How long did Qantas take to process your refund for cancelled flights?

[Maca44]

QF points returned to account within a week for flights SYD-HND-SEA, but it's been 10 weeks now, and still no return of taxes etc.
I received a 'partial' refund (less AUD$390) for flights booked direct with JAL for YVR-NRT-HND-SYD in J, and although they indicated on their site there would be no cancellation fee I guess they forgot about me. Will have to vote when I receive the taxes from QF.

It's now been sixteen (16) weeks since the QF international award flights were cancelled, and still no refund of the taxes

 

[RAM]

It's now been sixteen (16) weeks since the QF international award flights were cancelled, and still no refund of the taxes

Time to contact the ACCC & fill in their form I think - if you don't want to see how much the 'rubber band' can be stretched!

 

[NM]

It's now been sixteen (16) weeks since the QF international award flights were cancelled, and still no refund of the taxes

How many times have you called? After 10 weeks, call and they should escalate for "immediate" refund - in the next 3-5 business days.

The good news is that the call-back feature seems to be working well. On my last two calls, I was offered the call-back option with an estimated call-back time given as a range of minutes (such as 35 to 50 mins). First time the call-back was almost exactly the upper end of the estimated range,. The second time was about 10 mins later than the upper limited of the estimated range. But both were with an hour of my original call. Way better than the early reports of waiting hours on the phone in the queue.

 

[NM]

well, overnight I have received one of the credit card surcharge refunds - from Qantas NZ for the NZD7.00 fee. No sight yet of the AUD refunds.

Final three credit card fee refunds came though early this morning. All dated 2 days previous. So in total I lost $37.32 due to foreign current conversion and fluctuation.

 

[RAM]

Given the increasingly parlous state that Qantas is in with now close to zero net assets (according to the Annual Report released in late August) despite getting close to $1.4bn thrown in the tin by the capital raising on June 26, 2020 - perhaps having another look at getting a cash refund could be worthwhile.

After all, the similarity of Q with VA is getting closer & closer. The only real difference being (IMHO) that VA is now substantially more likely to survive than Q (without Q going into administration).

VA issued their unsecured bond (in USD) last November to buy back the 35% of VFF it did not own.
Q issued their unsecured $500m bond (in USD) in August 2020 to provide more liquidity (to pay outstanding cash refunds?) - not to gain an oncome producing asset.

The latest article on Q dragging its feet paying out customers is of concern - suggesting that they have more than $4bn in international refunds outstanding.

Dec 31 deadline approaches for Qantas Covid credit bookings

While you can also request a full refund, Qantas is offering double points for bookings made with ‘Covid credit’.

www.executivetraveller.com

After all back in March, Q cut redemptions from QFF before VA.

Qantas limits number of items Frequent Flyers can redeem at online rewards store

Qantas announced today that it would be limiting the number of products Frequent Flyer members can buy on its online store to 2 items per day.

mozo.com.au

The evidence here seems to corroborate the article about the delays.

Now in this post administration VA world of uncertainty, it is worth keeping in mind the sting in the tail with QFF flight redemptions & cash flight bookings.

Qantas faces scrutiny over frequent flyer bookings

YOU’VE spent years building up your frequent flyer points, using carefully selected purchases to boost your balance.

www.news.com.au

 

[equus]

I suspect that it may be that any refund requested over a certain amount is not actually processed until it is followed up - and they won''t accept follow up until at least 10 weeks.

Has been over 12 weeks from my request, so phoned up - only took about a minute on hold to get through. Got the spiel about offering 10% extra to keep a credit, or double points, or double SC (I wonder as the original PNR already had double SC, could I have pushed for a 4x SC?).

Declined all of that, and the call centre operator places the call to get the refund processed.

All looks very like nothing would ever happen unless the follow up occurs.

 

[Port Power]

When I called Qantas to request a refund to my credit card for a cancelled flight earlier this month, I was advised that it would take 8-10 weeks for this to be done.
If it hadn’t been refunded after 10 weeks I was to call back and the refund would then be processed immediately.
The advisor stated that there would be no confirmation emails re my request, and advised that I should make a manual note of the date of this conversation.

My question is, is anyone receiving their refunds before the 8-10 week period (no points involved in my case, just cash) or are we all having to call back again after 10 weeks?

How are you going with your refund? I requested mine on June 22, then followed up on August 17 (8 weeks). Told then that refunds were taking in excess of 10 weeks but I would received an email just prior. I rang again today, nearly 12 weeks after initial call, and the very helpful Helena in Hobart said she would wait on hold with the relevant department, currently 26 minutes, and would ring me back once done.

I have always found the call centre staff very pleasant, but you must be proactive in following up.

EDIT: only 8 minutes later Helena rang back. Refund being processed now and will hit the bank early next week. Even apologised that I had to follow up. I did voice my appreciation.

 

[Port Power]

I requested my refund on June 22, then followed up on August 17 (8 weeks). Told then that refunds were taking in excess of 10 weeks but I would received an email just prior. I rang again today, nearly 12 weeks after initial call, and the very helpful Helena in Hobart said she would wait on hold with the relevant department, currently 26 minutes, and would ring me back once done.

I have always found the call centre staff very pleasant, but you must be proactive in following up.

Only 8 minutes later Helena rang back. Refund being processed now and will hit the bank early next week, probably Wednesday. She even apologised that I had to follow up. I did voice my appreciation. Monday will be 12 weeks since my initial call.

EDIT: An email already received confirming refund being processed.

 

[Lone Wolf]

It appears to me that they do no look at what was actually charged to the credit card in the original transaction, but look at the fare that has been cancelled and just refund that portation, with credit card surcharges needing to be requested as a separate transation..

I had a similar experience chasing up CC fees for 5+ bookings cancelled by Qantas, the earliest back in May.

The fare components were refunded only after the 10 week period - all missing the CC component. Figured I'd wait till the bookings were refunded before chasing up the CC fees in one go.

When I called up to chase the CC fees, the agent asked to confirm the refund received (fare component), then manually calculated the CC fees due by comparing to the total amount on the booking. She mentioned the CC refunds are processed separately to the fare component.

The call took over 30 mins which wouldn't have been a good use of the agents time (nor mine) for the amounts involved.

 

[Seat0B]

Looking for a bit of advice. I initiated a cancellation on 17 March for a paid trip to Melbourne in early April. Yes I know I should have waited and let them cancel, but I was spooked at the time, and I did take notice of the various emails that were being sent by Qantas at the time that pressured a quick decision. Qantas promised a voucher. I am yet to receive the voucher and it does not show in the manage my bookings area like a usual flight cancellation voucher did. I have now chased it up 3 times by phone, and every time they say the voucher is there, and will appear soon or be emailed to me or something, but it never is. Has this happened to anyone else?

I feel like they were pretty sharp talking me into a voucher at the time, because 1 leg was business (paid by work) and the return leg was red-e deal (paid by me) but all on the same ticket so they wanted to charge cancellation on both legs - some story about the most restrictive condition applying to all flights on the booking - which kind of defeats the purpose of refundable business class fares, but anyway... Given that and the DSC that mattered to me at the time, I accepted the voucher.

Then along came the ACCC, which seems to suggest that even though I cancelled, I might get a refund because of the way Qantas emails were misleading etc. So has anyone tried in similar circumstances to call up and get the voucher changed to a refund?

 

[Port Power]

Then along came the ACCC, which seems to suggest that even though I cancelled, I might get a refund because of the way Qantas emails were misleading etc. So has anyone tried in similar circumstances to call up and get the voucher changed to a refund?

Mine was initially a credit voucher but I rang in June to request a refund instead, which was after the ACCC business. No problem (except for the 12 weeks wait for said refund). Not even questioned, nor pressured to retain a credit voucher. That was not even mentioned.

I had initiated the credit voucher on March 16 before Qantas actually cancelled the flight. So same situation and time line as you it seems. Ring now and request a refund.

 

[RAM]

I requested my refund on June 22, then followed up on August 17 (8 weeks). Told then that refunds were taking in excess of 10 weeks but I would received an email just prior. I rang again today, nearly 12 weeks after initial call, and the very helpful Helena in Hobart said she would wait on hold with the relevant department, currently 26 minutes, and would ring me back once done.

I have always found the call centre staff very pleasant, but you must be proactive in following up.

Only 8 minutes later Helena rang back. Refund being processed now and will hit the bank early next week, probably Wednesday. She even apologised that I had to follow up. I did voice my appreciation. Monday will be 12 weeks since my initial call.

EDIT: An email already received confirming refund being processed.

Reminds me of the scandal about AMP in the early 1980s.

A disgruntled AMP worker in the claims dept took a copy of their procedures manual. Remember this was long before even faxes were common - so all written correspondence was by hand/typewriter and sent via the mail.

The AMP procedures manual detailed how ALL claims were to be rejected a certain number of times (I think it was 4) BEFORE they were to be looked into to see if they were valid. There were form letters to be sent out for each stage of the blanket rejection phase.

When this procedures manual was confirmed as genuine - AMP got fined. The fine was about 3 weeks profits. Nobody lost their job etc etc.

Seems like Q is using a variation of this theme. Rely on frustration/apathy/forgetting to bank the refunds as 100% margin revenue = best case, worst case get 3 months of free working capital to stop them going under. The Q financial accounts suggest the refunds outstanding are over $4bn - actually an increase on 'unearnt ticketing revenue' as at 30 June 2019 - believe it or not!

 

[Seat0B]

Mine was initially a credit voucher but I rang in June to request a refund instead, which was after the ACCC business. No problem (except for the 12 weeks wait for said refund). Not even questioned, nor pressured to retain a credit voucher. That was not even mentioned.

I had initiated the credit voucher on March 16 before Qantas actually cancelled the flight. So same situation and time line as you it seems. Ring now and request a refund.

thanks @Port Power. I'll give it a go and then report back.

 

[serfty]

...

After being advised I preferred the $$$, I was I was told 'next week' as it is not yet 10 weeks since June 22nd.

I rang again last Friday, it was now over 13 weeks.

I pleasantly led from the front, quoting June 22nd yada yada ...

No problems .... it would be processed.

About 30 minutes later I received a confirmation emails and 5 minutes after that an email for a $50 gift voucher! (I has used a voucher to avoid method of payment fines.)

Today the balance less that $50 was back in my account - so they are not giving any $$$ easily!

 

[I love to travel]

Was the voucher that your used also for $50?

 

[FrankC]

I rang again last Friday, it was now over 13 weeks.

I pleasantly led from the front, quoting June 22nd yada yada ...

No problems .... it would be processed.

About 30 minutes later I received a confirmation emails and 5 minutes after that an email for a $50 gift voucher! (I has used a voucher to avoid method of payment fines.)

Today the balance less that $50 was back in my account - so they are not giving any $$$ easily!

What is the expiry date for the voucher?
Is it the original voucher expiry date?
Cheers

 

[serfty]

What is the expiry date for the voucher?
Is it the original voucher expiry date?
Cheers

The original expiry date would have been early 2023 with their 3 year rule.

This one has a new PNR, I'll call and check.

 

[CJSCJS]

I had two separate flights booked for mid-October, one to Bali and one back again (I made the bookings in Nov 2019). Got notice from QANTAS on June 17 that flights were cancelled and requested refunds the same day (via the chat feature of the QANTAS app which they seemed to have turned off later that day!). Got an email confirmation for the SYD-DPS flight same day and the money was back in my account within a week. Heard nothing on the second. Rang a month later and was told by the South African call centre that it could take up to 10 weeks (and the call centre operator did not believe that I had already received the first refund!). At 12 weeks, called again. Was told they would send an email to 'the Indonesian office' and would cc me in. I asked, 'will that make any difference' and the reply was 'well at least you'll know we sent them an email.' Got off the call and posted something snarky on their Facebook page. Within two hours I was assured that it had just been manually processed and the money should hit my account soon. This was on Tuesday and the money just hit my account this morning (Thursday).

 

[astrosly]

...

After being advised I preferred the $$$, I was I was told 'next week' as it is not yet 10 weeks since June 22nd.

I called yesterday chasing up refunds on two bookings that were cancelled 10 weeks + 1 day ago on the basis that the recording whilst on hold with Qantas states that refunds are taking 8-10 weeks. I was told it is taking 10-12 weeks and I should receive an email when it is processed, and if not to call back in another two weeks. I stated that in all my cancellations in the past months I had to call for every booking to be manually refunded at 13 weeks + and only received confirmation emails in about half of them. The agent wasn't interested in looking into the refunds untill at least 12 weeks has passed.

 

[astrosly]

I rang again last Friday, it was now over 13 weeks.

I pleasantly led from the front, quoting June 22nd yada yada ...

No problems .... it would be processed.

About 30 minutes later I received a confirmation emails and 5 minutes after that an email for a $50 gift voucher! (I has used a voucher to avoid method of payment fines.)

Today the balance less that $50 was back in my account - so they are not giving any $$$ easily!

I find this a disturbing change and a new low for Qantas to hang onto our money. I book most of my flights using vouchers to avoid the CC fee, and the cancellations in the past months have been the full amount of the fare charged but the last couple I received only the fare minus the GV value. When I called to see what happened to the balance they said because it was originally a GV it is not refundable but the voucher has been rendered unusable with the cancellation. Qantas reluctantly refunded the GV value of the fares saying it is a "one off" to do me a favour.

The conditions of the GV are they are not refundable, but that clearly relates to buying a voucher and then asking for a refund of the voucher that has been bought. If you redeem for a purchase, it is no longer a GV and is a fare and so the conditions of the fare apply including refunds where the service cannot be provided. How the service is paid for should be irrelevant and you shouldn't be forced to accept a NEW voucher in this case for part payment of the fare being refunded.