booking flights via amex travel and then cancelling

[joon8887]

I have recently booked Qantas flight via Amex Travel. Due to travel restrictions, I am now trying to cancel that booking and get on a earlier flight.

Problem is, Amex travel doesnt open on weekends. Qantas app says "cancel via travel agent". Been on the phone for 3 hours with Qantas.

This is a massive problem when booking with Amex Travel, when you need to manage your booking in last minute esp on Weekends.

Is there anyway I could change the booking?

Also I assume Qantas booking can be cancelled if not checked in? (and get travel credit?)

 

[thatsthatmattressman]

Yes it is annoying and No there is no way to cancel the booking unless you speak to an Amex agent Monday to Friday. Qantas cannot do anything.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

If you also have the AMEX Platinum charge card, the AMEX Platinum Travel team are available 24/7 and should be able to help. Really appreciated that when I needed to cancel a flexible booking for Melbourne that needed to be cancelled on a Sunday or it'd be past the cancellation time and I'd lose the whole value. Doesn't help much if you only have the credit cards, however!

 

[joon8887]

Yes i do. How do i call plat charge travel team?

 

[Daver6]

Yes i do. How do i call plat charge travel team?

Call the number on the back of the card.

 

[ChrisMars]

I am about to cancel my Qantas flight due to travel restrictions. The card is Amex Qantas ultimate.

What to expect? Will I get a voucher valid for the next 12 months? Any fee? How long on hold on the phone. Any tips? Thanks!

 

[clifford]

I am about to cancel my Qantas flight due to travel restrictions. The card is Amex Qantas ultimate.

What to expect? Will I get a voucher valid for the next 12 months? Any fee? How long on hold on the phone. Any tips? Thanks!

I can give you a couple of thoughts.

Contacted Amex by phone this morning re changing the dates of a booking.

Took about 90 mins to answer, and I got an Indian callcentre, and the agent was very faint, and there was very poor communication. In the end, the line dropped out, and I didn't achieve anything (other than discovering how poor Amex's service was).

I suggest you give Amex plenty of time to address your issue.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

I am about to cancel my Qantas flight due to travel restrictions. The card is Amex Qantas ultimate.

What to expect? Will I get a voucher valid for the next 12 months? Any fee? How long on hold on the phone. Any tips? Thanks!

Just got off the phone with AMEX myself to cancel a hotel booking - was off the line in under 15 minutes. Seemed to get an agent in Europe so she had to leave notes for the "Sydney team" to actually handle the cancellation tomorrow (given there was a travel credit involved), but she did call the hotel and confirm the cancellation was possible (and to have them note that cancellation).

 

[clifford]

Just got off the phone with AMEX myself to cancel a hotel booking - was off the line in under 15 minutes. Seemed to get an agent in Europe so she had to leave notes for the "Sydney team" to actually handle the cancellation tomorrow (given there was a travel credit involved), but she did call the hotel and confirm the cancellation was possible (and to have them note that cancellation).

Perhaps that's the time to ring up, rather than the morning in Australia. Trust me, the wait time this morning was ridiculous.

 

[Matt_01]

@ChrisMars I do not hold the Qantas card, and have a Platinum Reserve, companion CC, the Amex Plat Charge which I cancelled in Feb and another story. Normally I do not have to wait long to get to an agent who then transfers you to the online travel booking team. Calling this morning the advised wait time would be 15 minutes as they were busier than normal which was understandable given the border situation. 75 minutes later I got through to agent who was easy to understand and the line was good. This was when I ran into my first issue, I had been validated via the Reserve Card, the booking was made with my old Charge Card so had to go through the validation process again. When I advised the agent of the changes, I was informed this was not available and then the agent put me on hold for another 15 minutes while she contacted someone else, when the was booking sorted she then needed to check the booking conditions. After a little over 100 minutes the changes were made without fees or penalty. I suspect the recent lockdowns resulted in a large number of calls and the longer wait times was just timing based on when I wanted to make changes that were not related to otherwise wider restrictions.

My understanding of vouchers and based on experience (pre covid) if the airline/ hotel or whatever you have used voucher on initiates the cancellation the voucher is returned and extended for 12 months from the cancelation date. If you initiate the cancelation it is returned with the original expiry date and if past too bad.

@ChrisFlyer were your bookings via the Plat Charge travel team or made online, from memory even when I had the Plat Charge and made a booking online the Charge travel team would redirect me to the Online Team and I assume it was some oncall agent when calling and making changes over a weekend.

 

[VPS]

Bumping this thread.

I was due to fly ADL CBR next week but of course that isn't going to happen unless I don't want to come home again.

I booked through Amex with my travel credit. Originally booked Flex Y but when the first flight was cancelled I was able to change online and upgrade to J for $60 which of course I did.

Qantas have changed my flight to travel via Melbourne and normally when they change they allow you to change online but now I have to ring Amex. I was looking at flights in September and flights in J are around $1500 so I'm assuming that they will expect me to pay the difference for my flight.

Any suggestions or hints. Is there a way to search for a cheap J fare easily without going through every week?

 

[Daver6]

Bumping this thread.

I was due to fly ADL CBR next week but of course that isn't going to happen unless I don't want to come home again.

I booked through Amex with my travel credit. Originally booked Flex Y but when the first flight was cancelled I was able to change online and upgrade to J for $60 which of course I did.

Qantas have changed my flight to travel via Melbourne and normally when they change they allow you to change online but now I have to ring Amex. I was looking at flights in September and flights in J are around $1500 so I'm assuming that they will expect me to pay the difference for my flight.

Any suggestions or hints. Is there a way to search for a cheap J fare easily without going through every week?

Amex Travel are a travel agent. Put them to work and task them with that perhaps?

 

[VPS]

I got on the chat with Amex travel and they said because I had been able to change my booking online with Qantas when the flight was cancelled they no longer had control of it and I had to ring Qantas.

I was unable to change it online with Qantas because it said it was booked through a travel agent - SIGH

I girded my loins and rang Qantas. 60 minutes on hold (as Qantas Gold) and got a lovely lady in the South African call who said yes of course you can convert this into a flight credit and it might take 24 hours. 10 minutes later the flight credit was in my email and is updated on my Qantas profile. Phone call was less than 2 minutes. Apart from the hour of my life I'll not get back again that was a good outcome for me

 

[Cadboy]

My $450 qantas ultimate credit expires tomorrow so i need to use it up asap. With international borders closed I have little use for it. If I book a domestic trip for a few months time and then cancel on my own accord would i lose the credit or could i take it as a qantas issued credit? Has anyone got recent experience or any ideas on how to turn this credit into a cash refund or extend the validity?

Cheers.

 

[VPS]

My $450 qantas ultimate credit expires tomorrow so i need to use it up asap. With international borders closed I have little use for it. If I book a domestic trip for a few months time and then cancel on my own accord would i lose the credit or could i take it as a qantas issued credit? Has anyone got recent experience or any ideas on how to turn this credit into a cash refund or extend the validity?

Cheers.

If you read my post above I got a flight credit and it is valid until 31/12/2023 which I think is a good outcome. I know this isn't a credit but if I can't use it with in that time I'll be very surprised

 

[Cadboy]

If you read my post above I got a flight credit and it is valid until 31/12/2023 which I think is a good outcome. I know this isn't a credit but if I can't use it with in that time I'll be very surprised

Cheers,

The only difference is that your flights were originally cancelled by Qantas. I'm talking about self cancellation. I suspect the latter might yield a different result?

 

[VPS]

Cheers,

The only difference is that your flights were originally cancelled by Qantas. I'm talking about self cancellation. I suspect the latter might yield a different result?

The reason I cancelled in the end was because I told them I couldn't go where I wanted and asked to put it into credit.

 

[Cadboy]

The reason I cancelled in the end was because I told them I couldn't go where I wanted and asked to put it into credit.

I see. I'm just confused by your original message.

"I got on the chat with Amex travel and they said because I had been able to change my booking online with Qantas when the flight was cancelled they no longer had control of it and I had to ring Qantas.

I was unable to change it online with Qantas because it said it was booked through a travel agent"

if you choose to cancel why didnt amex travel deal with you?

 

[Isolar]

Thought I would add a data point based on my experience today.

Had a trip booked SYD-BNE-CNS & return in about 10 days. Used my $450 travel credit via Qantas Ultimate card plus about $50 extra of own funds. Given we are in lockdown until at least 28/8 called Amex Travel to see what my options are.

Was put through to an agent within a few minutes (was surprised at the short wait time).

Agent said that due to lockdown I could cancel the booking and get a travel credit for the total value immediately. The credit would held by Amex Travel and would expire 31/12/2023. Main restrictions were that it could only be used for QF domestic flights, booking would have to be in my name and would have to call to make a booking (though no booking fee would apply, only any fare difference if applicable).

However, the agent noted that my original flights had been cancelled and automatically booked to other flights on the same day. She said because of this they could ask QF if the booking could be refunded. If rejected I could always take the travel credit option.

It took a few minutes on hold while she checked with QF and it came back approved. With this option the refund would take 16-18 weeks to come through. My original payment would then be refunded to my card and the $450 travel credit would be added as another travel credit to my account with an expiry date 12 months from the date the refund came through.

I decided to go with the refund as I wouldn't have to make a call for a future booking and the $450 credit could be used on any QF flights (domestic or international) and other passengers. Only downside for me is the shorter validity period but I remain hopeful that we will have more certainty regarding travel in the next 12 to 18 months.

Hope this helps others in a similar position.

 

[Cadboy]

Thought I would add a data point based on my experience today.

Hope this helps others in a similar position.

Thanks for this excellent data point mate! Im curious if the outcome would be the same if i booked something today for a date within the current lock down period... and then called to say I cant take flight due to lockdown.