Lack of compensation from Qantas when downgraded

[jase05]

Rather than a new thread, a couple of questionS for the brains trust on refunds please:

Was booked to fly DPSxSYD-BNE in QF J as a CR.

DPS-SYD cancelled due to fuel leak in the engine. QF rebooked us on the following day’s direct JQ flight DPS-BNE.

After two hours sleep at an overpriced Bali hotel I now beed to claim:

1. Points difference for the downgrade.
2. Accom costs.
3. Ground transport (Grab back to airport).
4. ORC for SYD-BNE.

The QF site has different online forms for 1-3.

Am I better off submitting each claim via the individual forms or send a single claim via email for all expenses and the ORC?

If a single claim, should I include the ORC request for Mrs H and Miss H in the same email as they were on the same PNR?

I would have flat out refused the JQ flight and demanded to be put on the next available DPS-SYD flight for starters

 

[Captain Halliday]

Points 1 - 4 don't even bring you on event footing after the downgrade.
You must also add in difference in price/product between QF and JQ. They are vastly different airlines with totally different product and expectations and of course prices. Would you have EVER booked JQ given the choice? No - so you must be compensated for the 'brand downgrade'.

Then on top of everything you've listed out so far need to add in compensation.
What will you receive for going through all that nonsense and chasing it up yourself?

Good points.

And now you mention it, the JQ streaming entertainment was inoperative too.

Care to offer an estimate given its 3 pax - perhaps a starting point for what might become a negotiation?

I would have flat out refused the JQ flight and demanded to be put on the next available DPS-SYD flight for starters

I’m 100% with you and if travelling solo would have done exactly that.

But by 3am Mrs H and Miss H were over it and just wanted to get home.

While the engineers were looking at the aircraft I was on EF and it was J0 for several days including to MEL.

I also looked at OW options getting to SIN, KUL, MNL

And of course at 3am DPS time the call went to South Africa and ended with “hello passenger, hello, hello” <disconnect>.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Rather than a new thread, a couple of questions for the brains trust on refunds please:

Was booked to fly DPSxSYD-BNE in QF J as a CR.

DPS-SYD cancelled due to fuel leak in the engine. QF rebooked us on the following day’s direct JQ flight DPS-BNE.

After two hours sleep at an overpriced Bali hotel I now beed to claim:
1. Points difference for the downgrade.
2. Accom costs.
3. Ground transport (Grab back to airport).
4. ORC for SYD-BNE.
<snip>

If only AU had EU261 type legislation the outcome would be clear & defined.
$ for delay based on difference in arrival time, 75% for the downgrade plus reimbursement of reasonable accommodation, meals & ground transport costs .

Are you claiming original routing credit (ORC) for a Classic Reward due to QF points club? For all 3 of you?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Are you claiming ORC for a Classic Reward due to QF points club? For all 3 of you?

Absolutely.

But may send separate emails for Miss H & Mrs H to keep it clean.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Good points.

And now you mention it, the JQ streaming entertainment was inoperative too.

Care to offer an estimate given its 3 pax - perhaps a starting point for what might become a negotiation?

It is likely easier to ask for a set amount in points vs a refund.
Points usually can be approved by loyalty; even when the issue is caused by another department.

At a decent airline, loyalty would charge that other department for the points, creating internal accountability for screwing with passengers.
Too many airlines profit from these types of scenarios and it sickens me.

I would ask for the equivalent of however many points it is for an economy classic award flight one way on the sector you did.
In addition to all the other stuff.

If you are Plat or higher -- then double the points request.
If you only fly business/first -- then 5x the points request.

 

[Cloud9]

It is likely easier to ask for a set amount in points vs a refund.
Points usually can be approved by loyalty; even when the issue is caused by another department.

At a decent airline, loyalty would charge that other department for the points, creating internal accountability for screwing with passengers.
Too many airlines profit from these types of scenarios and it sickens me.

I would ask for the equivalent of however many points it is for an economy classic award flight one way on the sector you did.
In addition to all the other stuff.

If you are Plat or higher -- then double the points request.

Concur, for WP, I would be pushing for 200k points minimum.

 

[Captain Halliday]

It is likely easier to ask for a set amount in points vs a refund.
Points usually can be approved by loyalty; even when the issue is caused by another department.

At a decent airline, loyalty would charge that other department for the points, creating internal accountability for screwing with passengers.
Too many airlines profit from these types of scenarios and it sickens me.

I would ask for the equivalent of however many points it is for an economy classic award flight one way on the sector you did.
In addition to all the other stuff.

If you are Plat or higher -- then double the points request.
If you only fly business/first -- then 5x the points request.

Thanks.

A good suggestion because the points are “cheap” to the airline, but could be valuable to me if used wisely.

Plus points keep me flying QF for a bit longer and after Thursday night’s shambles I’d rather not!

So DPS-SYD is 20,300 in Y
x 3 pax = 60,900
x 2 for Plat = 121,800

 

[Cloud9]

Thanks.

A good suggestion because the points are “cheap” to the airline, but could be valuable to me if used wisely.

So DPS-SYD is 20,300 in Y
x 3 pax = 60,900
x 2 for Plat = 121,800

Long as you feel you're getting value from your request.

Personally, I'd bump it higher for the inconvenience and inconsideration shown by them. As you suggest, costs them nothing to conjure points from thin air.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks.

A good suggestion because the points are “cheap” to the airline, but could be valuable to me if used wisely.

Plus points keep me flying QF for a bit longer and after Thursday night’s shambles I’d rather not!

So DPS-SYD is 20,300 in Y
x 3 pax = 60,900
x 2 for Plat = 121,800

You’ll be entitled to the difference between J and Y, which is 36700 per person.

Linking compensation to an economy award on the same route is not clear in terms of how or why you’ve chosen that?

 

[Captain Halliday]

You’ll be entitled to the difference between J and Y, which is 36700 per person.

Linking compensation to an economy award on the same route is not clear in terms of how or why you’ve chosen that?

39,000 actually.

Being 57,000 pp for QF J, minus 18,000 for JQ.

But that’s the absolute minimum refund and would be due under Australian Consumer Law anyway.

The point @trippin_the_rift has made is that there should be additional compensation for things like the inconvenience, no IFE, arriving ~16 hours late, being stuffed around at the hotel because QF didn’t pay for the rooms they booked.

Plus there’s the time, effort and hassle of having to chase QF for the refund which frankly should be automatic.

 

[drron]

The problem is that QF has been doing this for nearly 30 years.
In 1996 we had enough QFF points to get 2 J round the world awards. We got to Paris and on the day we were to fly AA to JFK the French did what they do best. Held a strike. Naturally our AA flight was cancelled. Rang QF and was told if we weren’t on the flight the awards would be cancelled.

So decided to go to CDG and see what could be done. Went to the AA check in. The agent told us that the Manager would be due in in about 20 minutes. So why don’t you go and wait in our lounge.
So we did. Neither of us belonged to AAdvantage then. The Manager came and talked to us. They had 1 flight out of CDG going to MIA so we were put on that in J then in their F MIA -LGA flight. A few hours later than expected but we were happy. We were allowed to stay in the lounge. She came back saying QF have cancelled your other flights so I have issued an AA ticket for them at no cost.

Of course there was yet another way QF could get back at us. We flew JFK - LAX on QF. We had to fly Y as it was now an AA award. We were in the front row of Y and in the downstairs J cabin there were 9 passengers. No one went up the stairs or came down on the 747.
Tried for a while to get some compensation but no go yet some say I should support our National airline and flag carrier. Tell him he’s dreaming.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

39,000 actually.

Being 57,000 pp for QF J, minus 18,000 for JQ.

But that’s the absolute minimum refund and would be due under Australian Consumer Law anyway.

The point @trippin_the_rift has made is that there should be additional compensation for things like the inconvenience, no IFE, arriving ~16 hours late, being stuffed around at the hotel because QF didn’t pay for the rooms they booked.

Plus there’s the time, effort and hassle of having to chase QF for the refund which frankly should be automatic.

Oh yes, my bad. There’s a separate table for JQ only.

My question was on the calculation of the comeonsation. Requesting the economy class award level as compensation seems random? If you asked for the difference between business and economy, and doubled it, that at least gives some context, rather than a seemingly random number?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Oh yes, my bad. There’s a separate table for JQ only.

My question was on the calculation of the comeonsation. Requesting the economy class award level as compensation seems random? If you asked for the difference between business and economy, and doubled it, that at least gives some context, rather than a seemingly random number?

Yes, I see where you’re coming from.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

The problem is that QF has been doing this for nearly 30 years.

Tried for a while to get some compensation but no go yet some say I should support our National airline and flag carrier. Tell him he’s dreaming.

100%

The airline screws you around once, go with another airline.
Can't fly anyone else? Don't complain.

Always go where you are treated best.
Loyalty is long gone.

 

[kpc]

Nothing new here...in 2017 only took a complaint to the airline ombudsman to get the diference in booked F and flown J Qf points back!

My QF flying days are numbered - due to poor QF CS

I'm so pi$$ed off with QF atm...when i get back to Oz, I shall sent the CEO a registered letter including the email trail showing how inept their customer service / frequent flyer center is in sorting out a relatively simple issue for me. He almost certainly won't read it but hopefully someone...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

Just jump to the post below for the final outcome if you don't want to read the whole thread above

My QF flying days are numbered - due to poor QF CS

It's appalling customer service when so little would make you so happy. I hate seeing what's happened to our Qantas. Singapore Airlines is our go-to airline now (which of course is difficult to USA, but then Cathay is the way to go)

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[Captain Halliday]

An update on my claim for those following along at home.

Firstly the Qantas Compensation and Refunds policy says Refund requests are prioritised in lodgement date order with 90% of our refunds are processed within a week.

It’ll be two weeks tomorrow so I guess I’m in the other 10%

But I did receive an email today saying they would refund the points difference between QF J and JQ Y.

A good first step.

But they have ignored:
- Refund of fees, taxes and carrier charges which are ~$300 higher on QF.
- Refund of accomodation and ground transport costs incurred.
- Compensation claim for QF failing to follow its own policy, and other failures on the ground.

I had assumed this would be a drawn out saga and it looks like that’s where it’s headed.

 

[SJF211]

Just received notification of a downgrade due to swap to an ex Jet Blue all Y E190 in about 4-5 hours time as the A/C leaves Adelaide

Gave them a call and got moved to mainline J via Melbourne but my friend is travelling on a classic award upgrade and needs to get in tonight so has elected to remain on the flight will update if he gets the points refunded like they promise.

 

[Captain Halliday]

An update on my claim for those following along at home.

Firstly the Qantas Compensation and Refunds policy says Refund requests are prioritised in lodgement date order with 90% of our refunds are processed within a week.

It’ll be two weeks tomorrow so I guess I’m in the other 10%

But I did receive an email today saying they would refund the points difference between QF J and JQ Y.

A good first step.

But they have ignored:
- Refund of fees, taxes and carrier charges which are ~$300 higher on QF.
- Refund of accomodation and ground transport costs incurred.
- Compensation claim for QF failing to follow its own policy, and other failures on the ground.

I had assumed this would be a drawn out saga and it looks like that’s where it’s headed.

It took more than 120 days, 15 emails and 9 calls.

But I have finally been refunded all the things to which I was legally entitled under ACL.

What an utter farce.

How is it that some airlines can make refunds virtually automatic for IRROPS and QF can take four months?

It’s almost like they have learnt nothing from the Covid credits scandal.

Thanks to the posters who offered advice and suggestions along the way, especially @trippin_the_rift who encouraged me to pursue a higher compo figure than I otherwise might have done.

In addition to refunds, they agreed to compensation at 50% of what I sought, so starting higher was wise.