[LuganoPirate]

Conair, the point you and others make about abusing the system when having a non flex ticket is relevant but I think would be practised by a very small minority for the reason the earlier flight may be completely full. If you’re counting on that flight but book a later one because it’s cheaper, you run the real risk of not being able to board it.

I think the vast majority of people who book the cheaper non-flex tickets intend to use that particular flight and unless some unforeseen incident occurs, travel on the booked flight.

[craigwatson]

disgusted –

no i dont have any references, as this is solely my personal opinion, as i stated in my thread, this is a forum for discussion, not everything has to have supporting documents

[AnnetteJones]

BarnesG – Why not buy the flexible ticket “SIMPLES”
Because they are outrageously overpriced! I agree with Cedric, totally.

[craigwatson]

well if they are so outrageously priced then dont buy it, and just take the flight you first booked, now that is “SIMPLES”

[dutchyankee]

On a recent trip from Geneva to Brussels, on Swiss in Business Class (restricted fare, via Zurich as I hate SN/Brussels Airlines), I arrived quite early at GVA, and the Swiss Check In Lady asked me if I would like to take the earlier flight to ZRH. I said yes, neglecting to ask if there was an earlier connection then to BRU. When I arrived in ZRH, I saw an earlier flight to BRU, and went to the customer services desk to ask if she could move me to that flight (no luggage). She said of course no problem, but for €125 more. I explained that in GVA they asked me if I wanted to take an earlier flight, and did so without charge. Her answer was the staff in GVA do things differently then we do in ZRH. I usually have excellent experiences with Swiss, but this was really bizarre. I tried at the gate, but they called to the Service Center, and were informed they had already said no, so it was no.

I understand the rules of tickets, the restrictions etc., but at least in this case, it seems the rules can be changed when it is in the airline’s interest, but not when it is in the client’s.

[TiredOldHack]

I’ve been in the same position as Martin. Finished early, asked if I could take an earlier flight, and request granted, no problems, no extra charge. I think it depends on who you talk to, how you talk to them, and whether they’re having a good or bad day. No it shouldn’t be like that, but human beans are human beans.

[conair346]

Hack, as you say it also depends on how the day is going for the staff.

Just this morning while dispatching I got a call about two late pax. I was within my rights to say no and have them miss a day of their holiday but I was nice, wasted a tree and had to reprint all my paperwork. I had no other flights and everything else was going fine. I know airlines have policies to stick to but at my gates if there’s a seat spare onboard I’ll have you on the plane!

For those who have read my previous posts across here- I’m a student, flight dispatcher and waiter/barman in a hotel, all in Manchester. The hardest working of all uni students!

[AnnetteJones]

craigwatson – well if they are so outrageously priced then dont buy it, and just take the flight you first booked, now that is “SIMPLES”

Craig I appreciate your comment, you are right, but so is Cedric. passengers are very flexible when airlines delay us (probably because we do not have an option), overbook flights and have to move passengers, flexibility shouldn’t really cost anything.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

@craigwatson

Thank you for confirming that your assertion is only a hypothesis.

This is my opinion, if BA and certain other legacy airlines had possessed much innovative commercial thinking in days gone by, the locos would never have been able to establish themselves in the first place.

It was mainly due to the high price points, allied with poor service, that the general public decided they would rather pay less money for poorer service and the rush to the bottom started.

Now we have the situation where some of the ‘loco’ airlines offer more flexibility than the legacy carriers.

Conclusion, the legacy carriers resemble dinosaurs. The tail was knocked 20 years ago, but the message has still to reach the brain.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Lugano

Thanks for the info. These multiple posts came from my PC, so I have deleted the dupes.

[AnnetteJones]

“Conclusion, the legacy carriers resemble dinosaurs. The tail was knocked 20 years ago, but the message has still to reach the brain.”
Great quote/spot on…

[TerryMcManus24]

Used to take courier flights between London and Bangkok (via CI from Schipol) and on a number of occasions if I turned up earlier than my booked one B.M.would usually let me take the first available (only hand luggage) if seats free.Also happened on a number of internal connection at Suwanna with Thai assuming as said no checked in luggage and empy seats.

Rather miss British Midlands hop over the water to the dam..pity they dropped it.

[stevescoots]

I often take fixed flights with cathay from HKG to TPE, fixed is cheaper. many times i have arrived at the airport early and they have changed foc. sometimes its down to the person on the desk.

[flyingdutchman]

And….. if the next (last) flight was oversold or there would be people late for the earlier flight, BA could put one in your seat as you would have been gone.
Makes sense but they will not do it.
Change to easyJet, who advertises you can now take an earlier flight home (if there are seats available)

[MontanaKen]

In last winter’s snowy conditions, I found myself in London for a few days, before flying back to FRA for my return flight to the US. FRA was closing down intermittently, and things were looking shaky. I was scheduled on LH (LHR-FRA) mid morning, my DL flight to the US was the following morning from FRA. DL had a couple flights from LHR to the US and there seemed no danger of LHR closing, so I called DL and asked if they could get me out of LHR (one day early), therefore avoiding the iffy flight to FRA, and possibly experiencing FRA closure even the following day. I was traveling “C” Class on an award ticket. Yes, the agent responded, DL had seats available in C Class for that very day, but I would need to fork over another 200k worth of miles and and a processing fee in excess of $600. I explained to the DL agent that I was doing them a favor by not becoming a potential liability if FRA closed, which was a distinct possibility. They didn’t budge. Sure enuf, FRA closed within minutes, and LH sprang into action to reroute us to Stuttgart, and upon landing, they handed us rail tickets to get to FRA, complete with printed timetables! What a classic distinction in customer service! DL had available seats, and they couldn’t seem to comprehend the value to them of getting me out one day early! (Win-win, as some would say!) Discussing this with Delta management upon my return home, I ended up with a couple thousand “Customer Service” Skymiles added to my account, along with a curiously worded “apology” saying that “yes, we realize, now, that getting you out of LHR early would have been helpful to us!” It did take a while for the kick in the tail to reach the brain!

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