Greetings everyone, we have all had it and it can be pretty annoying when you have gone out of your way to fly a specific flight.
BA A380 to a 747 LHR-LAX, not the worst sub however I had flown BA's 747 before and went out of my way to catch the A380
EK A340-500 to A330-200 BEY-DXB, now that was annoying.
EY A380 to A340-600 AUH-LHR, I paid the extra to swap the flights and did get the A380, however I regret that move as I was planning a A340-600 flight on EY sometime later

What are your most disappointing aircraft swaps?

I had a BA ATH-LHR flight that I booked a few weeks out. Went from A321 (with flatbeds) to 767 (with flatbeds) to a shorthaul A321 about a day out. Not so amused.

Too many BA flights to/from JFK/IAD to count where 747s were swapped for 777s.

CX substituted multiple flights back to back where I'd booked specific flights to get the new First Class seating and ended up with the old ones...

Several AA regional flights where I had booked FC but the plane was swapped out for single class aircraft. Refunded and rebooked.

Ive had it twice on a flight should have been a OS 777 from FRA-VIE, first time it changed to A320 on the day. The second time it was changed to an A320 and as we were taxiing, the following OS flight came in that should have been an A320 was....correct a 777

United 757 in the California Her Art livery swapped to a regular CO/UA livery. I did at least get to board the Her Art plane, but had to deplane when they couldn't start engine #1.
HA 717 swapped to an A321neo
United Express Dash 8 to a 737-700
Delta 752 swapped to an A321

A Delta swap from an A333 to an A359 was mixed...exciting but there was a 12 hour delay

Still haven’t been able to fly on an A350.

I had to cancel one trip that would have involved one. But I’ve now had three separate A350 flights switched over to 777’s by various airlines. The latest being BA.

TAP LIS-GRU once just on the onset of the A330-900. I booked it on their "First to Fly" advertisement and they changed to an A330-200 within the last couple of hours before departture. Not only the disappointment of not flying the A330-900 on that occasion but the literal delay caused because the change on seat configurations bumped out a good deal of business class travellers to economy or middle seat and they took so much offense the flight departed one hour late. At least, the return flight was on the A330-900 and I've got what it was promised (not that were many differences...).

Apart form this, once flew LHR-ZRH with the aim to catch their A220-300 just for Swiss to change it to an A320 last minute... grrr... still did not have the chance to fly on the A220 ever since.

I booked an Air New Zealand flight SYD-AKL. I'd never flown with them before. This was when they were wet-leasing planes because of problems with their 787s. Instead of an ANZ plane, I got a HiFly A340, which wasn't bad, but it wasn't ANZ.

S7 FRA-OVB return TU204 for A310.

As this was my only A310 return flight, my disappointment has vanished over the time.

In 2019 I was booked on a British Airways 747-400 IAD-LHR and back. Over the summer, those flights were "upgraded" to A380s. A shame.

Back in 2002 I booked a return flight on DL from ATL to MCO on the MD11 just to find a 767-400 at the gate. That was pure disappointment.

In the 1960s, I was to fly SVO-SNN-YUL on an Aeroflot IL-62. It was substituted with a nonstop to YUL on a TU-114.

Everyone was disappointed …… but me!

That’s the best.!!!

This past September I flew BA AUS-LHR and back. I had never flown on the A350 and it was my first time flying international business so I was looking forward to the brand new Club Suite. I was very disappointed when it was changed to a 77E with the old Club World seat. I haven't found out why they changed that route to the 77E for just the month of September. on 10/1 it went back to the 350.

In July 2018 I flew KRK-BRU-CPH on Brussels Airlines. KRK-BRU was supposed to be operated by a CityJet SSJ-100, but this was when they began pulling them from service due to unreliability, and my flight was changed to an A319. At least I saw a SSJ-100 at BRU, but the main reason I booked with CityJet was to fly on the SSJ-100.

A few that come to mind

QF BNE-SYD-PER on a 763/743 combo. The SYD-PER got downgauged to another 763. Could’ve just flown nonstop if I wanted to go on a 767. But I did manage to log a 743 previously.

QF DRW-ASP On a 717. Two days out I get a call that the flight number had changed from a Qantaslink flight number to a mainline flight number. I checked and sure enough there was a one off mainline 737-800 flight on that day when it wasn’t even a mainline route at the time.

I did a Japan trip back in 2009 which included a SQ 787-10 SIN-NRT, and a NH 787-8 ITM-HND. I had previously flown a QF 787-9. So I would’ve had all the 787 variants. The SQ flight was upgauged to an A380, and the NH to a 777-200. But at least it was an A model, I wasn’t too sure beforehand as NH mixed the A and ER -200s on domestic sectors.

On the same Japan trip had HND-CTS booked on a NH 777-300. Was downgauged to a 777-200ER.

Booked FI CDG-KEF, and KEF-OSL on 752/753. CDG flight was upgauged to a 763, and OSL downgauged to a 752. But at least I still managed to get at least one 757 as it’s unlikely I’ll get the opportunity again.

Not really a disappointing swap, but an almost exciting swap. I booked SK OSL-TRD-BOO-TOS specifically to log a 737-600, which was scheduled on the TRD-BOO-TOS sector. The OSL-TRD which was originally a 737-700 got swapped to another 737-600 24 hours out. So it would’ve been a -600 the whole way. But at the last minute got changed back to the original -700. But I still got the -600 from Trondheim to Tromsø. The ironic thing was the -700 turned out to be SE-RET. which I had previously flown on 11 years earlier then it was VH-VBM with Virgin Blue in Australia.

Another notable swap was when Brindabella Airlines were flying I was booked TMW-BNE on a Fairchild Metroliner, it got swapped to an equally rare BAe Jetstream J41. I never managed to log a Metroliner, but I did get the J41.

And not a swap but I’m 2018 I was flying QF LHR-PER-BNE. I didn’t get any sleep on the LHR-PER leg so I wasn’t in the most alert state for the PER transit. I got excited when I saw the Brisbane flight posted at Gate 15 with 737-800 VH-XZP The retrojet sitting at the gate. I double checked the flight number and realised it was the next Brisbane flight which departed two hours after my flight. My flight was at Gate 16 which was a standard livery 737-800.

Some years back, booked an AA SJU-JFK leg solely to fly an A310 before AA stopped flying them. Plane was swapped for a 752, I never did get to fly an A300/A310, and had to explain the routing to my then-employer's expense department. Lose-lose...

For me:
In 2021, swap from AF A320 to Hop E190
In 2017, swap from a newly retrofitted AF 772 to an outdated A340
In the early 2000s: swap from LY 777 to 763

CrewBunk wrote:

In the 1960s, I was to fly SVO-SNN-YUL on an Aeroflot IL-62. It was substituted with a nonstop to YUL on a TU-114.

Everyone was disappointed …… but me!

Your Most Disappointing Aircraft Swaps.

So your experience doesn't count on this thread.

vhqpa wrote:

I did a Japan trip back in 2009 which included a SQ 787-10 SIN-NRT, and a NH 787-8 ITM-HND.

Are you sure about this? I read the first Boeing 787-10 was delivered to Singapore Airlines just four years ago in 2018.

https://www.singaporeair.com/nl_NL/nl/m ... 018-180326

LY777 wrote:

For me:
In 2021, swap from AF A320 to Hop E190
In 2017, swap from a newly retrofitted AF 772 to an outdated A340
In the early 2000s: swap from LY 777 to 763

All three look pretty good to me.

Virgin Atlantic in 2018. I'd booked LAS-ATL-MAN.
LAS-ATL was with DL and ATL-MAN was slated to be a 747 when I booked.
It was subsequently swapped for an A330.
Probably my only opportunity to fly the 747 and I've never forgiven VS for this change

Back in 2011, I was looking forward to my first A380 flight, QF LAX-MEL, but this changed to a 747-400ER. At the time I was disappointed, but in hindsight I’m relatively pleased as the 400ER was so unique (six passenger frames) and the 747 looked so modern inside with the 777-style ‘Boeing Signature Interior’ (although I think that was also installed in late model 400s and not just the ERs?). On subsequent flights I’ve always been underwhelmed by the A380, so don’t feel I missed out on much.

The other one that still annoys me was CO EWR-AVL in 2003, which should have been an E135 but was operated by an E145. I know that they’re identical on the inside, just fewer rows, but I always thought that the E135 looked so cute and adorable, if you can use those words to describe a lump of metal, and never got another chance to fly on one.

I’ve had a couple of 757 swaps for A321’s.

At one point though I was supposed to fly on the last CRJ ever made, N840SK, which I was mildly exited about. Every flight tracker said that would be the plane. The Delta app said that would be the plane (through the where’s my plane feature). The plane landed, unloaded its passengers at the gate my flight was at… then got towed away.

Don't think I've ever had a disappointing swap.

LY777 wrote:

For me:
In 2021, swap from AF A320 to Hop E190
In 2017, swap from a newly retrofitted AF 772 to an outdated A340
In the early 2000s: swap from LY 777 to 763

I would of loved the 777 to the A340, I would rather the old cabin in 2-4-2 than the 3-4-3 retrofitted.

CX A350-1000 changed to 777-300ER. Like the 77W, but at time was wanting to check out the A350-1000.
ANA 787-10 changed to a 787-9. Like the 787-9, but was trying to fly on a -10.

In 2019 TAP canceled my flight on E190 LIS-OPO, and made the next flight on 319. very very sad
In 2010 Austrian sent 321 to Heathrow instead of 738 as scheduled... oof. my only chance of flying on Austrian 73x gone forever
In 2012 Webjet replaced my 733 from GIG to REC to 738. damm it. 733 is much more fun
In 2008 Air Caledonie replaced A42 to A72 from GEA to MEE. at least got A42 on the return flight. but was hopelessly sad then...

my worst desperation was on Turkish IST-ADB. I tried to change to an earlier flight. mine was 738. the previous flight was 343. yes. 343. my only chance of getting Turkish 343. and not a single seat left. it hurt. it really hurt.

three success stories.
in 2011 I was flying RKV-JAV on Flugfelag. they had 2*Dash 8-100 and 9*Fokker50. My booking showed Dash. but then they crashed one. and only one was left. I remember we were walking in Reykjavik Airport, and I see 3 Fokkers and the Dash. And we stopped by the DASH
In 2015 I was flying DXB-SGN on Emirates, and my booking showed 343. they had only 5 left at that time. the bus ride took the whole eternity. and we stopped by A6-ERM 343. well. that was cloud No. 9
and the highlight of my life. this January I flew on Motor Sich from Lviv to Kyiv Zhuliany. schedule showed An-24. that was amazing. got swapped by An-140. the only "alive" in the world. I never do selfies, but, on An-140, I did more than a few. I visited the cockpit after the flight. woooooooow

this "win" compensates for any past and future losses

In August 2004 my UA flight DEN - PDX - SEA was on a 752 to PDX then an E120 to SEA but the 752 leg was canceled. I was rerouted to SFO and when I walked up to the gate in DEN, it was a 772! Then when I got to SFO for the SFO - SEA leg, it was another 752!

I missed out on the UA Express E120 on that trip and never flew that type but I did get another UA 772 out of it, which is still flying today, whereas that E120 would likely be long gone scrapped by now.

You guys are too young.

Late 60's - scheduled for a UAL Caravelle from ATL to CLE. Swapped to a 737. Should have demanded my money back. All the Caravelles were removed from US passenger service that year so that was my only shot at flying one.
1976 - scheduled on a TWA L1011 from Dayton Oh to Indianapolis. Swapped to a DC-9-10. About 40 people boarded in Dayton.

A few years ago I was on a cruise on NCL AMS-FCO. The ship broke in BCN and I had to fly Vueling to FCO. Does that count?

BowlingShoeDC9 wrote:

I’ve had a couple of 757 swaps for A321’s.

At one point though I was supposed to fly on the last CRJ ever made, N840SK, which I was mildly exited about. Every flight tracker said that would be the plane. The Delta app said that would be the plane (through the where’s my plane feature). The plane landed, unloaded its passengers at the gate my flight was at… then got towed away.

Towed away in shame?

For the last 2 years I have been trying to fly the A220, and twice with Delta got swapped. First time to an E-170 from LGA that was the filthiest aircraft have ever flown on. And recently to the 319, nice, but disappointing. Finally got the 300 with Breeze, now I’ll try with Delta at some point to get the 100.

And for my upcoming February flight AA has made about a dozen flight changes, and I cancelled twice now. Last few weeks it looks like I will still get on the 787-9 for the first time and in business class. Fingers crossed!!!!!!!!!!

PER is my second home and also the home of (rough estimate) half of the global Fokker 100 fleet, wanting to log a few I booked a return flight to BME for a daytrip with Virgin.

The flight up was cancelled and I was put on a generic 737, but my return Fokker was preserved, still disappointing however.

I've had a fair few frustrating ones

SVO-LED - Rossiya An 148 changed to an A320-200
GYD-DXB - AZAL A340-500 changed to an A320-200
GYD-NAJ - AZAL Tu-134 changed to a Tu-154 (Frustrating at the time!)
KBP-SIP - AeroSvit Yak 42 changed to B737-500 (which ended up cancelled anyway)
TAS-VKO - UTAir B767-200 changed to B737-800 (which crashed a short while later in AER)
LHR-MAD - BA A380-800 changed to an A321-200N


Dan

The worst i Ever had was A380 to 77W on EK from DBX to BKK

Sabena DC-10 combi switched to a wet leased Novair DC-10-10: BRU-BJM-KGL-EBB.

3 months ago: a TAP A320 switched to a TAP/Bulgaria Air Embraer LIS-BCN.

Planned 78X but swapped to 77E or 77W, multiple times ! I might be the only person to fly 788 on multiple airlines and yet to fly on 789/78X

SK HEL-CPH MD87 => MD82
AF GVA-CDG A318 => A319

Never had another opportunity to fly on the MD87, and the opportunities to log an A318 are increasingly rare.

Plenty of them... Some that come to my mind:

LX ARN-ZRH from A220-300 (supposed to be my first 223) to a run down A319

SN BMA-BRU-BSL on two Superjets to Lufthansa ARN-MUC-BSL on an A319 on the first leg. Second leg was an Air Dolomiti E195, which was at least a type premiere by then.

Adria Airways CRJ900 to a very (VERY!) run down A320.

KL on several occasions 737-900 non-ER to either 73H or 73G. Still trying to catch that type.

FI 757-300 to a 767-300, another type premiere that was busted.

But by far the most annoying one was this one:

AzAl GYD-GVA 727-200 obp Silkway Airlined to A319 - straight cancelled that one... And in the process, also my first and most likely any chance to ever ride a Tu-214 went down the drain. Biggest FU ever

MartijnNL wrote:

LY777 wrote:

For me:
In 2021, swap from AF A320 to Hop E190
In 2017, swap from a newly retrofitted AF 772 to an outdated A340
In the early 2000s: swap from LY 777 to 763

All three look pretty good to me.

I second that, those would all have been very welcome upgrades to me

My list:

Auckland to Sydney - Emirates swaps A350-500 with Air New Zealand A320-200
Auckland to Melbourne - Air New Zealand swaps Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with Airbus A320-200 due to engine issues

Several spring to mind.
SK’s last flight in a Sunday evening from GOT-LHR used to be a F28.
Many times they’d swap it out for a MD80.
Canadian swapping a DC10 for a 767 was pretty shit too..
Varig MD-11 going sick at LHR and being offered seats on a SK MD80.
SU SSJ being swapped to a A320
BD lsd Astreaus 757 being swapped to a A320
ZB A300 being swapped for a 757

Sure there’s many more that pissed me off at the gate..

TUGMASTER wrote:

BD lsd Astreaus 757 being swapped to a A320
.

I'd forgotten about that one - mine was changed to 2 x ERJ 145s. Really bummed me out!

Aircraft swaps rarely occurs to me, but it happened one time

I've booked specifically an Airbus A330 flight, with Philippine Airlines, but a week before my flight, the flight was downgraded to an A321, still okay for me, since I've not flown on the A321. The day of my flying came, and we got was an Airbus A320, which I've flow on multiple times. Sad story especially given it was a holiday rush.

At least the pilot made me up for it by having a photo with the crew together, and we've got a bus gate in Manila. I've got closeup shot of PAL's A330, A350 and 2 B777. Mixed emotions.

Northwest swapped out a DC-9-40 for an A320 on MEM-ORD. And then the A320 promptly went tech.

PR HKG-MNL: 77W to A343. was annoyed at the time but looking at it now, the feeling is different

TG HKT-BKK: 744 to 773: yes the infamous TG swap

Chengdu Airlines SHA-CTU, was going out of my way to fly the ARJ-21. The day before departure saw it was swapped for an A320, which was again heavily delayed in the morning.
Ended up cancelling my ticket and flew Shanghai Airlines on a B738.

VN: HAN-SGN. Prior to living in Vietnam, I visited Hanoi, and towards the end of the trip I decided to scoot down to SGN, booked an A359 on the way down, 789 on the way up, at this point I'd not flown on either. Checked in for flight to SGN, bussed to the aircraft and... A321. Nightmare! The return was at least still a 789, and I did return from Vietnam on CX's A359 (which was really good), but even to this day after A359 flights with SQ, TG, QR and that CX flight I've still not managed to nab a VN A350. And I've been in Vietnam for 5 years!

Emirates DXB-BOM
Emirates operates 5 daily flights to BOM. But EK502 is special since it operates the rather rare B777-200LR. It's schedule is pretty consistent. But on the day of my flight, it was swapped with the 300ER. I was even more disappointed when I saw that all the days before and after my flight were all operated by LRs.