couldn't do it, they shouldn't have said they could.
Then I'm told that within 24 hours, my GPU will be refunded. Again, it was not. And again, I don't really care (I know I'll get it back EVENTUALLY) but the point is do not make promises you can't keep.
Then the flight delays start - first we are told by the pilot that they didn't put enough fuel on board, and we have to wait 30 minutes. Grr, but whatever. Then I hear the flight attendants saying that they don't have enough meals on board, and sure enough 30 minutes later a ground catering guy comes in with a stack of meals. The online app says "Departure delayed awaiting inbound aircraft" -- which is patently false because that airplane arrived more than 5 hours before and hadn't moved from the gate.
Then when I get to Sydney, I don't have time to wait on an agent, but the purser (who was great, BTW) had taken all my information down and gave it to the agent meeting the flight. When I got off the airplane I spoke to her for a few minutes, and her direct quote was (pointing to my mobile number)
"I will call you on this number this afternoon, you have my word."
And (you guessed it) - 24+ hours later and no call.
Again, I do not care (or at least I'm not *angry*) that they took my seat. I'm beyond furious that every single time I was told that they'd do something, they didn't. What I'm trying to figure out is who can I talk to that might have some chance of actually doing something about it? And I don't even know what that is, but I'd really really like to see something approaching accountability or recognition of mistakes here.