Due to fly Melbourne to Perth June 12th. Chances of flying?

[LA10]

I'm similar to other posters, I'm due to fly Melbourne to Perth on June 10. Not going to happen but haven't yet cancelled any accommodation or flight bookings.

 

[Scr77]

I'm similar to other posters, I'm due to fly Melbourne to Perth on June 10. Not going to happen but haven't yet cancelled any accommodation or flight bookings.

Put me down for 11 June. Trying to reschedule Karijini accommodation now.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It’s pretty clear, if the flight is cancelled within their control, you get a refund. Cancelling the flight due covid is within their control - they can still choose to fly it for the small number of essential travellers.

I take a different approach on that... if there's a lockdown like that currently in Victoria and no one is allowed to travel to the airport, I would argue the cancellation is outside their control. It would be unreasonable to expect them to fly empty planes which have occurred as a direct result of a government action.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well... finally the flight has been cancelled! I still think the message is misleading in the options available:

We're sorry we had to cancel your flight QFxx_ from Melbourne on Fri 4 Jun. We're looking at alternative flights, and will have an update within 30 minutes. If you'd like to defer your travel, options are available (including putting your flight into credit or refund) at qantas.com/yourbooking or the Qantas App. If your booking was made through a travel agent, contact your travel agent for options available to you (including a refund).​

The 'refund' bit is way at the end, after they start talking about travel agents.

 

[AIRwin]

The 'refund' bit is way at the end, after they start talking about travel agents.

But there is also a reference to available options including refund just before travel agents:
If you'd like to defer your travel, options are available (including putting your flight into credit or refund)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But there is also a reference to available options including refund just before travel agents:
If you'd like to defer your travel, options are available (including putting your flight into credit or refund)

Oh! You know I didn't even see that! I saw the 'if you wish to defer your travel' and then 'credit'.

So I go to the QF site to cancel and a pop-up appears:

When cancelling your flights, you will receive a Flight Credit for the value of your untravelled flights. Refer to our flight credit validity extension This will open a new tab or window in your browser. and the fare rules This will open a new tab or window in your browser. for your booking.​

​

If Qantas has cancelled your flight, for other options (including a refund) contact us. This will open a new tab or window in your browser..​

​

Due to a high volume of requests, we're currently experiencing longer processing times. Thank you for your patience while we work through these.​

So the refund is certainly being made hard to get!

 

[justinbrett]

I take a different approach on that... if there's a lockdown like that currently in Victoria and no one is allowed to travel to the airport, I would argue the cancellation is outside their control. It would be unreasonable to expect them to fly empty planes which have occurred as a direct result of a government action.

It‘s not though. For one, I’m speaking from experience having many NTL-BNE JQ flights cancelled last year due to border closures. I got a refund every time. Yes, it’s designed so most people take the credit, but once you know about the refund, it’s quite easy.

They are making a business decision to cancel the flight, it’s not a question on what is reasonable. Sometimes they don’t cancel the flight because they want to use it for freight or essential travellers.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It‘s not though. For one, I’m speaking from experience having many NTL-BNE JQ flights cancelled last year due to border closures. I got a refund every time. Yes, it’s designed so most people take the credit, but once you know about the refund, it’s quite easy.

They are making a business decision to cancel the flight, it’s not a question on what is reasonable. Sometimes they don’t cancel the flight because they want to use it for freight or essential travellers.

I had resigned myself to a credit for a JQ flight on Sunday but thanks to this thread, been reminded me of the option to wait and see if the flight is cancelled. It hasn't run since the border went up, but they are waiting until late in the piece to cancel each day. Will be watching...

 

[mviy]

So cancellations are happening only a few days before flights are scheduled to depart?

 

[wandering_fred]

Another relative has gifted wandering_son (AA award) QF domestic tickets into MEL about 17 Jun and on to PER about 20 Jun
Will be interesting to see how that works out if lock downs continue

Not me wandering
Fred

 

[mviy]

I can’t see travel to PER from MEL being allowed till at least the end of the month and probably well into July.

 

[henrus]

Another relative has gifted wandering_son (AA award) QF domestic tickets into MEL about 17 Jun and on to PER about 20 Jun

Given the Victorian government said (this morning) that people from Melbourne won't be able to travel to regional Victoria from the Queens Birthday long weekend (14 June), you'd need a miracle to get from MEL to PER on the 17th.

The airlines really should start canceling flights now so that people aren't sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting to see if it'll be canceled last minute.

 

[aikman]

Do airlines wait until the load factor drops below a certain level from voluntary customer cancellations before cancelling the flight?

 

[AIRwin]

So cancellations are happening only a few days before flights are scheduled to depart?

I received notification that my JQ flight on Sunday morning was cancelled only on Saturday afternoon...

 

[mviy]

I received notification that my JQ flight on Sunday morning was cancelled only on Saturday afternoon...

Hmmm. That's not good. So if they didn't cancel and you couldn't travel you would have forfeited the fare?

 

[AIRwin]

Hmmm. That's not good. So if they didn't cancel and you couldn't travel you would have forfeited the fare?

I planned to cancel the booking on Saturday night itself if JQ didn't blink first...

 

[mviy]

Oh, so it doesn't have to be 24 hours before just the calendar day before to avoid losing the fare? Is that just JQ or QF as well?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Oh, so it doesn't have to be 24 hours before just the calendar day before to avoid losing the fare? Is that just JQ or QF as well?

From my research it looks like jq is prior to check in opening at the airport.

I'm taking the same approach as @AIRwin

They seem to be cancelling the next days morning flight in the mid afternoon in my case (NTL-MEL)

 

[Hvr]

Do airlines wait until the load factor drops below a certain level from voluntary customer cancellations before cancelling the flight?

It sounds easy to just cancel a flight because of poor loads but... Once the plane lands there is usually a plane load of people wanting to fly to the next destination. So the airline would also have to cancel the next flight, and so on.

 

[harvyk]

It sounds easy to just cancel a flight because of poor loads but... Once the plane lands there is usually a plane load of people wanting to fly to the next destination. So the airline would also have to cancel the next flight, and so on.

Unless of course the plane is doing a the return run as well and the loads are low enough to cancel that flight as well.