Qantas Revenue booking cancellations (under covid19)

[get me outta here]

See my post 207 re cancelling reward flights and getting refunds last night. Basically, I just asked for them and got them after 3.5 hours on hold.

When should I see the points back in my QF acct?

 

[Jay M]

Travel insurance is likely to still say the cancellation was a result of the pandemic, which is what Qantas is using to get out of refunds (outside their control).

If you're within 120 days of booking, I suggest a credit card chargeback

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Travel insurance is likely to still say the cancellation was a result of the pandemic, which is what Qantas is using to get out of refunds (outside their control).

If you're within 120 days of booking, I suggest a credit card chargeback

I’m not sure if this is correct. Qantas *says* they’re not going to process refunds... or at least their carefully crafted words suggest this. Their page on ‘ACCC rights’ clearly states they are only presenting an ‘overview’ and that you should seek legal advice as to whether you are entitled to other remedies (such as a refund). Is that a tactic to scare people off from claiming their normal rights, which can be achieved without any legal advice?

Travel insurance absolutely shouldn’t be used where the airline owes a passenger a full refund

So people who want a refund should be cancelling now and wearing the cancellation costs. Then claiming those on insurance wherever possible if overseas travel is involved.

I would say folk should wait until qantas actually cancels the flight, THEN look at options.

While qantas says they will move impacted passengers on domestic flights, and then start processing vouchers for all others... they don’t say ‘and also process refunds where we are required to do so’.

Lots of speak ‘by omission’ by QF on these issues... which don’t put forward a clear an unequivocal position.

 

[Pushka]

I’m not sure if this is correct. Qantas *says* they’re not going to process refunds... or at least their carefully crafted words suggest this. Their page on ‘ACCC rights’ clearly states they are only presenting an ‘overview’ and that you should seek legal advice as to whether you are entitled to other remedies (such as a refund). Is that a tactic to scare people off from claiming their normal rights, which can be achieved without any legal advice?

Travel insurance absolutely shouldn’t be used where the airline owes a passenger a full refund



I would say folk should wait until qantas actually cancels the flight, THEN look at options.

While qantas says they will move impacted passengers on domestic flights, and then start processing vouchers for all others... they don’t say ‘and also process refunds where we are required to do so’.

Lots of speak ‘by omission’ by QF on these issues... which don’t put forward a clear an unequivocal position.

Devil in the detail. My TI includes Pandemics so all covered.

 

[Vic]

Just checked a couple of bookings (business D class) which I thought were refundable without a fee, so I wanted to check the fare conditions. Rather interesting that the link to the actual fare conditions doesn't appear to be there anymore. lol

Edit: digging into the website - Business class is apparently entitled to a full refund, no fees.

Travel insurance absolutely shouldn’t be used where the airline owes a passenger a full refund

Totally agree, the Travel insurance is not going to pay out when the airline should've paid a full refund.

 

[NM]

My remaining booking is for 3 of us to travel to NZ in July. Its a mix of QFF classic awards, AsiaMiles awards and paid I class. I am sitting tight, waiting to see how long the international travel ban is imposed. If official guiidance changes and we are comfortable with the situation, we will go. But if not, we will cancel. I am hoping that if the situation remains as is today, that our flights will be cancelled and then I have options/justification for a refund. My TI was purchased 17th January, so before any TI exclusions. My risk is that one leg of the journey is a classic award that is purely AU domestic (MEL-BNE) and booked on a separate ticket, so that one QF may just reschedule if the booked flight is cancelled.

So for now, I sit back and watch and will be learning from others' experiences.

 

[leaving on a jet plane]

Just checked a couple of bookings (business D class) which I thought were refundable without a fee, so I wanted to check the fare conditions. Rather interesting that the link to the actual fare conditions doesn't appear to be there anymore. lol

Edit: digging into the website - Business class is apparently entitled to a full refund, no fees.



Totally agree, the Travel insurance is not going to pay out when the airline should've paid a full refund.

Hi there Vic... thought you (and perhaps others) looking to find whether or not your fare conditions include a FULL refund clause might be interested (and/or disappointed) in this link:

https://www.qantas.com/regions/amadeus/minirules/AUUSSALE_SUMMARY/

 

[lynnk]

so, with my obviously cancelled award flight syd-lhr on 22 May, I am assuming that they won't charge me the cancellation points that they usually do? Afraid if I cancel online they will charge me those points. Don't want to call them at the moment though as I'm sure there's lots of paying customers that want to speak to them more urgently...

 

[Vic]

Hi there Vic... thought you (and perhaps others) looking to find whether or not your fare conditions include a FULL refund clause might be interested (and/or disappointed) in this link:

https://www.qantas.com/regions/amadeus/minirules/AUUSSALE_SUMMARY/

My troublesome flights are domestic, whereas your link looks like it's for US flights.
I'm looking at this one:

Bookings - Fare Types

Cancellations (including no show)​

Fare is fully refundable.

 

[Andy_M]

Can anyone tell me where to find the voucher once you cancel? Had to cancel Singapore to Sydney on Tuesday however I cant find a voucher.

 

[Etrust]

Have J reward booking for 2 pax, BNE-HKG-DXB-FCO/FCO-DXB-HKG-BNE.

Email received the other day, and reflected in updated booking, now removing the DXB-FCO leg outbound only - this will be because EK cancelling flights to Italy until end of May. The return flight (in June) still showing. No alternative flights made to booking, probably because there aren't any. Also, I know the BNE-HKG flight will not be going ahead as all flights cancelled until end of May. Not reflected on booking yet, but no doubt there is simply triage occurring in the res and call centres right now. Their focus is going to be on anything occuring in the next week or so until the end of the March.

I expect a full cancellation and refund of fees (and FF points) to occur once they get over the hump. We probably just need to be a little patient, and show some empathy to a lot of Qantas people who have an anxious time ahead of them.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Can anyone tell me where to find the voucher once you cancel? Had to cancel Singapore to Sydney on Tuesday however I cant find a voucher.

You should get an email with a link you can follow to the voucher

 

[leaving on a jet plane]

I just spoke to the nice man at the ACCC and he confirmed that QANTAS do NOT have to give a full refund even if they cancel the flights as the ACCC deem this to be out of QANTAS' control and a direct result of government action.
He further advised that they can do nothing about downstream QANTAS price gouging. So if you get a voucher today for the full refund of say $6,000 per ticket and QANTAS now want you to pay $9,000 per ticket for the same seat (this is my situation x3 tickets) then its tough luck... you shouldn't have taken the voucher! Caveat Emptor.
So, my advice before you take the "Full value Voucher" over the "Discounted cash refund" option is to price up your replacement flight on the QANTAS site as you can already see pricing for to book a flight almost a year from now. You can be sure that QANTAS wont be discounting their flights for the next 12 months until AFTER the September deadline to spend vouchers

 

[JohnM]

Apologies if this has already been answered.

I have a several QFd bookings, booked in whY but upgraded to J.

I will cancel them for a credit voucher. Does anyone know what they will do about the points used for the upgrade? Can I assume that the system is smart enough to hive those off and refund them?

 

[equus]

I just spoke to the nice man at the ACCC and he confirmed that QANTAS do NOT have to give a full refund even if they cancel the flights as the ACCC deem this to be out of QANTAS' control and a direct result of government action.

That may be his interpretation of the position under ACL but he is wrong as he has ignored the fact that Qantas own policy and conditions of carriage - published before the ticket was bought and part of the contract, entitles you to a refund. The entitlement may not be statutory under the ACL, but the contractual right is there, and Qantas cannot unilaterally vary it.

 

[leaving on a jet plane]

That may be his interpretation of the position under ACL but he is wrong as he has ignored the fact that Qantas own policy and conditions of carriage - published before the ticket was bought and part of the contract, entitles you to a refund. The entitlement may not be statutory under the ACL, but the contractual right is there, and Qantas cannot unilaterally vary it.

Correct...assuming your fare rules include a 100% refund (as it seems domestic Business does) BUT if your fare rules, like mine, for international Business class flights allow for a $600 cancellation fee then QANTAS can deduct the $600

 

[equus]

Correct...assuming your fare rules include a 100% refund (as it seems domestic Business does) BUT if your fare rules, like mine, for international Business class flights allow for a $600 cancellation fee then QANTAS can deduct the $600

Nothing to do with fare rules if they cancel the flight.

See (as posted by #serfty earlier) Conditions of Carriage | Qantas AU Look at the last dot point in Section 31.1 - which is only limited by Section 2.4 (which is about overriding law which may change things). That little box you ticked when making your booking to agree to the Conditions of Carriage (with the link to all this) is how these conditions are contractually incorporated.

Section 9.2 specifically mentions significant changes and cancellations due to events beyond Qantas control - and states that they will provide a refund if they can't book you on an alternative acceptable to you.

 

[Pushka]

Just checked a couple of bookings (business D class) which I thought were refundable without a fee, so I wanted to check the fare conditions. Rather interesting that the link to the actual fare conditions doesn't appear to be there anymore. lol

Edit: digging into the website - Business class is apparently entitled to a full refund, no fees.



Totally agree, the Travel insurance is not going to pay out when the airline should've paid a full refund.

Agred. Using TI Depends on the circumstances as I bailed on the Level 4 warning which was a couple of days before Qantas cancelled the flight so I wore the penalty. I decided I wanted the cash now.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That may be his interpretation of the position under ACL but he is wrong as he has ignored the fact that Qantas own policy and conditions of carriage - published before the ticket was bought and part of the contract, entitles you to a refund. The entitlement may not be statutory under the ACL, but the contractual right is there, and Qantas cannot unilaterally vary it.

Yes, I agree with this. The ACCC’s website actually say you may be entitled to a full refund if your contract allows it... which is exactly what the QF site says. QF could easily have inserted another clause in their COC which said that there is no refund for events outside their control, but they did not.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Let’s just assume for one minute... let’s give QF the benefit of the doubt... that somehow this is an event beyond their control which allows them to cancel and provide a voucher only.

Why is it that...

• the voucher cannot be used in any way the recipient wants? For example buying two or three flights of lesser value?
• the customer must pay any higher fare difference, but will not receive a credit if the new fare is lower?
• the fare is not ‘rain checked’? If you have a ‘I’ class fare for $5999 to london, why not guarantee the same fare as long as ‘I’ class is available later? Why force the recipient into a $9000 fare?

There are so many restrictions that make the issuing of a voucher totally unfair.