Award booking cancelled without notice

[Inuniform]

Latest update as of this afternoon. I was emailed earlier in the week with the option of having my original flight, with QR from SYD-DOH added back onto my itinerary with the only sticking point being JRO - LHR. I replied via email my thanks at procuring the QR flight and requested KLM rather than BA, as was offered by the CSR. The CSR rang this afternoon to get the second half of my itinerary sorted out to avoid any unwanted cancellations and then explained the latest on SYD-JRO-LHR. The QR flight that was offered earlier in the week had already been cancelled by QR. Understandably frustrated, the CSR has decided to have my matter pushed up the executive chain to a senior member of staff who will have it out with QR. The CSR was keen to point out that the partnership/ agreements between QF and QR was not going well. I am told to expect contact early next week.

 

[RichardMEL]

WOW. Just WOW.

But FINALLY they push it up the tree. Good.

I missed where KLM came into it - again another totally non QF partner - that seems odd for them to offer that as that totally would be real money for them - that is probably a real gesture by QF to sort it out.

And yet amazing AGAIN that they got you your QR somehow, yet it got cancelled again. Fair dinkum LOL

hoping the manager can go into bat for you and sort it out.

Thanks much for the update

 

[fairbasa]

Sounds like it's finally being handled by the right person!

I just made an amendment to my booking this afternoon, surprise surprise...despite my highlighting QR with the CSR and her going off to "process the booking as quickly as possible with her supervisor", I noticed just then my QR legs have dropped off again :evil:

Now off to try to get them back again...

Edit: They came back without need for interference.

 

[thehound]

I replied via email my thanks at procuring the QR flight and requested KLM rather than BA, as was offered by the CSR.

I imagine BA was offered to get you to LHR since they're a Oneworld airline and you're putting together a OW award. I don't know if others can comment, but if you fly with KLM to LHR, just make sure it doesn't screw up your award validity.

 

[fairbasa]

I imagine BA was offered to get you to LHR since they're a Oneworld airline and you're putting together a OW award. I don't know if others can comment, but if you fly with KLM to LHR, just make sure it doesn't screw up your award validity.

I think the award is mostly out the window now. I wouldn't be surprised if OP earns status credits for his whole trip...

 

[Inuniform]

I imagine BA was offered to get you to LHR since they're a Oneworld airline and you're putting together a OW award. I don't know if others can comment, but if you fly with KLM to LHR, just make sure it doesn't screw up your award validity.

From what I can gather, the second portion of my itinerary that has been ticketed comes under the OW award and has already maxed out at 280k. The SYD-JRO-LHR is, for the moment, being handled separately.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I think I'd just ditch QR - what a hopeless mob!

 

[TiredOldFlyer]

A comedy of errors !
Nearly 3 months and still not sorted.
Pweeks I admire your patience.

 

[bam71]

I think I'd just ditch QR - what a hopeless mob!

its not QR at fault, its QF. If QR want the ticket issued as soon as possible ( and they would have given QF a date to do, so or they will cancel), one would think that QF would prioritise any award booking with QR in it, and have the ticket issued straight away.

Just my two cents worth.....

 

[N860CR]

Qantas have never been very good at service recovery for this sort of thing. In their mind, you should be happy they're even talking to you. Recovery usually means a dinner voucher and a brief letter written to ensure that no fault it admitted.

 

[fairbasa]

its not QR at fault, its QF. If QR want the ticket issued as soon as possible ( and they would have given QF a date to do, so or they will cancel), one would think that QF would prioritise any award booking with QR in it, and have the ticket issued straight away.

Just my two cents worth.....

There's definitely an element which is QR's fault.

When I lost my seats whilst adding another leg to my booking (despite having the seats previously ticketed), QR snatched my seats back within 4mins of the ticket exchange taking place. That's totally unreasonable. I can understand if after 7 days QF dropped the ball on issuing the tickets, QR got frustrated and pulled the seats...but 4 minutes???

It became an 'incident' which Qantas investigated and followed up with QR, QR advised (if they're to be believed) that their system automatically pulled the seats and they didn't even know it was doing it!!!

 

[bam71]

4 Minutes... OUCH!!!

 

[RichardMEL]

There's definitely an element which is QR's fault.

When I lost my seats whilst adding another leg to my booking (despite having the seats previously ticketed), QR snatched my seats back within 4mins of the ticket exchange taking place. That's totally unreasonable. I can understand if after 7 days QF dropped the ball on issuing the tickets, QR got frustrated and pulled the seats...but 4 minutes???

It became an 'incident' which Qantas investigated and followed up with QR, QR advised (if they're to be believed) that their system automatically pulled the seats and they didn't even know it was doing it!!!

This is actually sem-believeable since for a brief period I guess during the exchange the booking was not ticketed and the system did release the seats. It's not like a human was sitting there watching it all go by and manually making a change because they felt like it.

I also do not feel this is a QR issue per se - QR simply adhere to their definied policies regarding ticketing deadlines - which QF do not always meet. That's not really QR's fault (or problem from their point of view). if QF doesn't ticket on time, just like any agent, then QR are well within their rights to autocancel per their policy. This is all on QF.

What's perhaps more disappointing is that while QR may be a unusual in their ticketing window policy compared to others this has been going on for long enough with enough incidents that QF should bloody well be aware of it and take steps to ensure things are ticketed in time - if only for bookings involving QR - it's in their interests to do so I would think to stop all this pain for their customers and CSR's to try and clean up. It's not one or two isolated cases, but hundreds, maybe more, over time. QF need to up their game IMHO.

 

[Inuniform]

Over 11 weeks since flagging my cancelled booking with QF and I finally have a resolution. Today the CSR phoned with the good news that my initial flights with QR from SYD-DOH-JRO-DOH-LHR. The problem was resolved via the intervention of a senior member of QF staff in direct contact with QR. The tickets have already been issued and my entire itinerary is now booked. It is a relief that this ordeal is finally over. I realise that the CSR helping me out has put in a lot of work to help secure an agreeable itinerary for me which has also allowed me to forgo any change fees that would normally be charged. I am going to write to the CSR one last time and I hope to secure some assurances that QF are aware of the issues around award booking's being cancelled by QR and other carriers, and that they will be doing something about it.

I'd like to thank everybody that has offered an opinion and advice during my booking journey. My inexperience and lack of award booking understanding had me fearful that this could have ended badly for me. I am glad that I stuck to my guns and that I have achieved an acceptable outcome. Thanks again.

 

[pagingjoan]

Good for you.
Your patience - in incredible quantities - has been rewarded.
Or hopefully so.

Enjoy the adventure.
I salute your efforts.

 

[RichardMEL]

Great news. Pity this wasn't resolved 10 weeks ago, or was never an issue in the first place.

Now, enjoy your flights!! Finally!

 

[thehound]

Over 11 weeks since flagging my cancelled booking with QF and I finally have a resolution. Today the CSR phoned with the good news that my initial flights with QR from SYD-DOH-JRO-DOH-LHR. The problem was resolved via the intervention of a senior member of QF staff in direct contact with QR. The tickets have already been issued and my entire itinerary is now booked.

Did you end up getting seats from an award bucket, or are they revenue seats that will earn you status credits & points?

 

[Inuniform]

The SYD-JRO-LHR leg was ticketed separately. When the CSR went to add it to my itinerary, the booking fell outside the RTW requirements. I can see on my frequent flyer account that over 400k frequent flyer points were credited to my account to fit the booking in as an award fare.

 

[RichardMEL]

The SYD-JRO-LHR leg was ticketed separately. When the CSR went to add it to my itinerary, the booking fell outside the RTW requirements. I can see on my frequent flyer account that over 400k frequent flyer points were credited to my account to fit the booking in as an award fare.

So wait they basically gave you extra points to force the award fare through? That seems pretty good-or am I misunderstanding?

(not that pushing things to make them work seems unreasonable given this sorry situation over so long imho)

 

[Inuniform]

So wait they basically gave you extra points to force the award fare through? That seems pretty good-or am I misunderstanding?

(not that pushing things to make them work seems unreasonable given this sorry situation over so long imho)

When it was realised that the QR issue wasn't going to be resolved quickly, the CSR suggested we book the rest of my itinerary. After flights were sourced I had the booking confirmed, tickets issued, taxes paid and points debited (2*260k). I presume that when QF went to add the QR flights to the RTW award ticket, the booking exceeded the miles allowable. QF then had to credit my account with 400k points and then use those points to purchase the QR flights.