Incorrect information you've been given by Qantas Contact Centre

[Mattg]

As Qantas continues to outsource its contact centres, with more and more calls being answered in Manila & Cape Town, myself and many others have noticed a severe deterioration in the quality of the service provided. It's become so bad, in fact, that I've decided not to re-qualify for Qantas status next year and to move more of my business away to other airlines.

Not all of my experiences with the overseas call centres have been bad. Yesterday, for example, somebody in the South African call centre answered with "Qantas Premium" and was actually quite helpful. The previous time I'd got through to the South African call centre, the lady answered by saying "Hello? Helloooo-ooooo?!" (yep, seriously) and had no idea what she was talking about.

The purpose of this thread is to share the incorrect information you've been given by the Qantas contact centre. This includes the call centres, social media or SMS chat.

Here are just a few of the most ridiculous things I've been told:

• There is no availability on any of the flights you want (even though I've already checked, and the next agent could see the flights when I hung up and called again)
• The Oneworld Explorer (paid RTW fare) rules apply to a Oneworld Classic Flight Reward (umm.... no they don't)
• Your final destination on a Oneworld Classic Flight Reward counts as one of your 5 permitted stopovers

What incorrect information have you been given by Qantas?

 

[Dr Ralph]

I was earlier today told that they could only make a refund to the credit card I used to pay. Even though that account was closed 9 months ago and I no longer have any association with that bank. I was told that I'd have to follow this up with the bank when they made the refund. Except the bank wont know who I am and since the account was closed so long ago the refund from Qantas will bounce back!

 

[Daver6]

Are you looking for examples of where they have got the rules wrong? Or just general misinformation relating to their processes and contradictory information?

 

[Mattg]

Are you looking for examples of where they have got the rules wrong? Or just general misinformation relating to their processes and contradictory information?

Any of the above.

 

[ftm]

Was told today that a Oneworld Sapphire member in Economy on a QF operated Domestic Australia flight is only entitled to 1 checked bag. 2 bags is apparently only a benefit if in Business Class.

 

[smiliemonster]

Dates of birth only need to be captured for North American travel if passengers are under 18.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I was earlier today told that they could only make a refund to the credit card I used to pay. Even though that account was closed 9 months ago and I no longer have any association with that bank. I was told that I'd have to follow this up with the bank when they made the refund. Except the bank wont know who I am and since the account was closed so long ago the refund from Qantas will bounce back!

I always thought that this was the case. Credits can be made to closed accounts. The bank then forwards the money to an active account.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I always thought that this was the case. Credits can be made to closed accounts. The bank then forwards the money to an active account.

So I've got to contact that bank and try to explain what's happened and ask them to forward the money on to another account? And who exactly would I contact???

That's unreasonable and not going to happen. The flight was cancelled because of Qantas, not because of me. Not prepared to waste even more time trying to fix problems they created.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So I've got to contact that bank and try to explain what's happened and ask them to forward the money on to another account? And who exactly would I contact???

That's unreasonable and not going to happen. The flight was cancelled because of Qantas, not because of me. Not prepared to waste even more time trying to fix problems they created.

Pretty much Your credit card number stays in the system. You call as you would for an active card and depending on the nature of your call you may need to be transferred to the closed account section, or fraud (if the card was closed due to lost/stolen).

Qantas cancelling the flight does make it less of a risk of a fraudulent transaction... but the reasoning is there to help you as well. You wouldn't want someone hacking your account, cancelling your ticket(s) and getting credited to a false account.

 

[cjd600]

- I want to add a QR flight to my OWA booking, flight number is QRxx_ for date xx/xx.
- No, sir, thats too far out, award flights are only released at 353 days.
- No, thats only QF metal; and I'm looking at the QR flights I want to add on your website, available and released.
- No sir, you cannot book any airline award using QF points further out than 353 days.
HUACA.

 

[adenda]

- On our Oneworld award booking, BA cancelled our original flight from Zurich to Heathrow and rebooked us to a later flight.
- Qantas emailed to request I get in touch to advise acceptance of the change
- Did so and thought all was good
- Next morning I checked our booking and noticed a KUL-ADL leg flying MH had dissappeared from our itinerary!
- Checked J award availability on the cancelled flight and saw 2 seats available - presumably our just-cancelled seats
- Got in touch via Qantas app chat and was advised that MH had cancelled the booking as reticketing had not been done in time (a whole other issue!) and there was no availability in J on MH.
- Advised that I would need to contact MH to book the 2 seats - despite it being a OW award, booked and ticketed by QF
- Decided immediately that the agent had absolutely no idea and ended the chat.
- Tried again shortly after and fortunately got someone who was very helpful and knowledgable. They managed to find the 2 supposedly unavailable seats, book them and get the whole thing reticketed within an hour. Huge relief.
- Unfortunately don't know which "chat" centre I contacted on each occasion.

Incredible - I can't support strongly enough the advice to HUACA - whether C stands for Call or Chat

 

[madrooster]

I was earlier today told that they could only make a refund to the credit card I used to pay. Even though that account was closed 9 months ago and I no longer have any association with that bank. I was told that I'd have to follow this up with the bank when they made the refund. Except the bank wont know who I am and since the account was closed so long ago the refund from Qantas will bounce back!

This is actually correct. Even though you may have closed the account over a year ago, you can still refund to it. You then call whoever the bank was that issued the card and ask them to direct deposit the credited funds to a bank account of your choice.

The reason this exists is because the card schemes require it for money laundering reasons.

 

[Ktan89]

I was earlier today told that they could only make a refund to the credit card I used to pay. Even though that account was closed 9 months ago and I no longer have any association with that bank. I was told that I'd have to follow this up with the bank when they made the refund. Except the bank wont know who I am and since the account was closed so long ago the refund from Qantas will bounce back!

Same thing happened to me. But upon further investigating by the rep, she said QF can refund to a new card as long as I get a statedeck signed by JP and email them. I guess it is for our security too.
Agreed to it, gave them my new CC number and they reissued the booking there and then but no $$ was refunded or showed on PNR. She informed me again I had to email them the information so they can process the payment side but after 2 business days and the weekend the money came through my new card. Saves me the trip going to find a JP during Xmas period.

 

[defurax]

I wanted to change a Flex Y itinerary on which one domestic segment had been upgraded with points before start of travel. Cape Town call centre told me the entire itinerary had to be repriced in business to make any changes! She quoted me a $6K cost to change dates. I told her to cancel the U class upgrade and revert it to H class, but she was adamant it was impossible. HUACA and fixed in 5 minutes including a small refund of fare difference.

 

[Oubline]

I have been told repeatedly that award availability is not there for JL domestic flights even though staff members in Australia are subsequently able to find it.

Have been told that there is absolutely no way that itinerary changes could be ticketed straight away on a OWA, despite my strong requests - this led to part of my itinerary being cancelled because Qantas took too long to ticket it. I then was told I needed to contact CX to resolve it, which is wrong.

I’ve been told I can’t add an economy segment to a business OWA and had to call back to do so.

The consultant added the wrong flight to my booking despite verbally confirming the flight I wanted, with me only noticing once I received the e ticket.

All of the above have happened in relation to a single OWA itinerary!

 

[Jacques Vert]

A copy of one of my posts from 2018:

Jun 12, 2018

I have just spent 4 phone calls (plus many hours on hold) trying to book my latest 280k Oneworld award.

As usual, this complex itinerary would not price online. I rang and was given a number of reasons why my itinerary was not valid during the various phone calls.

First, I was told that I was not allowed to backtrack - wrong.

Next, that I was only allowed five stopovers and two transits; I pointed out the rule that states that transits are unlimited.

Next, it was suggested I had too many segments; we later agreed that there were only 16 (15 flights + 1 surface sector).

Then, I was told that the last city on the itinerary (the same one that I start from) is also counted as a stopover! I pointed out that it's NOT a stopover as it is the end of the trip.

Today, I finally got onto an agent who seemed to know what he was doing. After a bit of back and forth, and waiting on hold while he discussed things with his supervisor, I was told that I had too many stopovers as a surface sector is counted as 2 stopovers. (I realise that there has been discussion of this point on this thread before.) I pointed out that this was never the case and I had previously booked a number of itineraries with surface sectors (and they only counted as one stopover) but the agent was adamant that it has been always been the case that they were counted as two.

I am over dealing with the QF call centres, even though as a WP (in 2019) I usually got through in a couple of minutes.

 

[RooFlyer]

Even though that account was closed 9 months ago and I no longer have any association with that bank. I was told that I'd have to follow this up with the bank when they made the refund. Except the bank wont know who I am and since the account was closed so long ago the refund from Qantas will bounce back!

Pardon the OT, but the bank will know exactly who you are and will still have all your details on file. Getting banks and other financial institutions to 'forget' you, or take your details off their systems is almost impossible, at least for the 7 years they are required to maintain them.

I once closed my Westpac account, no other business there. Went back and opened an account 4 years later, and it was as if I never left.

I agree with the sentiment of your post, however.

 

[EestiTiger]

Not sure it was the incorrect information mentioned in the thread title, but I had a call 'drop out' when it appeared my request was going to be a bit harder / take longer than the cookie cutter ones they can handle

All worked out well when I called again and was able to get someone who knew what they were doing

 

[Anna]

Quite a few years ago I was assertively told by the contact centre 'Qantas will never introduce premium economy'

 

[Dr Ralph]

This is actually correct.

It's definitely not correct.

After further email exchanges today, Qantas have agreed to refund via a cheque.