Flight cancellation help requested: Qantas Classic Reward seat via Qatar Airways

[Notyourbag]

There were rewards seats available in both instances between CBR & MEL. Our itineraries when retrieved are now showing correctly the entire way FCO-CBR/CBR-LHR. We have been charged an additional 4000 points per person for one flight but nothing for the other and I have included in my complaint that I want these points refunded.

Still no tickets.

The best news is a wonderful user here sent me a private message with Andrew David's PA's email address, who sent me the following after I emailed her last night:


Hello [charliebrown]

Sorry to hear that you haven’t received your tickets.

I have sent this on to our customer team. Due to privacy reasons I can’t see their queue so can’t give you a time frame but please know they do have it.

Kind regards, [Angel from Heaven]


So maybe we are finally getting somewhere! Now to remain not further than a metre from my phone at all times

If the same kind user can also help me with Andrews PA I'd love some support for my ongoing matter with Qantas cancelling my Qatar award flight. After 5 calls to the call centre (keep getting south Africa) I've gotten nowhere.

 

[charliebrown]

If the same kind user can also help me with Andrews PA I'd love some support for my ongoing matter with Qantas cancelling my Qatar award flight. After 5 calls to the call centre (keep getting south Africa) I've gotten nowhere.

I will PM you

 

[Pete98765432]

So as I had assumed, this is yet another example of Qantas losing a booking through not ticketing in time.

Please, please, please can AFF take up the ticketing issue with Qantas. We mere mortals cannot get through to anyone in any position of authority and this ticketing failure has been systemic for the past year or so.

If AFF take up the issue with Qantas, perhaps they could point out this solution from 4 years ago that seems to have been abandoned.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If AFF take up the issue with Qantas, perhaps they could point out this solution from 4 years ago that seems to have been abandoned.

That’s a nice find! But unfortunately won’t help in the situation where Qatar cancels or reschedules as they’ll automatically do that, and auto cancel. QR won’t create a ‘shell’.

Also, will the agent who truly believed qantas didn’t fly from SYD to MEL after 8am on any day of the week be able to create a shell?

Hobart and Auckland ‘yes’ however, but they will usually ticket immediately.

 

[charliebrown]

*update*

Still no tickets. Called again a few times over the last few days (I know I should leave it alone but there was no hold time and I can't seem to resist)

Agent A said we'd have our tickets within 2 hours. Didn't happen.

Agent B said within 24 hours. Didn't happen.

Agent C gave me a wildly different timeline- this one told me the new itinerary has been sent to ticketing on 3 occasions - the first of which was the 3rd November! He apologised and sent it to the imminent queue. 24 hours again but "probably sooner".

Today, Agent D dug a little bit and told me sheepishly that the reinstatement requests had some kind of status error which I don't understand. Essentially, someone stuffed it up. She stayed on the line with me until she'd fixed the error and re-sent it. "Call us back in 2 days if you haven't received the tickets"

Time appears to be moving backwards.

Oh and Agent ???? seems to have accidentally given me a non customer facing phone number for the loyalty department. Maybe I should call it for a 'laugh'

 

[Mr H]

I know I should leave it alone

No. You need to sit in the phone until it is ticketed. As you have already discovered, if you do nothing then nothing will happen. If there is a problem the first you would know is when your booking is cancelled.

 

[charliebrown]

No. You need to sit in the phone until it is ticketed. As you have already discovered, if you do nothing then nothing will happen. If there is a problem the first you would know is when your booking is cancelled.

When I've tried to do that they've put me on hold then cut me off

 

[HSCP]

I will PM you

I would love this too - prompted to join to search for the same issue for a different airline (China Airlines) / segment (Mel - TPE) - and dozens of calls later to both airlines have resolved that Qantas failed to accept / pay for the ticket so China airlines canceled it. They have confirmed this, while Qantas refuses to take any responsibility

 

[charliebrown]

I would love this too - prompted to join to search for the same issue for a different airline (China Airlines) / segment (Mel - TPE) - and dozens of calls later to both airlines have resolved that Qantas failed to accept / pay for the ticket so China airlines canceled it. They have confirmed this, while Qantas refuses to take any responsibility

Sorry to hear you're in it too. cough isn't it? I've sent details, let me know if you don't receive the message

 

[Danger]

...

Oh and Agent ???? seems to have accidentally given me a non customer facing phone number for the loyalty department. Maybe I should call it for a 'laugh'

There's a list of reasons why you should also post the number here.

 

[gidxg03]

Thought I had finally resolved my cancelled flights (DUB-DOH-MEL). Had someone call me from what she described as an escalation customer service. My completing an online complaint form seemed to have resulted in me getting this call.

She apologised for all the hassle I’ve had and said she was able to book revenue flights with Emirates. She said they would cover the cost in lieu of the points and cash I paid for my Qatar flights.

She was very proficient and booked the flights over the phone with me and said the e-ticket would be with more shortly.

Finally my saga was over and I had return flights finally organised for my trip which leaves in 2 weeks. But no…. No tickets received. Checked checkmytrip and confirmed no ticket number.

Again called customer service today. Told I have to wait 48 hours for the ticket but she will request it is queued again. Bullsh*t! So sick of their incompetent overseas call centre.

I officially give up! How can a company this big be so incompetent?

 

[charliebrown]

Thought I had finally resolved my cancelled flights (DUB-DOH-MEL). Had someone call me from what she described as an escalation customer service. My completing an online complaint form seemed to have resulted in me getting this call.

She apologised for all the hassle I’ve had and said she was able to book revenue flights with Emirates. She said they would cover the cost in lieu of the points and cash I paid for my Qatar flights.

She was very proficient and booked the flights over the phone with me and said the e-ticket would be with more shortly.

Finally my saga was over and I had return flights finally organised for my trip which leaves in 2 weeks. But no…. No tickets received. Checked checkmytrip and confirmed no ticket number.

Again called customer service today. Told I have to wait 48 hours for the ticket but she will request it is queued again. Bullsh*t! So sick of their incompetent overseas call centre.

I officially give up! How can a company this big be so incompetent?

Awful. Any updates, do you have your flights? How long after sending the complaint form did you get a call back?

 

[charliebrown]

*Update*

Through means which I won't share until all is sorted due to (admittedly paranoid) fear of reprisals, I got through to a competent-seeming agent named Jay. He said "Technically, as you've already paid for it, you need to be given a new flight". So he is arranging for a Oneworld liaison person to hopefully sort it all out. He promised I would be contacted within 24 to 48 hours and he would be contacting me personally. It'll be 48 hours around midday Monday.

My partner got a bit of metal stuck in his eye on Friday and we've been up and down from ED etc most of the weekend. I'm taking tomorrow off work to drive him to the specialists in Canberra a few hours away. We're mostly focusing on making sure he is well now and awaiting promised contact from Qantas. We fly out Wednesday so fingers crossed!

 

[Flyfrequently]

*Update*

Through means which I won't share until all is sorted due to (admittedly paranoid) fear of reprisals, I got through to a competent-seeming agent named Jay. He said "Technically, as you've already paid for it, you need to be given a new flight". So he is arranging for a Oneworld liaison person to hopefully sort it all out. He promised I would be contacted within 24 to 48 hours and he would be contacting me personally. It'll be 48 hours around midday Monday.

My partner got a bit of metal stuck in his eye on Friday and we've been up and down from ED etc most of the weekend. I'm taking tomorrow off work to drive him to the specialists in Canberra a few hours away. We're mostly focusing on making sure he is well now and awaiting promised contact from Qantas. We fly out Wednesday so fingers crossed!

I applaud your persistence with such a stressful series of calls
(hope all goes well with the eye episode)

We had a problem with KLM/ Cathay flights cancelled/ rescheduled flights and luckily all resolved in only a few calls.
If your competent sounding agent was "Jake" from the Philippines - he followed up with 2 phone calls and e- ticket was issued within 24 hours, with his colleague "Mike" calling a day later to confirm I had received email and e-tickets.

Keep us updated.

 

[gidxg03]

Awful. Any updates, do you have your flights? How long after sending the complaint form did you get a call back?

No updates yet. No response from Qantas but the flight is still showing in my app but I know this won't be for long as I can see it is still not ticketed.

The first time I submitted the online complaint it was only a few days before I had a response. With the latest issue I replied on Friday to the automated email from the first complaint and then, to cover all bases, I submitted another online complaint yesterday to see if it gets any more attention. The issue is when they call you they don't give you any way of contacting them again if you have issues.

The interesting thing is when the consultant called me last week she asked if I had contacted the Qantas executive team as it seemed the trail of internal emails flagging my issue came from corporate but she said she could not see the full email trail.

 

[gerrybu]

*First post, please let me know if I've made any posting errors and I will rectify*

Hi all,

I'm hoping for some advice.

I'm visiting family in Europe with my partner over Christmas, leaving 13th Dec. We are travelling over with a different airline. I found out our Qantas Classic Rewards return flight, initially Rome - Doha - Canberra departing 18th January has been cancelled by Qatar Airways. I found this out on 19th November and after several hours on hold/being given the run-around I feel like I've gotten nowhere.

Several agents have suggested the best option is to accept a refund. Being refunded the ticket now would be useless as booking with an alternative airline will cost us north of $5000. We can't afford that so our options are to cancel the entire, multi-country, long-dreamed-of trip - most of which is non-refundable, or hope that Qantas/Qatar will help.

Summary of options so far:

• Qantas have repeatedly told me there is no alternative reward availability from anywhere in Europe to anywhere in Australia anywhere near our dates, so they can't rebook me
• after speaking with many different agents, Qantas agreed to send a request 19/11 to Qatar to book us on an alternative flight to Melbourne
• Qatar refuse to speak to me directly because I didn't book directly with them, but confirm they've received this request
• Qantas agents have essentially said I shouldn't hold my breath, that Qatar may not decide until the day before our flight and may well refuse our request
• I booked with Amex but complimentary travel insurance doesn't apply as our journey hasn't begun and we have 'sufficient notice'

I'm very concerned that this public spat between Qantas and Qatar Airways may leave us stranded in Europe. Does anyone have any advice for me? I expect the answer will be 'wait and see' but I am desperately hoping that the brains trust here may have some advice.

Many thanks for any help in advance.
- C

Hi C
I had the same issue - for a June flight - when I started calling there was availability, but the time I got through - there was none, not even economy, so 42 calls to Qantas later. I eventually got to the Hobart Call centre (I asked at Qantas lounge & they gave me a different number to call - apparently there a rotating number used from lounges etc). Not sure how but the agent in Hobart managed to reticket me back onto business - even though there was no availability. Try to get to someone switched on at the Hobart call centre - do not bother with the other call centres.

 

[Notyourbag]

Hi C
I had the same issue - for a June flight - when I started calling there was availability, but the time I got through - there was none, not even economy, so 42 calls to Qantas later. I eventually got to the Hobart Call centre (I asked at Qantas lounge & they gave me a different number to call - apparently there a rotating number used from lounges etc). Not sure how but the agent in Hobart managed to reticket me back onto business - even though there was no availability. Try to get to someone switched on at the Hobart call centre - do not bother with the other call centres.

Any chance you can PM me the direct number you used? I am Gold and keep getting punted to Cape town who are hopeless.

 

[gerrybu]

Any chance you can PM me the direct number you used? I am Gold and keep getting punted to Cape town who are hopeless.

Sure

Any chance you can PM me the direct number you used? I am Gold and keep getting punted to Cape town who are hopeless.

Sent on message - did you get that?

 

[charliebrown]

Sure

Sent on message - did you get that?

May I also please have the number? The 24-48 hours has unfortunately now elapsed

 

[clifford]

I've recently booked business class award tickets for next October from Canberra to London, via Larnaca and Split (stopovers), using my points with Qantas, BA and United.

The BA and UA booked flights ticketed immediately (involving VA, SQ, OS, OU and BA), but of course my Qantas booking on RJ, BKK-LCA-BKK has not ticketed.

I fully expect Qantas to screw up my trip (what can you do as a lowly Gold?), in which case I will rebook their segments using UA and tell Qantas to F off.

What a disgraceful bunch of no hopers. Best in the world... of course they are.