Has anyone had success with the call-up "Marginal" xASA's?

[Red Roo]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

As posted in http://www.australianfrequentflyer....m/confirmed-qf-removing-cheap-asas-48705.html:

While the relevant pages on qantas.com will be updated soon, I would like to give AFF members a heads up that the dedicated number to book a Classic Award as an Any Seat Award (1300 366 587) is now available 24/7. Hope this goes towards making the booking process more convenient.

 

[timmitch]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks for the update redroo

 

[shambles]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

As posted in http://www.australianfrequentflyer....m/confirmed-qf-removing-cheap-asas-48705.html:

While the relevant pages on qantas.com will be updated soon, I would like to give AFF members a heads up that the dedicated number to book a Classic Award as an Any Seat Award (1300 366 587) is now available 24/7. Hope this goes towards making the booking process more convenient.

Good to hear Red Roo's comment but I'm on the phone to the call centre as per above and the staff I'm speaking to (whilst always friendly) have no real clue about this and are quoting the QF website as now saying that "a fee will be charged for making assisted ASA bookings" ARGHHHHHH! very frustrating!

My big issue is that I lookup a return U ticket Melb to/from Bris and there are options that route via SYD but for no extra points (48000 return regardless of via SYD or direct)

I used to use these heaps as self-booked JASA's but now they will only book it as point to point - ie what used to be a 48000 point JASA to earn 160 SC is now 64000 points just same as if I booked via SYD as a multi-stop.

BRING BACK JASA online (pretty please )

 

[Febs]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Are we going to thank them every time they manage to serve a meal on a flight

Well yes, because that's just good manners...:shock:

 

[RooFlyer]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Well yes, because that's just good manners...:shock:

Well, yes of course, in flight. I was meaning in a corporate sense (ie as an airline they manage to serve meals).

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

As posted in http://www.australianfrequentflyer....m/confirmed-qf-removing-cheap-asas-48705.html:

While the relevant pages on qantas.com will be updated soon, I would like to give AFF members a heads up that the dedicated number to book a Classic Award as an Any Seat Award (1300 366 587) is now available 24/7. Hope this goes towards making the booking process more convenient.

Fantastic change, recognises that most people are too busy at work and do this at night. Big step. Thankyou

 

[fresherbill]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Just had a go at this, called the 1300 number and got a friendly lesson about why classic awards are better etc etc. After about half an hour and lots of hold music I got my booking in MMB. Is it just me or does $145 seem like a little more than usual to top up the 16,000pts for a BNE-SYD-BNE YASA (it definitely booked into X)? Or could it just be that I asked for specific flights, and not necessarily the cheapest?

 

[Limewood]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

This inconvenient ASA booking by phone must be costing Q a lot in salary's.

 

[MarcB]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

I wonder if QF could look at this issue a little differently. Why not allow searching/holding of classic awards (all on QF metal only) online and then have people call up to complete them as ASAs within 24 hours? This would save a hell of a lot of explaining dates, searching etc with operators who would then only need to be trained to book the itinerary as an ASA. I know I am oversimplifying, but it must be possible.

 

[turnip666]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

14 minutes later...... success! Operator sounded very pleased to have "another one of these" :evil:. Hopefully this is causing enough pain in the call centre that is might prompt a rethink. More likely the rethink will see JASA gone completely.

 

[shambles]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Like I read in a related thread - the easiest idea would be to have SC earn on reward flights.. sorry, gotta run... I hear Virgin calling

 

[Happy Trails]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

.. sorry, gotta run... I hear Virgin calling

Hopefully just the one, not 72.

 

[verduzzo]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

SUCCESS.
JASA PER - SYD return.

On my third attempt mind you. Held my ground when told it was not possible to make a Classic Award booking as an Any Seat Award. Sweetly asked if there may be a supervisor I could confirm this with. Was put on hold to have the original phone rep come back to me after five or so minutes, to tell me actually- it could be done. He still seemed very unsure of the process however; tried to tell me they could only apply MASA one way and the return journey had to be commercial fare (maybe this is how the internal booking system works it out now?!).

Anyway after approximately 38 minutes (half of which I swear was on hold)...we got there

Points to note:
- Once we found acceptable fares I was told they were not refundable. I queried this and after more hold music, was told they actually were.
- tried to charge me assisted booking fee of 3500 points. Queried this, on hold again and was then told actually, no fee.
- original points and $ amount quoted was not at JASA level. I had to tell him the point and $$ I wanted to use.
- both legs of the fare booked into 'U' class

Another amusing part of the conversation: rep had never heard of AFF (not that that's surprising), but I was merely trying to explain, or rather back-up a number of my assertions, such as why I shouldn't be charged booking fee etc. Rather humorous when he asked who was the official QF rep I kept referring to and I answered 'Red Roo'! His response: "never heard of 'im". Gold

 

[jimmyk]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

SUCCESS.
JASA PER - SYD return.

On my third attempt mind you. Held my ground when told it was not possible to make a Classic Award booking as an Any Seat Award. Sweetly asked if there may be a supervisor I could confirm this with. Was put on hold to have the original phone rep come back tom me after five or so minutes, to tell me actually- it could be done. He still seemed very unsure of the process however; tried to tell me they could only apply MASA one way and the return journey had to be commercial fare (maybe this is how the internal booking system works it out now?!).

Anyway after approximately 38 minutes (half of which I swear was on hold)...we got there

Points to note:
- Once we found acceptable fares I was told they were not refundable. I queried this and after more hold music, was told they actually were.
- tried to charge me assisted booking fee of 3500 points. Queried this, on hold again and was then told actually, no fee.
- original points and $ amount quoted was not at JASA level. I had to tell him the point and $$ I wanted to use.
- both legs of the fare booked into 'U' class

Another amusing part of the conversation: rep had never heard of AFF (not that that's surprising), but I was merely trying to explain, or rather back-up a number of my assertions, such as why I shouldn't be charged booking fee etc. Rather humorous when he asked who was the official QF rep I kept referring to and I answered 'Red Roo'! His response: "never heard of 'im". Gold

Out of interest, what was the points and $ for the jasa?

 

[verduzzo]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Out of interest, what was the points and $ for the jasa?

72K + $452, so not as cheap as the good ole days (esp. considering I couldn't go via MEL / ADL etc to bump up the SC earn), but I'm happy nonetheless esp. if it's the last gasp of JASA's...

Also great satisfaction was had at eventually convincing the sales rep that this type of booking was possible

 

[Princess Fiona]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

72K + $452, so not as cheap as the good ole days (esp. considering I couldn't go via MEL / ADL etc to bump up the SC earn), but I'm happy nonetheless esp. if it's the last gasp of JASA's...

Also great satisfaction was had at eventually convincing the sales rep that this type of booking was possible

That's pretty much exactly what I paid for SYD-PER via MEL rtn the night before the pin was pulled

 

[verduzzo]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

That's pretty much exactly what I paid for SYD-PER via MEL rtn the night before the pin was pulled

Thanks Fiona, good to know. Indirect would have been the ultimate, but you can't win 'em all...

 

[Princess Fiona]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Thanks Fiona, good to know. Indirect would have been the ultimate, but you can't win 'em all...

Thanks also for your info, I'm going to book another for later in the year and hope to go the same way as I will be meeting up with a colleague en-route to PER

 

[RooFlyer]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

SUCCESS.
JASA PER - SYD return.

<snip for space>

So ... does anyone still believe the bull we have been spun here that training of phone agents is on-going and the problem of them not knowing what the fees and products are is being addressed (forgive the grammar). What is it? 3 weeks now?

If, say, it was a new fee impost or a fee hike, does anyone really think that after 3 weeks, the phone agents would not be 'trained' enough to charge the fee?

If so, please PM me. I have this great harbour bridge that's so good and I'll sell it to you for a special price!

We are all being played for mugs. C'mon Red Roo. Gimme a 'like' for this post - you know its true.

 

[Nizar]

re: Has anyone had success with the call-up method for "Marginal" xASA's?

Hopefully this is causing enough pain in the call centre that is might prompt a rethink. More likely the rethink will see JASA gone completely.

I agree wholly