Long wait for refund for cancelled reward flights Qantas - a common experience?

[MPP2768]

Hi All,

Just reviewing out travel plans to Europe booked for May , I have booked my Europe tickets using Qantas points all booked under classic reward flights . There are 3 different booking reference nos. as i booked them as the classic award tickets became available as below
Leg 1 Mel-Sin- Mel
Leg 2 Singapore-Doha- Vienna
Leg 3 Paris-Dubai-Singapore
I understand cancellation charges are 6000 points per passenger , does this mean i will be charged 6000X3 points per passenger or juts 6000 points per passenger for all 3 cancellations.
Can we pay cash instead of points for the cancellations? does anyone know how much do 6000 points translate to in terms of AUD

Thanks

 

[ramamba]

7.5 weeks for me since cancelling over the phone and neither points nor taxes refunded yet.

waiting a few more days for the magic 8 week number (is it still 8? hope it hasn't blown out to 10-12 weeks) and will be chasing it up to try and make it all in 1 phone call (fingers crossed)

 

[Jack_OC]

My experience has varied massively, based on 6 different bookings so far. In most cases points have come back quickly, in one case within hours, in most within 2 weeks. In all cases except 1, the cash has taken longer - up to 12 weeks. The 1 exception is ongoing now - I received the cash refund last week (2.5 weeks after cancelling), but still no points.

I have also had two cases where I only got points back for 1 person on a 4 person booking, but all of the cash. After emailing QF I got the rest of the points. Overall, I get the impression that there is a lot of manual intervention involved, hence the inconsistency.

One other observation - the time when I got points back within hours was a booking solely on QF metal. All of the others involved flights operated by other airlines. Not sure if that's just a coincidence.

 

[bernardblack]

Especially if it isn't on a Qantas plane then it needs to be ticketed asap. Sorry, call them.

Thanks. I called and the guy said everything was fine and I should wait another day or two. Then of course I asked about something else in my wife's account and it...let's say...reduced my confidence in his answers. So I guess I'll call again if not ticketed soon.

Post automatically merged: Sep 2, 2021

It is on QF metal, though.

 

[bernardblack]

And...another call to a more competent phone agent got it ticketed! He put me on hold a couple of times over about 20min, but I think he actually pushed the ticketing team to get it done. So thanks to that guy, as well as the lovely agent who set the reservation up the other night.

 

[renatts]

And...another call to a more competent phone agent got it ticketed! He put me on hold a couple of times over about 20min, but I think he actually pushed the ticketing team to get it done. So thanks to that guy, as well as the lovely agent who set the reservation up the other night.

Glad to hear it's all sorted for you.

I've changed my booking from May 2020 close to 10 times now, every time has been a completely different route into completely different destinations, on completely different dates (one world award).
The reason I've been changing it instead of cancelling it is because I booked under the old Qantas award chart in 2019 just prior to the change - 280k points for a business class one world award compared to the current chart at 318k. I originally booked a one way from BNE to AMS in J just to make sure I got in before the redemption rates increased - the 6000pt per pax to add flights was peanuts compared to the increase in redemption cost.

As long as you keep 'changing' the booking instead of cancelling you get to keep the award chart rates you booked under, so keep this in mind if things go pear shaped, and Qantas 'optimise' the redemption rates again.

It's been pretty standard to take a few business days to be ticketed every single time I've changed it, so you must have got an absolute angel of a phone agent.

 

[ramamba]

As long as you keep 'changing' the booking instead of cancelling you get to keep the award chart rates you booked under, so keep this in mind if things go pear shaped, and Qantas 'optimise' the redemption rates again.

Didn't work for us trying to change the EK/QF award booked prior to EK awards "enhancement" from QFF to partner award table, was advised on the phone (and on AFF prior) that the points difference would be charged.

That and lack of EK F availability saw us having to unfortunately cancel.

 

[renatts]

Didn't work for us trying to change the EK/QF award booked prior to EK awards "enhancement" from QFF to partner award table, was advised on the phone (and on AFF prior) that the points difference would be charged.

That and lack of EK F availability saw us having to unfortunately cancel.

That's a shame.
I've flipped between One World awards and EK J awards every time I've pushed the dates back on our booking, depending what is available. I was never charged the new award chart, only ever the tax difference.

The last time I had to change to EK from OW award the lady in the Australian call centre was just so happy to be doing a change instead of being yelled at about refunds, she was super efficient and had it all sorted within minutes.

I'll remember this if I have to change the dates again, and avoid EK as best I can just in case.

 

[Peso]

Had to cancel a Classic Reward due to the latest VIC lockdown. Points came in very quickly, within 12 hours. Still no refund of fees (3 weeks and counting).

 

[rekeno]

In the past few months, I had to book and cancel more than 10 award flights, I found it very randomly actioned. For points, sometimes could come in within hours, sometimes weeks, but once it's over a week or two, you can call in and the support agent could easily contact their backend to facilitate an "immediate refund", which normally return your points before you hang up the phone.

For taxes, I didn't really monitor that much, but it could take months.

 

[ramamba]

I've flipped between One World awards and EK J awards every time I've pushed the dates back on our booking, depending what is available. I was never charged the new award chart, only ever the tax difference.

I had a feeling HUACA could have helped my case

But anyway there were the issues of cabin availability for 2x seats and to make matters more challenging, our girl who wasnt even born when the original booking was made (we meant to add her to the booking closer to travel date) will now be 2+ by the time we intended to travel

For points, sometimes could come in within hours, sometimes weeks, but once it's over a week or two, you can call in and the support agent could easily contact their backend to facilitate an "immediate refund", which normally return your points before you hang up the phone.

I waited 8 weeks and called yesterday - the points are now back in my account with yesterday's transaction date, was advised taxes were processed too and would be another 5-10 business days.

 

[eminere]

Just cancelled a Domestic Classic Upgrade Reward and the points were returned instantly to my account.

 

[hibbo]

14 months and still waiting for $3500 refund !

Qantas cancelled our 2x business class, Oneworld Classic Round the World tickets in July 2020.

Many phone calls, many reassurances, many promises (all documented) and the wait goes on .

All details are in my posts in another thread. I won't repeat them.

Frustrated !

 

[ketsuzei]

14 months and still waiting for $3500 refund !

Qantas cancelled our 2x business class, Oneworld Classic Round the World tickets in July 2020.

Many phone calls, many reassurances, many promises (all documented) and the wait goes on .

All details are in my posts in another thread. I won't repeat them.

Frustrated !

Probably incompetence rather than malice or malfeasance, but must be frustrating nonetheless.

 

[hibbo]

Probably incompetence rather than malice or malfeasance, but must be frustrating nonetheless.

REFUND FINALLY ARRIVES ! Thanks to those who responded.

 

[hibbo]

14 months and $3500 refund finally arrives !

Thanks to all who offered advice.

 

[RAM]

14 months and $3500 refund finally arrives !

Thanks to all who offered advice.

If memory serves me correct - you are now the holder of the longest time taken.

Enjoy your trophy!

 

[serfty]

6 weeks for my last QF refund. Meanwhile AA is 1 week

$$$ took 6 weeks for me recently (a MEL-AKL award),

Qantas cancelled late 1st week of August. I called for refund a few days later. The points came back within a week after that.

On Tue. 21st the +++ was refunded in two transactions, one for for CC fee.

 

[MARTINE]

Cancellation 16/7 - > lockdown Melb
$$ returned - > 01/09

 

[RAM]

Cancellation 16/7 - > lockdown Melb
$$ returned - > 01/09

From one extreme to another. That's positively 'super fast' in Q terms.

Great detail! Tempted to start a spreadsheet to track the periods over time.

 

[MARTINE]

From one extreme to another. That's positively 'super fast' in Q terms.

Great detail! Tempted to start a spreadsheet to track the periods over time.

The things we do in lockdown where time is plentiful and sock draws are sorted