Oneworld Classic Flight Reward Discussion - The Definitive Thread

[Mr H]

Could someone please advise the email address of the executives who can help , when Customer Care or CSA can,t or won’t help?

What is the issue? I would be wary of burning this option if other options exist or if you are looking for something that is not possible.

 

[gfraser]

What is the issue? I would be wary of burning this option if other options exist or if you are looking for something that is not possible.

I have been trying to get a refund since January. Calling 131313 say to contact Customer Care and an email from CC say to call 131313. There have been numerous calls to 131313 and several emails to CC .
The most recent reply which stinks:

“Thank you for taking the time to contact Qantas Customer Care.
We believe a great journey starts with a great booking experience, You have every right to expect skilled and capable service from our team, so we are very concerned to read your feedback, advising us of the service provided.

Upon checking your booking reference number ******** is a pre-travel booking, therefore, for further assistance please coordinate directly with our Reservations Team on 13 13 13. We understand that you have contacted our consultants already, however, kindly be advised that they are the right department to get in touch with.

While we understand that this is not the response that you had anticipated, we regret that we cannot take any further action.

We are sorry that this outcome cannot be more favourable and trust that you will understand our position on this issue.”

 

[Daver6]

I have been trying to get a refund since January. Calling 131313 say to contact Customer Care and an email from CC say to call 131313. There have been numerous calls to 131313 and several emails to CC .
The most recent reply which stinks:

“Thank you for taking the time to contact Qantas Customer Care.
We believe a great journey starts with a great booking experience, You have every right to expect skilled and capable service from our team, so we are very concerned to read your feedback, advising us of the service provided.

Upon checking your booking reference number ******** is a pre-travel booking, therefore, for further assistance please coordinate directly with our Reservations Team on 13 13 13. We understand that you have contacted our consultants already, however, kindly be advised that they are the right department to get in touch with.

While we understand that this is not the response that you had anticipated, we regret that we cannot take any further action.

We are sorry that this outcome cannot be more favourable and trust that you will understand our position on this issue.”

If you're actually entitled to a full refund and paid with your credit card, just call your credit card company and initiate a charge back.

 

[yaksha98]

Not that easy unfortunately, as 90% of the time, the agent can't see the reward seats we can see online.

I've also called up 100+ times and get the same or similar response each time:
- We can't see the reward seats you see online
- Those reward seats are for new bookings only
- There are no reward seats available (yet as I'm on the phone, I can see them online)
- You may be able to get through to the final step of the booking, but it may / will crash before payment is able to be finalised

etc etc.

I understand wanting to maximise points via a OWA (by adding more and more flights to an already capped itinerary), but sometimes it's just too bloody difficult with Qantas agents.

If only reward bookings could be changed online - that would be a miracle.

Not all of us are Platinum and have the privilege of getting through to Hobart.

I totally get it... I'm also a lowly Bronze and have experienced all of the above with my upcoming OWA. Through sheer perseverance, I've managed to get find an itinerary positioning in Asia for a trip this year and then again in 2024.

Alas, the only way for what the OP wanted to do is the messy method of booking online before calling to add the remaining segments.

 

[Mr H]

If you're actually entitled to a full refund and paid with your credit card, just call your credit card company and initiate a charge back.

Agreed. A slow refund is a matter for a credit card refund or a small claims court. Emails to executives would be appropriate when someone’s about to lose their dream holiday because of ticketing incompetence and if/when the escalations team has been unable to fix it.

 

[gfraser]

Agreed. A slow refund is a matter for a credit card refund or a small claims court. Emails to executives would be appropriate when someone’s about to lose their dream holiday because of ticketing incompetence and if/when the escalations team has been unable to fix it.

This is an adjustment of taxes and charges ( in my favour ) after changes have been made inJanuary to a OWA for Aug this year.
What would you do considering my comments on 14343?

 

[Mr H]

This is an adjustment of taxes and charges ( in my favour ) after changes have been made inJanuary to a OWA for Aug this year.
What would you do considering my comments on 14343?

Personally I would not touch it with a barge pole in case anything you do causes the tickets to come unstuck. I would just accept the higher taxes. FWIW, I have never had a refund of taxes and fees for changes that I have initiated myself, only when the changes were initiated by the airlines.

 

[gfraser]

I have been nervous re the tickets coming unstuck.
I have just received a reply from an email this morning to CC stating:
“As for your request, since your booked flights are future dated, we cannot process the refund as we only handle post travel cases. Once you have utilised your ticket, you can contact us back so we can process the refund.”
Lets wait and see!!!

 

[SydneySwan]

Personally I would not touch it with a barge pole in case anything you do causes the tickets to come unstuck. I would just accept the higher taxes. FWIW, I have never had a refund of taxes and fees for changes that I have initiated myself, only when the changes were initiated by the airlines.

I agree with your sentiments. However just for the record I have had adjustments to taxes and fees refunded from changes to an OWA initiated by myself. It was September 2022, it was only A$61.51 and it only took 2 days

 

[MelbFlyer]

But this is a new flight booking. A new flight is to be added to the itinerary.

If a new flight is to be added to an already existing itinerary, it's not a new booking.

 

[Rich]

I have been nervous re the tickets coming unstuck.
I have just received a reply from an email this morning to CC stating:
“As for your request, since your booked flights are future dated, we cannot process the refund as we only handle post travel cases. Once you have utilised your ticket, you can contact us back so we can process the refund.”
Lets wait and see!!!

Good tip on who to contact when. My family recently completed a trip and I am pretty sure we are owed about $600 from an award trip. I didn't dare try to do anything before flying as I didn't want to jeopardise $13000 in award flights, but I will email the CC and report back.

 

[DC3]

If a new flight is to be added to an already existing itinerary, it's not a new booking.

Is that a Call Centre response?

Anyway, sounds like a Call Centre scam to get people off of the line.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I have an OWA starting in about a month that has been a nightmare to construct and get ticketed.

The trip is in two parts:
Jun-Jul
MNLxNRTxHEL-AMS
ZHRxLHR-DUB
DUBxLHRxSINxSYD-BNE

Dec
BNExMEL-HND
NRTxKUL-HKT (note MH sectors)

I’ve been advised of a schedule change for Dec with MEL-HND now departing before BNE-MEL arrives.

My question to the brains trust: Do I need to sort this before my first departure in June and put the whole itinerary at risk…

Or can I just ignore it until the first part of the trip is out of the way and sort the mess when I get home with far fewer sectors at risk?

Advice appreciated.

 

[DC3]

Deleted

 

[ozflier]

I can't believe that this booking fits in with OWA rules.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have an OWA starting in about a month that has been a nightmare to construct and get ticketed.

The trip is in two parts:
Jun-Jul
MNLxNRTxHEL-AMS
ZHRxLHR-DUB
DUBxLHRxSINxSYD-BNE

Dec
BNExMEL-HND
NRTxKUL-HKT (note MH sectors)

I’ve been advised of a schedule change for Dec with MEL-HND now departing before BNE-MEL arrives.

My question to the brains trust: Do I need to sort this before my first departure in June and put the whole itinerary at risk…

Or can I just ignore it until the first part of the trip is out of the way and sort the mess when I get home with far fewer sectors at risk?

Advice appreciated.

I’d personally leave it well alone just now.
December is a long time away and it should be relatively straightforward to get an earlier BNE-MEL.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’d personally leave it well alone just now.
December is a long time away and it should be relatively straightforward to get an earlier BNE-MEL.

Agree.

My only concern is if the ticket becomes ‘unticketed’ once they see the miss connect… which could jeopardise the MH sectors as they will auto cancel. However… not sure if that would trigger in this case?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Agree.

My only concern is if the ticket becomes ‘unticketed’ once they see the miss connect… which could jeopardise the MH sectors as they will auto cancel. However… not sure if that would trigger in this case?

This was my concern too.

I called (3xHUACA until reaching HBA) and asked about a dozen very specific questions about reticketing, revalidation etc including that it is MNL point of origin and ticketed by MNL office.

I also outlined that the MH flights had dropped three times previously due to partner changes and that on the most recent occasion the whole booking was handed over to <name> who is the OWA guru in HBA and was rebuilt from the start.

Agent could see history in the notes and commented on what a nightmare it had been.

She then advised that because this change was a QF flight they could select alternatives and “force reissue” without affecting any of the partner flights.

I pressed further on whether this required reticketing and the agent advised that yes it would, but that this could be done by the “force reissue” without affecting the partner flights.

She also offered the usual assurance that she’d keep an eye on it and the new tickets would issue “well within 2 hours and likely less than an hour”.

So apprehensively I proceeded:

Outcome was a PDF with new flight details but no ticket numbers within about 15min of the call ending.

I then checked the MH app and the new ticket numbers were showing.

Couldn’t cross-check on RJ because it had gone tech.

Amadeus issued text-only itinerary with new ticket numbers landed about three hours after the call.

As best I can tell without real-time Amadeus access it’s all worked fine.

Here’s hoping…

 

[ozflier]

I can't believe that this booking fits in with OWA rules.

Hi,
Apologies for being incorrect currently ill on my OWA thru Africa and Italy.
I'm a bit brighter now so recognise my error.
I had never thought of actually starting a OWA from outside Australia and not returning to Australia.
And congratulations on achieving such a great result!

 

[dairyfloss]

Saw this press release from OW a little earlier - hopefully will make OW RTW planning easier for all, regardless of how and where they complete the booking:

oneworld partners with Elemental Cognition on Travel Agent

oneworld Alliance and AI company Elemental Cognition have completed initial trials of their state-of-the-art booking tool for “Round the World” tickets.

www.oneworld.com

oneworld Alliance and artificial intelligence (AI) company Elemental Cognition have completed initial trials of their state-of-the-art booking tool that helps customers navigate the complex process of planning a “Round the World” ticket.

Unfortunately, no sampling to be had, just yet.

Cheers,
Matt.