Cannot change flights online?

[Jenelle]

Is this for everyone or just me?

My JFK-MEL flights has no option to change online. Yet in May, I had to change a booking just like this and it was fine.

Have Qantas recently taken away the option to change online? I cannot understand why!?!

 

[Jenelle]

Found the answer - it must be because I don't have a 'straight' JFk-MEL return flight. I thought I was going mad!

 

[SnowYeti]

With QF, if you make ANY booking change whether its over the phone or line, then you won't be able to make any future ones. (The change was removing a PAX from PNR so the PAX's had seperate PNRs)

In the past I had the $30 phone fee waived because it's a problem with their system not coping, not me. I changed one the other day, it cost $30 and they would not wave it even for SG.

Qantas have a limitation with their web engine, and I was told to be able to modify and change things online, it is a privilege, not a service. :shock: Therefore a fee must apply.

Someone is getting tight with money!

 

[fortymilliondaggers]

With QF, if you make ANY booking change whether its over the phone or line, then you won't be able to make any future ones. (The change was removing a PAX from PNR so the PAX's had seperate PNRs)

In the past I had the $30 phone fee waived because it's a problem with their system not coping, not me. I changed one the other day, it cost $30 and they would not wave it even for SG.

Qantas have a limitation with their web engine, and I was told to be able to modify and change things online, it is a privilege, not a service. :shock: Therefore a fee must apply.

Someone is getting tight with money!

Changing a flight for 1 person when there are 2 on the itinerary is not possible on the web. I was told I would have to pay the phone service fee. This can't be acceptable trade practice.

 

[SnowYeti]

Changing a flight for 1 person when there are 2 on the itinerary is not possible on the web. I was told I would have to pay the phone service fee. This can't be acceptable trade practice.

So I had to get the PAX split into seperate PNRs. They waived the fee to change PAX 1's time, plus class difference.

Then the 2nd PAX needed to be changed, they wouldn't waive the fee. I still don't understand how they say it's a privilege to do over the web. I argued that it mentions no fee if you do it online, and if their system can't support this, then why should we be disadvantaged and have to pay :evil:

 

[fortymilliondaggers]

It's a joke. For the privilege of booking tickets for two people in one transaction, I was forced to surrender a $68 red-e-deal ticket for one. The operator explained that this was how it worked in quite plain language. I called again and a different operator told me the same thing. Policy consistently applied, but the ACCC would almost certainly find some Trade Practices Act breach.

The cost of chaning online wassomething like $40 and would have left me ahead compared with buying a new ticket, but the $60 charged for changing on the telephone made a new ticket more economical.

 

[anat0l]

I think we should be lucky (I use that word loosely) that some changes can be made online (just as a decent number of tickets and fare products can be purchased online). For some other airlines, changes can only be made wholly on the phone, thus subjecting one to the telephone fees as well as change fees.

Does someone have the text shown where QF specifically notes which changes can be made online and which ones must be done through phoning QF? If there is a disparity there, i.e. QF says you can do this change online but in fact you can't, then I'd take it up with the consumer affairs in your state.

Probably not comforting to hear that the ability to change online is a privilege not a service, but unfortunately it's true. It's a similar dealie when, say, booking a Partner Award (i.e. on an airline other than QF/BA/AA/JQ) - this can only be achieved via the phone (both checking availability and the booking itself), thus subjecting one to the telephone booking fees. Some have managed to get it waived, some haven't. I've booked two QF classic awards via phone so far this year, both were done through Platinum request since the inventory shown online had exhausted. Again, in this case the booking fee needed to be paid, but this is slightly understandable because what I did could be achieved online but I decided to use the phone, albeit by using the phone I was able to achieve something I could not do whilst online (i.e. access/request a seat that was not available online). Also $50 or 2,500 points isn't too bad to grab one of the finite F or J seats remaining .

FWIW sometimes I can't tell exactly how and when I can change and/or cancel flights online (i.e. through MMB). Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't. I often travel on Red e-Deals so I doubt fare class is playing a huge part in it (although if it's within 24 hr of departure that is something). Perhaps this is something we need clarified at QF's end to avoid these tiffs.

 

[anat0l]

The cost of chaning online wassomething like $40 and would have left me ahead compared with buying a new ticket, but the $60 charged for changing on the telephone made a new ticket more economical.

I think it's fair to say that either way you were going to lose: the $40 is actually a bit more than that and is only the change fee; you would have still needed to pay fare difference on top of that; due to the rules requiring that a new ticket must be of equal or higher value, you were going to be in the hole at least $44 or something. I believe this fee has increased further (i.e. Red e-deal et al. change fee).

The telephone fee in this case would have just been further insult to injury. But changing such a cheap Red e-deal you were going to set yourself up for disappointment, period.


Changing a ticket is a privilege in many cases, save for a few "forced" situations, but even for these we content ourselves that the moral reasons outweigh the economical constraints. That is why the right to change tickets is so highly priced (i.e. fees for the cheaper tickets and a large premium to compensate for the higher bucket tickets).

 

[fortymilliondaggers]

There was an identical fare available on another day for the same price.

 

[SnowYeti]

I suppose their KB does state int'l changes can only be done ONCE, I guess they are admitting their limitations here

Answer

Question
How many times can I change my flight booking?

Answer

There is no limit on how many times you can change your Australian or trans-Tasman booking, within the ticket validity.

Changes to international bookings are currently limited to one online change. Subsequent changes to your international booking can be made by contacting your local Qantas Office.

You can change your booking online at manage your booking. Changes are subject to availability and a service fee may apply. Refer to the conditions of your fare for details.

Note: trans-Tasman bookings can only be changed online before departure.