Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[PaulyB]

Is there a change of messaging at the call centres?

I successfully made some changes yesterday to an existing OWA (leave Aug 11) and was told ticketing within 24-48 hrs.
Not trusting the system, I rang this morning - so about 19 hours later - to chase down the ticketing. 3 HUACA's later, I noted a theme that I don't recall hearing before: "we can only contact the ticketing office directly if the flight is within 24-48 hours."

One person included the word 'now' in there as well.

This same operator (all Fiji) did go through the process of checking with her supervisor and added me to the queue (I don't get why that is helpful as I am already there) with a note that I had enquired. There are no tax etc impediments etc.

She also said to call back after 24 hrs which I will.

Anyway - notwithstanding that I failed in my mission and I can't spend the day calling QANTAS, I was struck by the messaging from the operators. Does this seem like something new or am I imagining?

Thanks!

 

[Mr H]

Is there a change of messaging at the call centres?

I successfully made some changes yesterday to an existing OWA (leave Aug 11) and was told ticketing within 24-48 hrs.
Not trusting the system, I rang this morning - so about 19 hours later - to chase down the ticketing. 3 HUACA's later, I noted a theme that I don't recall hearing before: "we can only contact the ticketing office directly if the flight is within 24-48 hours."

One person included the word 'now' in there as well.

This same operator (all Fiji) did go through the process of checking with her supervisor and added me to the queue (I don't get why that is helpful as I am already there) with a note that I had enquired. There are no tax etc impediments etc.

She also said to call back after 24 hrs which I will.

Anyway - notwithstanding that I failed in my mission and I can't spend the day calling QANTAS, I was struck by the messaging from the operators. Does this seem like something new or am I imagining?

Thanks!

That is not something I have heard before, but it is understandable since it ties up an operator for literally hours on hold waiting for ticketing. Inevitably this will lead to more cancelled bookings that will require Award Escalations intervention to retrieve. It would be far easier and more cost effective to set up a ticketing system that worked. Other airlines manage to do it.

 

[PaulyB]

That is not something I have heard before, but it is understandable since it ties up an operator for literally hours on hold waiting for ticketing. Inevitably this will lead to more cancelled bookings that will require Award Escalations intervention to retrieve. It would be far easier and more cost effective to set up a ticketing system that worked. Other airlines manage to do it.

Good call. But how does that fit with some airlines (MA?) dropping off the system within a few hours?

 

[Mr H]

Good call. But how does that fit with some airlines (MA?) dropping off the system within a few hours?

The answer is - it doesn't. But the call centre will say that their role is to make the booking and put the booking into a ticketing queue. They would argue that the failure in the process is the ticketing department and they should not have to pay a productivity price for a failure in ticketing. They have little interest in an end-to-end outcome for the customer because that is not what they are contracted to do.

 

[PaulyB]

The answer is - it doesn't. But the call centre will say that their role is to make the booking and put the booking into a ticketing queue. They would argue that the failure in the process is the ticketing department and they should not have to pay a productivity price for a failure in ticketing. They have little interest in an end-to-end outcome for the customer because that is not what they are contracted to do.

Ouch. I don't like that answer at all.......

 

[blu]

Just found out my flight has been downgraded tomorrow on Iberia from lay flat business seats to a Level Airlines A332 which has Premium Economy only. Not what you want for 10.5 hrs. This is part of a RTW redemption. Anyone had any experience getting compensation via points/EU law? If it was a short hop I wouldn’t be bothered but considering the length of the flight, there should be something. Right?

To USA? I have MAD-DFW soon. Seen the FT thread?

EU261 compensation claim - FlyerTalk Forums

Iberia Airlines | Iberia Plus - EU261 compensation claim - Iberia makes it nearly impossible to find information about how to file a claim under EU261. In their response to me they provided a link to the UK sanctioning body, which does not investigate claims for flights that take place outside...

www.flyertalk.com

 

[algae]

Is there a change of messaging at the call centres?

I successfully made some changes yesterday to an existing OWA (leave Aug 11) and was told ticketing within 24-48 hrs.
Not trusting the system, I rang this morning - so about 19 hours later - to chase down the ticketing. 3 HUACA's later, I noted a theme that I don't recall hearing before: "we can only contact the ticketing office directly if the flight is within 24-48 hours."

One person included the word 'now' in there as well.

This same operator (all Fiji) did go through the process of checking with her supervisor and added me to the queue (I don't get why that is helpful as I am already there) with a note that I had enquired. There are no tax etc impediments etc.

She also said to call back after 24 hrs which I will.

Anyway - notwithstanding that I failed in my mission and I can't spend the day calling QANTAS, I was struck by the messaging from the operators. Does this seem like something new or am I imagining?

Thanks!

Yep I had this recently as well.
HUACA used to work well, but this time I got that same messaging a lot.

Two recent experiences of getting it resolved:

1. After a couple HUACAs one rep said he couldn't call but could join the live chat queue, but he was #60 in line. He said he'd wait for me and ask for it to be ticketed. Sure enough a couple hours later it got ticketed.

2. Exactly 24h after a different change I saw my MH ticket numbers fall off, I called back and explained that, and the person managed to call and got it ticketed.

 

[FenderQF]

It would be worth @FenderQF checking to see whether the new seats are being sold as Premium Economy or Business. If they are still being sold as business class on that flight then no compensation would be due.

As the flight is tomorrow there are no tickets available on economy or business. As a side note, flight is SJO to MAD. I can’t adjust seats or even get to the seat map anymore and old allocations are still on mmb.

 

[Mr H]

As the flight is tomorrow there are no tickets available on economy or business. As a side note, flight is SJO to MAD. I can’t adjust seats or even get to the seat map anymore and old allocations are still on mmb.

Then if I were the airline, I would ensure that pax still had lounge access, priority boarding, boarding passes that said business class and menus that said the same. That way there would be no compensation due because nobody would have been downgraded.

 

[FenderQF]

Then if I were the airline, I would ensure that pax still had lounge access, priority boarding, boarding passes that said business class and menus that said the same. That way there would be no compensation due because nobody would have been downgraded.

So it turns out the Level aircraft they had rostered on for today has been refit with an Iberia interior and just hadn’t been painted in Iberia Livery (thank ******!). The check-in counter confirmed that if it was the Y+ product there would be compensation under the EU rules because they had been getting the occasional inferior product on the route. Fair to say the drinks are tasting extra sweet as I look over the runway waiting to depart.

If anyone is ever concerned over their own flight, the rego for the reconfigured plane is EC-MOU.

 

[Mr H]

So it turns out the Level aircraft they had rostered on for today has been refit with an Iberia interior and just hadn’t been painted in Iberia Livery (thank ******!). The check-in counter confirmed that if it was the Y+ product there would be compensation under the EU rules because they had been getting the occasional inferior product on the route. Fair to say the drinks are tasting extra sweet as I look over the runway waiting to depart.

If anyone is ever concerned over their own flight, the rego for the reconfigured plane is EC-MOU.

Glad to hear it. What made you think that you had been downgraded then? Did you have notification of equipment change or were you just working off your own initiative based on finding out the plane registration?

 

[PaulyB]

So I wanted to share a ticketing experience for me. Many of us here have ticketing stories but the impact they have on our sanity really struck home for me when I contemplated 'what could have been'.....

Last Sunday (3 days ago) I successfully made some changes to a OWA. The operator (QANTAS are calling them consultants but that, they are not(!!)), did a reasonably good job although I had to pull her up on a few things. (For context I am a lowly Bronze)

Anyway, ticket booked - a refund of about $700 was calculated (more direct flights) and Bob's your uncle, or so I thought!

I couldn't get past the 24-48 hours for ticketing and as the airlines are QF, BA & JL I was willing to go with it.

I wrote about the first experience when I rang back with a legitimate but slightly disturbing response from Mr. H. Worth the read

Is there a change of messaging at the call centres?

I successfully made some changes yesterday to an existing OWA (leave Aug 11) and was told ticketing within 24-48 hrs.
Not trusting the system, I rang this morning - so about 19 hours later - to chase down the ticketing. 3 HUACA's later, I noted a theme that I don't recall hearing before: "we can only contact the ticketing office directly if the flight is within 24-48 hours."

One person included the word 'now' in there as well.

This same operator (all Fiji) did go through the process of checking with her supervisor and added me to the queue (I don't get why that is helpful as I am already there) with a note that I had enquired. There are no tax etc impediments etc.

She also said to call back after 24 hrs which I will.

Anyway - notwithstanding that I failed in my mission and I can't spend the day calling QANTAS, I was struck by the messaging from the operators. Does this seem like something new or am I imagining?

Thanks!

Anyway as I said in the quote, all was clear according to the operator and all I had to do was wait...

This morning, nearly 48 hours later I called again. This time the operator (but perhaps a little closer to 'consultant') messaged the ticketing people and after only about 15m rang back and said I owed $65 and this was the hold up.

So I paid and received the new tickets within 10 minutes......

So - what would have happened if I did not know to chase them down? We see so many awful posts here about lost flights/ticketing etc and it all comes back to a system that is broken as Mr H has correctly said.

No email saying 'oops you owe us money. Pay and we will ticket?

It's an idea.....

 

[Rich]

So I wanted to share a ticketing experience for me. Many of us here have ticketing stories but the impact they have on our sanity really struck home for me when I contemplated 'what could have been'.....

Last Sunday (3 days ago) I successfully made some changes to a OWA. The operator (QANTAS are calling them consultants but that, they are not(!!)), did a reasonably good job although I had to pull her up on a few things. (For context I am a lowly Bronze)

Anyway, ticket booked - a refund of about $700 was calculated (more direct flights) and Bob's your uncle, or so I thought!

I couldn't get past the 24-48 hours for ticketing and as the airlines are QF, BA & JL I was willing to go with it.

I wrote about the first experience when I rang back with a legitimate but slightly disturbing response from Mr. H. Worth the read


Anyway as I said in the quote, all was clear according to the operator and all I had to do was wait...

This morning, nearly 48 hours later I called again. This time the operator (but perhaps a little closer to 'consultant') messaged the ticketing people and after only about 15m rang back and said I owed $65 and this was the hold up.

So I paid and received the new tickets within 10 minutes......

So - what would have happened if I did not know to chase them down? We see so many awful posts here about lost flights/ticketing etc and it all comes back to a system that is broken as Mr H has correctly said.

No email saying 'oops you owe us money. Pay and we will ticket?

It's an idea.....

Probably.

We have a family trip overseas coming up soon on points. After some changes to the original routing, I am pretty sure we are owed about $600. I am not prepared to even ask QF until after the trip. I'd rather lose the money than risk losing $13000 worth of flights in case they decide they need to cancel and reissue or some other preposterous idea.

 

[FenderQF]

Got

Glad to hear it. What made you think that you had been downgraded then? Did you have notification of equipment change or were you just working off your own initiative based on finding out the plane registration?

Got a notification via email from Iberia that it’ll be on the Level product. Was a roller coaster of emotions, that’s for sure.

 

[BillW]

I'm in the UK intending to construct a OW return to Sydney about October.
It could be attractive to me to make this a return to the UK next May/June 2024 but those dates are not available.
How would you go about this? Choose a return date in February/March and change it later?

 

[Mr H]

I'm in the UK intending to construct a OW return to Sydney about October.
It could be attractive to me to make this a return to the UK next May/June 2024 but those dates are not available.
How would you go about this? Choose a return date in February/March and change it later?

You can add flights to a OWA booking as they become available (you have to pay a 5,000 point change fee for each passenger, each time you make a change). There is no advantage in booking a dummy date that you intend to change later.

 

[Easy Tiger]

There is no advantage in booking a dummy date that you intend to change later.

100% agree. Unless you are that flexible that you may take the earlier flight...which you don't mentin

 

[melbkate]

Hello all I am seeking tactical advice for how to book a J OWA for June 2024 Melbourne to Italy or France via Helsinki ok.

The last one I had booked for this year I lost my QR flights and they could not be reinstated so now we are only going as far as Japan.

So I am doing a lot of dummy searchs in preparation for when seats open in a couple of months. Even if I wanted to fly in March 2024 there is no way I can find any availabilty. I've read about these services where somone books your flight and wondering if anyone has done that and what it costs? Or direct me to a thread..

However, I'm happy to keep looking myself but the search engines Qantas / JL / BA etc are so slow to search day by day etc is there a better site or method?

thanks

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hello all I am seeking tactical advice for how to book a J OWA for June 2024 Melbourne to Italy or France via Helsinki ok.

The last one I had booked for this year I lost my QR flights and they could not be reinstated so now we are only going as far as Japan.

So I am doing a lot of dummy searchs in preparation for when seats open in a couple of months. Even if I wanted to fly in March 2024 there is no way I can find any availabilty. I've read about these services where somone books your flight and wondering if anyone has done that and what it costs? Or direct me to a thread..

However, I'm happy to keep looking myself but the search engines Qantas / JL / BA etc are so slow to search day by day etc is there a better site or method?

thanks

Hi… AFF has an associated company that searches and books flights for you! Award Flight Assist - Frequent Flyer Solutions

 

[Mr H]

So I am doing a lot of dummy searchs in preparation for when seats open in a couple of months. Even if I wanted to fly in March 2024 there is no way I can find any availabilty. I've read about these services where somone books your flight and wondering if anyone has done that and what it costs? Or direct me to a thread..

However, I'm happy to keep looking myself but the search engines Qantas / JL / BA etc are so slow to search day by day etc is there a better site or method?

For J flights out of Australia, you pretty much have to book them the day they are released, so no need to search multiple days unless you really want to. The QF multi-city search engine is the one to go for as that is most likely to show what is available for Qantas OWAs. You are correct that it is not easy to plan award itineraries. This works to our advantage - if it were easier then more people would be competing for the scarce availability.