Different availability for re-booking vs new booking?

[Airbumps]

Hi All,

I'm trying to get my head around this because I've heard the issue raised here before but never come accross it myself.

- I've currently got a QF Reward booking in J (U class) for BNE-LAX next May.
- I need to add a MEL-BNE leg that same day.
- A check of the QF website tells me there's availability on nearly all flights that day.
- I call the call centre (off shore) and get told that there are only two flights that day with availability and neither will meet my 2200 connection.
- The call centre advised that availability is different for new bookings versus existing bookings.

I've HUCA 3 times and got the same response. Is this other peoples expirence?

Cheers

 

[ChrisMars]

It s the experience most have with offshore centers. Do they have the same tools as Hobart? Is there a hack offshore center need to learn to be able to book the seat? Who knows. The outcome is very anoying. As a WWP I ll eventually get Hobart who will finalize the booking (and waive the fee if I can explain the other call center failed to add the domestic leg). I fear the day I drop Gold.

 

[RichardMEL]

my guess is the good old married segment issue is coming into play here.

For example, if there was the U space still available for BNE-LAX, if you looked up rewards for MEL-BNE-LAX you'd probably see those restricted flight options due to this. Just as a guess.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Hi All,

I'm trying to get my head around this because I've heard the issue raised here before but never come accross it myself.

- I've currently got a QF Reward booking in J (U class) for BNE-LAX next May.
- I need to add a MEL-BNE leg that same day.

Technically you aren't adding a segment or leg to the itinerary you are fundamentally changing the whole itinerary. Instead of it being BNE - LAX it's now MEL - LAX. Consequently the availability may very well vary between the two.

- The call centre advised that availability is different for new bookings versus existing bookings.

The availability should be the same but you need to be comparing apples to apples here. Are you saying that you can find MEL - LAX as a business classic award on the date of travel on the Qantas but can't using the rebooking tool? Simply looking at a specific sector (i.e. MEL > BNE) isn't a fair comparison.

One thing you can try asking is to see if you can change the itinerary to a multi-city:

• Sector 1: MEL > BNE on date of travel in business
• Sector 2: BNE > LAX on date of travel in business

Granted this will likely attract some additional points but you should be able to "see" all availability on MEL > BNE since that's now treated as a separate trip. However, since it's all on the same itinerary you should be able to check through bags and you'll also be protected in the event of a misconnection.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Lynda2475]

Whilst in this instance it may be a married segment issue because you are changing the departure point; the South African and Fijian call centres are well known to use this line even when its for a segment/leg on different date.

They are either poorly trained or too lazy to correctly search for the flights and use this line to get you off the call.

There is absolutely no Qantas policy that says when a award seat is released it is for new bookings only; and if you persist and ask to speak to team leader you will often find they can suddenly see the seat. But that will generally be the case where you are adding legs after the first, not changing the departure point.

Given BNE-MEL is a cheap redemption and there is a good schedule, consider booking it separately; as both flights are on the QF they will be able to check bags through for you.

 

[Airbumps]

Thanks for the replies - I tried again and got the same response. Again being that its different availability.

Oddly, all four of the agents have reported the same flights that day with availaility (a Jetstar flight in the afternoon and a QF flight that arrives too late for my BNE-LAX departure). This is what makes me think perhaps this is a QF policy - Each of the four agents have reported the same 2 flights as being the only ones with availability....

Odd...

 

[RichardMEL]

Thanks for the replies - I tried again and got the same response. Again being that its different availability.

Oddly, all four of the agents have reported the same flights that day with availaility (a Jetstar flight in the afternoon and a QF flight that arrives too late for my BNE-LAX departure). This is what makes me think perhaps this is a QF policy - Each of the four agents have reported the same 2 flights as being the only ones with availability....

Odd...

Well if they're offering up a MEL-BNE that arrives too late to connect then that rules out the married segment thing imo - and indeed makes no sense.

 

[ChrisMars]

In this case, It's not married segments, it's not changing the whole itinerary, it's adding a leg to an existing booking, the same way one construct an OWA leg after leg, as they are released overtime. Offshore struggle to do it, will claim there is no flight on that day, or that it's booked out, will maybe see some weird fight the day before or after, will pretend it's logical with some bs on the spot. It happens to me sometime when doing the full booking over the phone (so int+domithout an existing booking), sometime when adding a leg. It's annoying, and in my case, I just HUACA. Once I get Hobart, no more issue. I make a point to raise to hobart agent I had to call again because offshore center couldnt do it, they don't act surprised, sometime they pest a bit. I also make a point to leave a vocal feedback to raise this issue when the offshore call ends with a survey.
Is it lack of training, is it a different system? I don't know. Last time, I got an offshore agent to get the droid to release a seat (hooray), but they failed to add the domestic leg... I secured the intl booking, and later call again to get the domestic leg added.

 

[djkelly69]

It will most likely be the Qantas system actually blocking them from adding a domestic reward flight to/from a major Aus airport to an international award into/from another one. Unfortunately the O/S call centres don't seem to be aware of this restriction, so just spout off whatever reason they think or have been told is behind it.

Have a read of the OWA thread (recent discussion starting here) for more on this issue.

Unless you have access to the Premium call centres, it is unlikely to be able to be resolved.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

It will most likely be the Qantas system actually blocking them from adding a domestic reward flight to/from a major Aus airport to an international award into/from another one. Unfortunately the O/S call centres don't seem to be aware of this restriction, so just spout off whatever reason they think or have been told is behind it.

Have a read of the OWA thread (recent discussion starting here) for more on this issue.

Perhaps I am misreading what the OP posted, but it doesn't seem like they have a OneWorld award, just a simple classic award which to my knowledge has no such restrictions.

 

[djkelly69]

just a simple classic award which to my knowledge has no such restrictions.

I thought it was applicable to any reward flight.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

As others have pointed out… you cannot add a major domestic city tag to an award booking via the o/s call centre.

There’s a system block and it’s been around for over 12 months. Multi city tool does not offer a workaround. While the flights will show, it will error at payment page. O/s call centre agents aren’t aware of the block, but will give information such as the availability is different, the seats we can see aren’t updated and have expired, there are no flights at all, or only for new bookings.

 

[Airbumps]

Thanks for the responses guys. Presuming that it is the limitation of adding a domestic city flight to an international award ... can it be done via the Hobart call centre? I don't suppose there's anyway for a lowly Gold to get through to them....?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for the responses guys. Presuming that it is the limitation of adding a domestic city flight to an international award ... can it be done via the Hobart call centre? I don't suppose there's anyway for a lowly Gold to get through to them....?

As per other threads, it appears Hobart can do it, and are aware of the issue. Dunno how to get through though if not platinum!

 

[kangarooflyer88]

As per other threads, it appears Hobart can do it, and are aware of the issue. Dunno how to get through though if not platinum!

Aside from being a World Platinum or Platinum One member is there any way to get Hobart on the line (i.e. getting transferred to them)? Is it just a matter of HUACA until you get someone with an AU accent? Can Auckland do it as well? Or is it strictly Hobart? Would an email to the award booking escalation team sort this out?

-RooFlyer88

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Aside from being a World Platinum or Platinum One member is there any way to get Hobart on the line (i.e. getting transferred to them)? Is it just a matter of HUACA until you get someone with an AU accent? Can Auckland do it as well? Or is it strictly Hobart? Would an email to the award booking escalation team sort this out?

-RooFlyer88

Probably Auckland could help too.

Nope, there’s no way to get through to AU/NZ (although I have read one or two reports of people getting through by complete fluke… just randomly got through somehow.) You can call for weeks and never get through. Plus as a low status member you could be on hold for hours.

Emailing QFFF doesn’t work (I tried - no response after three months).

Emailing the award booking fixer-upper team doesn’t work (I tried - no response after two months).

Asking the agent to escalate to a manager doesn’t work (flat out refused).

 

[elanshin]

Probably Auckland could help too.

Nope, there’s no way to get through to AU/NZ (although I have read one or two reports of people getting through by complete fluke… just randomly got through somehow.) You can call for weeks and never get through. Plus as a low status member you could be on hold for hours.

Emailing QFFF doesn’t work (I tried - no response after three months).

Emailing the award booking fixer-upper team doesn’t work (I tried - no response after two months).

Asking the agent to escalate to a manager doesn’t work (flat out refused).

Depends with enough HUACA it will get someone that will do something and escalate, but they will be doing all the contacting, not you.

 

[bam71]

It is different availability when “inside the PNR” as opposed to a new booking. Lufthansa do this as well. Think - “Personalised Pricing”

 

[Warragul]

Emailing the award booking fixer-upper team doesn’t work (I tried - no response after two months).

This team is for ticketing issues/delays I believe, not booking issues.

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-fix-ticketing-failures/

 

[Airbumps]

It is different availability when “inside the PNR” as opposed to a new booking. Lufthansa do this as well. Think - “Personalised Pricing”

So you can confirm this is a QF systems thing?