Multi-city booking error (15012, 23951, 126)

[Radolikon]

Hi, I am trying to book a multi-city trip via qantas.com, but after selecting flights (Qantas flight and Emirates-operated flights) and filling in our names I get the following error:



I've called Qantas, and they can book me this trip, but they want almost $400 more than what I see on qantas.com for exactly the same flights. I see the same flights for the same prices as qantas.com at Jetabroad or TravelUp, but I am afraid of OTAs.

What do you reckon are my options? Any idea why Qantas charges more over the phone than on their website? The price I was told over the phone is before any fees.

 

[Ade]

Hi, I am trying to book a multi-city trip via qantas.com, but after selecting flights (Qantas flight and Emirates-operated flights) and filling in our names I get the following error:

View attachment 310410

I've called Qantas, and they can book me this trip, but they want almost $400 more than what I see on qantas.com for exactly the same flights. I see the same flights for the same prices as qantas.com at Jetabroad or TravelUp, but I am afraid of OTAs.

What do you reckon are my options? Any idea why Qantas charges more over the phone than on their website? The price I was told over the phone is before any fees.

It would help if you can give us the flight numbers you were trying to book and I can try and recreate the issue?

Errors like these happen for a variety of reasons - I have seen these a few times where there is more than 3 QF flights scheduled on the same calander date OR when the route is viable, but not sellable for some reason, the fare class might have a conflict etc (for example, when I tried to bring down the fare by selecting a Saver fare on a Flex fare route search). sometimes, it might just be that the fare class you saw is sold out .. Sometimes it's just QF website, being, QF website ... IT issues in abundance ...

In the past, when I encountered these issues, I simply note down the flight numbers, call customer support and get them to book the same flights. I also take a screenshot of the fare page, with flight details on it - this had helped me in the past when QF customer service priced it high and I was able to send the screenshot of the low fare, with date & time showing and the agent was able to talk to her supervisor and get me the low fare. Also, it helps if you are able to get the fare class (Y, B, H etc) - this way, the agent can limit their searches to those fare classes only.

Edit: Just noticed that this is your first post, so welcome to AFF, @Radolikon . Glad to have you here

 

[SYD]

Can you replicate the search and results on Google Flights? If the same flights/price come up, you ought to be able to click through to purchase on QF. In theory, it should be the same as what you’ve done but it *might* get you further in the process.

 

[Radolikon]

Can you replicate the search and results on Google Flights? If the same flights/price come up, you ought to be able to click through to purchase on QF. In theory, it should be the same as what you’ve done but it *might* get you further in the process.

I was able to replicate the search on momondo.com but the link to qantas.com opens only the main page. Although they pass parameters in the URL, but qantas.com does not recognize them.

Google Flights have these flights for the same price I see on qantas.com, but they don't have a link to qantas.com.

it helps if you are able to get the fare class (Y, B, H etc) - this way, the agent can limit their searches to those fare classes only.

How can I get it? In the booking form, it only says Saver. edit: Momondo shows Economy Sale, Eco Special, also one agent told me over the phone. The reason might be I see a promo price on the website, and they don't have accesst to promo prices.

In the past, when I encountered these issues, I simply note down the flight numbers, call customer support and get them to book the same flights. I also take a screenshot of the fare page, with flight details on it - this had helped me in the past when QF customer service priced it high and I was able to send the screenshot of the low fare, with date & time showing and the agent was able to talk to her supervisor and get me the low fare.

I explained to them multiple times I see a lower price, and they tried to reprice it but weren't successful, but I didn't ask for a manager nor send them a screenshot, not sure where would I send it.

It would help if you can give us the flight numbers you were trying to book and I can try and recreate the issue?

I think the problem exists only with my given dates, because when I try different dates. It works.

Here is the trip, the problem is only with the journey from Prague back to Sydney. You can pick any starting flight (my actual starting journey is a bit more complex, but this is enough to replicate the problem), and it fails only once you reach the last page where you would do the payment.

Edit: Just noticed that this is your first post, so welcome to AFF, @Radolikon . Glad to have you here

Thank you.

 

[TimT]

Have lurked onto this thread because I came across the same error on a multi city booking, involving EK flights and a stopover in Dubai.

After deep diving it appears that this is the problem:

the fare class you saw is sold out

For me, Qantas was showing seats available at Sale fare, but when you look at the same flight via the Emirates website, their equivalent Sale fare is sold out (they name it Emirates Saver fare).

I find this especially cooked because:

1. The upfront price the Qantas system gives you is a fabrication - the true price is always going to be higher.
2. When you're in the multi-city booking flow, there's no way to adjust the fare on the affected flight to a higher one (ie. Qantas Sale > Qantas Saver), so that you can secure the ticket.

I don't know where the exact blame lies though if the OP was able to get similar false results through OTA websites.

In my searching it does appear that if you multi-city with Emirates and you get a Sale fare outbound from Australia, they won't allow Sale fare inbound. But it could have just been my dates.

I ended up ditching the multi city booking and going with a standard return ticket, which bumped the affected flights up to Qantas Saver fare and I was able to book.

Good luck to the next person with this issue who finds this thread

Edit: A tip I found to save you from entering in heaps of details... when you're in a multi city booking flow and click the 'Sale' / 'Saver' button to view the fare conditions and it only shows an empty box, the fare doesn't exist and on the next screen you're probably going to hit error (15012, 23951, 126).