[Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26] was 10April

[tuapekastar]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Interesting to see what, if anything (I am not doubting the OP's veracity, but QF can change their minds) changes on what date. I have a couple of JASAs booked (one tomorrow, one post-May 18), so would assume they are both 'safe'. Had one in mind for September so as long as the cancellation conditions (full refund of points/$$$) do not change then it won't hurt to book it if I decide to.

I guess the main thing is that if the program changes in a way which is significant to me, then it would be negligent of me not to review QFF and compare with other programs (eg. VFF) to see which is better for future use. The sky is certainly not falling in at the moment, and indeed may not do so, but while I would in no way consider it a 'panic buy', it seems prudent to book that JASA (assuming it still available when I have sufficient points (soon).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

[/QUOTE]

Interesting to see what, if anything (I am not doubting the OP's veracity, but QF can change their minds) changes on what date. I have a couple of JASAs booked (one tomorrow, one post-May 18), so would assume they are both 'safe'. Had one in mind for September so as long as the cancellation conditions (full refund of points/$$$) do not change then it won't hurt to book it if I decide to.

I guess the main thing is that if the program changes in a way which is significant to me, then it would be negligent of me not to review QFF and compare with other programs (eg. VFF) to see which is better for future use. The sky is certainly not falling in at the moment, and indeed may not do so, but while I would in no way consider it a 'panic buy', it seems prudent to book that JASA (assuming it still available when I have sufficient points (soon).

once it is booked it is booked and you have a 'contract'. QF cannot change the underlying terms and conditions of that contract. So you are fine.

On another issue....

I was doing a bit of research on ASAs in the terms and conditions and I think the following is very interesting.

Under refunds for an ASA it clearly says (my bolding/underlining):

15.6 Any Seat Award - tickets cancellation & refunds
15.6.1 A refund of an Any Seat Award will only be made in accordance with the applicable Fare Conditions and these Terms and Conditions, and the following provisions:
(a) If a refund is requested prior to travel commencing, and the money paid to obtain the Any Seat Award is equal to or greater than the cancellation fee (or refund fee) specified in the Fare Conditions, and the original Any Seat Award booking was not made on jetstar.com, then the refund of the Any Seat Award will be made by re-crediting Points redeemed to the Member's account and refunding any money paid to the Member's Accepted Payment Card, less any applicable cancellation fee (or refund fee) set out in the Fare Conditions.

but this is later modified (a quarter of a page later) by this (again, my bolding):

15.6.2 Unless stated otherwise in these Terms and Conditions, where an Any Seat Award is cancelled, and the applicable Fare Conditions provide that the original fare may be used as a credit towards the payment of a new fare, and the original fare or commercial ticket value (as referred to in the Fare Conditions) is required for this purpose, then the original fare or commercial ticket value of the Any Seat Award will be calculated as the remaining dollar value of the unused ticket (or booking in the case of a Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Award booked at jetstar.com) determined in accordance with the Fare Conditions.

It implies that a credit voucher will ONLY be given if it is requried for the purpose of using the credit later.

Does Qantas actually ask you when you go to cancel on line if you wish to use the value as a credit? Doesn't seem to... I just looked at an ASA I'm holding, and when I hit cancel it says the following (my underline)

Cancel Flights

You are about to cancel your booking for all passengers.

The value of the booking will be stored in a credit voucher that is valid until 20 September 2013. When redeemed online at qantas.com, the voucher will be for all passengers for the same itinerary.

So NO options clearly explained to me or asking whether I want to store the credit as opposed to having a full refund.

I would say anyone who has been duped into getting a lower $ credit value would have a good case to have their full points reinstated under the Ts and Cs.

 

[tuapekastar]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

once it is booked it is booked and you have a 'contract'. QF cannot change the underlying terms and conditions of that contract. So you are fine.

On another issue....

I was doing a bit of research on ASAs in the terms and conditions and I think the following is very interesting.

Under refunds for an ASA it clearly says (my bolding/underlining):



but this is later modified (a quarter of a page later) by this (again, my bolding):



It implies that a credit voucher will ONLY be given if it is requried for the purpose of using the credit later.

Does Qantas actually ask you when you go to cancel on line if you wish to use the value as a credit? Doesn't seem to... I just looked at an ASA I'm holding, and when I hit cancel it says the following (my underline)



So NO options clearly explained to me or asking whether I want to store the credit as opposed to having a full refund.

I would say anyone who has been duped into getting a lower $ credit value would have a good case to have their full points reinstated under the Ts and Cs.

They certainly require close inspection, and you may be right with your assertion re being 'duped'. I not long ago cancelled a JASA, and did it over the phone (due to emphatic advice on AFF not to do so online, as it apparently results in a cash only component, at a very coughpy point to dollar conversion rate). I was fortunate enough to get an agent who was switched on and immediately confirmed I would get every point and every cent paid refunded (as per the 'Business' fare conditions attached to it), and the points were in my account same day or next, and the cash back on the CC in 2 or 3 days.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Roughly the same. The problem with points+pay is that it excludes the "classic" awards and their rather nice nominal dollar value!

This would explain from a financial perspective why Qantas would consider this sort of move, and leads me to believe some further change is coming down the pipe.

 

[ReLoad]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Revised date for the removal of ASAs is now set for 18th of May which is when the new flight search engine is meant to go active on the QF website. QF took note of this thread and delayed the removal which was set for 10 April. Red Roo would you like to "repudiate" this new date of 18th May?

Thank you for the update, appreciate sharing the info and it gives us the chance to take it on face value. Please do not be distracted by the nay sayers.

 

[JohnK]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Hmm.... I reckon QF think that some JASAs are too "cheap" and dont like the way we use them to "retain" status

Maybe it has nothing to do with "easily retaining" status but that you are getting a business class seat for next to nothing compared to paid business class.

 

[wafliron]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Maybe it has nothing to do with "easily retaining" status but that you are getting a business class seat for next to nothing compared to paid business class.

Couldn't you make the same argument about a Classic Award seat though? And those clearly aren't going anywhere (at least I damn well hope not!). Yes, you do earn back some points on an ASA, but they're really minimal compared to the points-cost of the flight. Hence, if they really are being changed / removed, I'd say it has to be about the SCs / status...

 

[JohnK]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Couldn't you make the same argument about a Classic Award seat though? And those clearly aren't going anywhere (at least I damn well hope not!). Yes, you do earn back some points on an ASA, but they're really minimal compared to the points-cost of the flight. Hence, if they really are being changed / removed, I'd say it has to be about the SCs / status...

I guess you could be right. You probably wouldn't get too many people flying TSV-BNE-DRW at Classic award rates just for fun, with positioning flights and hotels costs to worry about as well.

 

[amaroo]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Revised date for the removal of ASAs is now set for 18th of May which is when the new flight search engine is meant to go active on the QF website. QF took note of this thread and delayed the removal which was set for 10 April. Red Roo would you like to "repudiate" this new date of 18th May?

Sorry - you had to put up with the BS that was sent your way

Can confirm I have been informed 18 May as well as the removal of the ASAs. Source: premium desk supervisor. res agents have been trained on new fare product which clearly states removal of ASAs. The date was in fact 10 April but glitches with going live in the new search engine meant they have delayed plus this thread did in fact cause a headache for them. all res agents were issued a strict memo not to divulge revealing ASA was going. Features of the new search engine will be ability to log on and finalise booking after having researched/selected flights/

Good enough for me.

IMHO we're very fortunate to have members that put themselves out there & advise the collective of changes......why anyone wants to bag this - is beyond me:!:

 

[opusman]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

QF took note of this thread and delayed the removal which was set for 10 April.

So let me get this straight, Qantas "took note" of this thread and delayed the removal by a month? What purpose would that serve? To give both the official company rep to this forum, and the CEO, a chance to deny it? In what universe is that even rational?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

So let me get this straight, Qantas "took note" of this thread and delayed the removal by a month? What purpose would that serve? To give both the official company rep to this forum, and the CEO, a chance to deny it? In what universe is that even rational?

to potentially save face? dunno.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

So let me get this straight, Qantas "took note" of this thread and delayed the removal by a month? What purpose would that serve? To give both the official company rep to this forum, and the CEO, a chance to deny it? In what universe is that even rational?

yes, that comment doesn't make any sense even if it is true.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

yes, that comment doesn't make any sense even if it is true.

it kind of makes sense in that QF might not want to give credence to unofficial sources of information... they want to control it. By undermining any unofficial source they get some control back.

 

[medhead]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

it kind of makes sense in that QF might not want to give credence to unofficial sources of information... they want to control it. By undermining any unofficial source they get some control back.

Until a month later when they go ahead and confirm the unofficial source? Yep, ok. If qantas believe that gains them control, then they probably will remove ASAs.

 

[cove]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

I booked 10 JASAs just in case for our family as a result of this thread. The things I noticed are the points have increased and the cash cost of a trip has narrowed (off the QF website).
I think that Virgin has brought some competition to the cash price of flying domestically in business class.

 

[Knid]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Hmmm,

A potentially worrying development - I've always liked the JASA/FASA thing - very helpful for the organised traveler who normally books 330+ days out.

Can we now expect to see SC's earned on all award tickets with this change to match Virgin?

I could live with that - but prefer the flexibility of the current JASA/FASA tickets getting the same conditions as the full fare ticket.

Knid

 

[docjames]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Certainly I won't be impressed with a substantive change to how JASAs currently work, in particular the "low cost" JASA when there is U availability.

 

[JohnK]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

So let me get this straight, Qantas "took note" of this thread and delayed the removal by a month? What purpose would that serve? To give both the official company rep to this forum, and the CEO, a chance to deny it? In what universe is that even rational?

As mentioned by MEL_Traveller to save face.

Certainly I won't be impressed with a substantive change to how JASAs currently work, in particular the "low cost" JASA when there is U availability.

It has been a good ride for some AFFers. Time to find a new one or go back to some old ones.

Not the end of the world....

 

[medhead]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

Hmmm,

A potentially worrying development - I've always liked the JASA/FASA thing - very helpful for the organised traveler who normally books 330+ days out.

Can we now expect to see SC's earned on all award tickets with this change to match Virgin?

I could live with that - but prefer the flexibility of the current JASA/FASA tickets getting the same conditions as the full fare ticket.

Knid

Virgin do not, as standard practice, give SC on all award tickets. That is only, currently, a one off promotion.

 

[scheps]

re: [Confirmed] QF removing [cheap] ASAs [from web booking engine Jun 26-was]10April

umm this is terrible....