Free flight (for grounding) - is there availability for the flights you want?

[richie9x]

Yes it is direct flights only. When you book flights online then if you select a 'from' airport to will limit your 'to' airport to airports that can be reached by direct flights. For example if you select from Hobart your only 'to' choices are Sydney and Melbourne.

From the email that came with the voucher code. it does say

If you would like to use your free flight voucher to book a journey on non-direct flights, or book for passengers who do not hold a free flight voucher, simply redeem your free flight voucher online for your direct flight, then book the rest of your passengers or flights, and call 1300 366 587 between 7am and 7pm AEDT Monday to Friday to link up these bookings.

So for a non-direct flight you could use the voucher for more expensive part of the journey and buy tickets for the rest. Then call up and get them linked together.

 

[RSD]

That's what I thought, but something a Qantas customer service staff said on the phone left me wondering. Cheers for the help.

 

[chrisb]

Pretty sure direct flights only.

Ended up booking SYD-PER-SYD. Couldn't get a return flight on the day we wanted, so coming back on NYE...hope the flight's not delayed! Really don't want to spend NYE mid-air!

The Sydney curfew ensures that's not going to happen.

 

[Mal]

My slack and non responsive corporation just announced that we can't use the free flight for personal use. Where they have been for the last couple of weeks I truly do not know.

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[oz_mark]

My slack and non responsive corporation just announced that we can't use the free flight for personal use. Where they have been for the last couple of weeks I truly do not know.

Probably needed to form a working party, take submissions, request tax advise, speak to legal etc etc

 

[Mal]

Probably needed to form a working party, take submissions, request tax advise, speak to legal etc etc

I think it's different.
Wait for someone to ask. Umm and ahh, seek various advice, draft a response, have it approved, then send it out. The really stupid thing is that there is no guidance about using it for a later work flight. Seems they just want it to go to waste.

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[MatF]

Interesting. Our (very large) company sent this email to those affected:

Further to the email sent in regards the offer Qantas has made for free economy tickets to customers who were directly affected by the grounding of the Qantas domestic and international fleet. It has been determined that all staff are welcome to take up this offer on an individual basis.

It is important that [company name] employees understand that this offer is made on a personal level to them and they are to use the process below to redeem the flights with Qantas directly. American Express Business Travel is not responsible for making these arrangements on behalf of [company name] employees. Our employees must deal with Qantas directly if they wish to avail themselves of these flights for personal travel.

For Australian employees there will be no Fringe Benefits Tax implications as the offer has been made to the general public not just [company name] employees and as [company name] is not involved in the giving of the tickets.

Below is the original email from Qantas clearly outlining how to redeem these flights directly with them. Please distribute to all who were impacted.

I'm no lawyer, but I would have thought that legally the company can't dictate that you can't take the flight, since it's an offer from Qantas to you personally (as per an ex gratia "gift" suggested earlier in this thread), and has nothing to do with the company.

 

[medhead]

Hypothetically, if my employer had a policy about not using the flight for personal reasons. I think I might have already "booked" the free flight before that company policy was announced.

Then again won't have even asked the employer about using it. Can you hunt down and lynch the person who asked the question?


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

 

[Mal]

Btw I have no benefit either way. No corporate or personal flights were affected for me.

I wonder if their policy also applies to the cls in my org....

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