Qantas Call Centre Long Wait Times

My understanding (from unofficial sources) is that there is a pool of priority phone numbers that airport staff give to passengers which rotates every few weeks.

I will attempt to publish the currently active number(s) in this post:

1300 304 318
1300 659 161
1300 025 396
1300 659 116

1300 024 715
1300 025 390
1300 659 115
1300 659 134
1300 659 502

 

[Mr H]

Someone suggested we should name the good agents. So shout out to Abby in Cape Town. I have a very complex OWA that has been significantly amended many times already due to Covid, Ukraine and Sri Lanka. I had tried to get changes to the itinerary through the Fiji centre yesterday and the agent was very helpful, loaded in the correct changes but it fell down at the taxes and fees stage. I know this requires a special system to do it because there are more than 11 sectors and that it takes ages. The call dropped out and I had no call back.

I waited until yesterday evening to get Cape Town because I have had some positive experiences with them n recent days. Abby took my case on, understood what was required, told me enough that I was persuaded she understood how the system worked. After an hour of waiting for her backroom team to do the taxes, she said she would have to leave them to it and they would email her when it was done - and then she would call me or email me. I took her at her word and rang off. Abby called me back (at 1am!!!) to tell me that the taxes were sorted, there was nothing more to pay, it had all been ticketed and she was about to email the e-ticket.

Three cheers for Abby. She took ownership of the case, saw it through, and kept her word to tell me the outcome. I have had two or three agents in Cape Town who have been really good (and a couple who were not).

Also worth noting that my hold times before getting an agent have decreased massively from a few weeks ago and I was even getting straight through a couple of times.

Perhaps things really are improving.

 

[sudoer]

Won't she be surprised to find her ticket has been swapped to economy class and the return leg cancelled?

What ticket? It's still in the queue.

 

[aidan059]

Update: after submitting customer care form and emailing Steph Tully, I got a call from AKL call centre apologising for service thus far. She requested update on status of reinstatement and will update me each day until the request is solved. I guess the more you push the higher the chance they will respond - to anyone still suffering Cape Town/Fiji inability.

 

[Fil-Ski]

Any way to get transferred to AKL or HBA from the SA call center?

I managed to get it done once last week. Now they are saying they don’t do transfers

 

[Paul Mc]

Day of week	Tues 24-May-2022
Time of call	1.00pm AEST
Number used	13 13 13
Status	Platinum
Hold time	Call back wait of 15 mins. Then straight onto Hold for 50 minutes without speaking to anyone. Then disconnected.
Call Centre (if known)	Unknown
Matter resolved	No
Details	I dialled 131313. The message said there was a Wait Time of 15 minutes and it offered Call Back to keep my "place in the line". So I took that option. Received a call about 10 minutes later. However there was no person on the line - it was the recorded music. I was on Hold for 50 minutes then it just disconnected. No other call ever came.

Hi all, just posting this in case it helps others in some way.
P

 

[Port Power]

Day of week	Tues 24-May-2022
Time of call	1.00pm AEST
Number used	13 13 13
Status	Platinum
Hold time	Call back wait of 15 mins. Then straight onto Hold for 50 minutes without speaking to anyone. Then disconnected.
Call Centre (if known)	Unknown
Matter resolved	No
Details	I dialled 131313. The message said there was a Wait Time of 15 minutes and it offered Call Back to keep my "place in the line". So I took that option. Received a call about 10 minutes later. However there was no person on the line - it was the recorded music. I was on Hold for 50 minutes then it just disconnected. No other call ever came.

Hi all, just posting this in case it helps others in some way.
P

It doesn't help, but it makes me feel better that I am not the only person this has happened to. However, I hung up after a couple of minutes when I realised no one actually seemed to be on the line.

It has also happened another time. I could hear people talking in the background, but still no one spoke directly to me. Quota filled! A bit like "pocket dial" on a mobile phone.

 

[Lynda2475]

Day of week	Tues 31-May-2022
Time of call	7:30am AEST
Number used	13 13 13
Status	Gold
Hold time	2-3 mins each time I called
Call Centre (if known)	South Africa (the worst call centre ever)
Matter resolved	No

Over the weekend got an email that my ORD-DFW flight on my OWA was changed and that I didnt need to do anything, a new ticket would be sent. Took a look at the new flight, exact same time and aircraft as the original just a new flight #. I had an AA flight on another leg change a couple of weeks ago and the new eticket arrived within a minute of the chnage advice, but its now been 36hrs and no new e-ticket.

Im so paranoid about losing my itinerary because it has not been reticketed in time, even though there should be no changes to taxes etc; as only change is the flight number.

Have tried all the current numbers on this thread this morning since 7:25am AEST and kept getting South Africia and the one agent called Elda (or something like that) who keeps lying to me. Ive HUACA a dozen times, so either there is only 1 person working or they are all giving this one fake name.

She says i need to accept the change, I am like no the email says I do not (there is nowhere online to accept the change), and I would please like her to call ticketing and to to have eticket issued and sent immediately. She hung up on me.

13th call someone new, didnt catch the name but extremely agressive and rude; acused me for beiung rude for simply explaining that I do not want to make any chnages I would just like the eticket issued so I dont lose my flights. Puts me on hold.

I am so worried she will screw up my booking, I dont want a booking change I just want my new e-ticket; as ime no eticket pdf received, means no seat (Ive lost this itinerary once before due to tardy ticketing and cant handle that stress again, but at leats back then hobart were availabel to fix).

I was previously able to see the itinerary on the app and now I cant, it is there still online but I no longer have the option to have my tax invoice resent which means no e-ticket; every other trip I can get the tax invoice resent no problems.

I need to get to work, and its been an hour, she comes off hold says something unintelligible and puts me back on hold. And now the lie that i will get an email within 24 hours.

I so dont need this stress atm.

*** So I just received email and its the old e-ticket with the old (not the new) flight number. Seriously! I mean the hyde to resend the eticket from the prevous change (clearly dated April) and with wrong flight number and claim the ticket has been re-issued.

Well Im already an hour late for work, I guess I will have to call yet again tonight and keep everythign crossed I dont get South Africa,

 

[Mr H]

*** So I just received email and its the old e-ticket with the old (not the new) flight number. Seriously! I mean the hyde to resend the eticket from the prevous change (clearly dated April) and with wrong flight number and claim the ticket has been re-issued.

Well Im already an hour late for work, I guess I will have to call yet again tonight and keep everythign crossed I dont get South Africa,

You could log the Amadeus booking code on Check My Trip and that will show you in real time which flights are on your booking and whether you have ticket numbers for each individual flight. The emails from Qantas will sometimes show out of date information. They are a useful guide sometimes but they are not real time and not definitive.

Note that each time you refresh CMT you have to delete the web address apart from www.chekmytrip.com or it may show the previous details. If you have the flights you expect and do have ticket numbers for every flight then all good. If not, you will be able to pinpoint where the problem is to guide the agent. If the sole barrier to reticketing is your unwillingness to say you accept the schedule change then it should be an easy solve.

 

[Lynda2475]

I dont need CMT i can see by using booking number on BA (and the related reference on AA) that there is no longer an eticket number where one was previously visible there. Qantas has not reticketed the flights as is required when a flight number changes.

Also i have accepted the changes verbally but i have an email quite clearly stating i dont need to do so given nature of the change. The issue is clear, QF havent reissued ticket with the new flight number.

Should happen automatically as it did with previous change initiated by AA. Clearly some batch job hasnt run or is stuck and time is ticking.

I have no interest in using cmt, i want new eticket number and pdf, cmt wont allow me to board.

 

[Mr H]

I dont need CMT i can see by using booking number on BA (and the related reference on AA) that there is no longer an eticket number where one was previously visible there. Qantas has not reticketed the flights as is required when a flight number changes.

Also i have accepted the changes verbally but i have an email quite clearly stating i dont need to do so given nature of the change. The issue is clear, QF havent reissued ticket with the new flight number.

Fair enough. I have found the approach that works best for me with the SA Centre is to try to work with them and help them through the process.

I have no interest in using cmt, i want new eticket number and pdf, cmt wont allow me to board.

It is the boarding pass (often now electronic) which lets you board, and those are issued against Amadeus codes which link to the ticketing data on the Amadeus system. The PDF is a relic of a bygone age and you have already discovered for yourself that it is less reliable than Amadeus viewing portals.

 

[Lynda2475]

I don't want SA call centre poking around in my booking and potentially screwing something up (changing flights or downgrading me), I just want them to get ticketing which is onshore to issue the eticket.

Once you have the correct eticket pdf you can be confident the Amadeus bookings are ticketed not just a reservation.

You can't check in to get a boarding pass on a non ticketed flight.

So whilst you feel etickets aren't of any use, I disagree.

IME SA just tell lies and try to get you off the line, they don't actually do anything except perhaps make situation worse.

I just want to speak to someone in AU or NZ who is competent especially since this is a simple matter of them reissuing a ticket with a new flight number.

 

[Mr H]

I don't want SA call centre poking around in my booking and potentially screwing something up (chaning flights or downgrading me)...

I just want to speak to someone in AU or NZ who is competent especially since this is a simple matter of them reissuing a ticket with a new flight number.

Perhaps your approach of digging your heels in will work.

 

[Lynda2475]

Perhaps your approach of digging your heels in will work.

That's not my approach, I'm am huaca until I get someone competent to resolve; and we all know that won't be anyone in SA.

Even Fiji are better than SA.

Using CMT which is a 3rd party app isn't going to get QF to ticket the flight. If SA won't accept a QF email as proof there is nothing to accept online they certainly aren't going to care about CMT.

 

[Nitro6333]

That's not my approach, I'm am huaca until I get someone competent to resolve; and we all know that won't be anyone in SA.

Even Fiji are better than SA.

Using CMT which is a 3rd party app isn't going to get QF to ticket the flight. If SA won't accept a QF email as proof there is nothing to accept online they certainly aren't going to care about CMT.

Interesting you find Fiji better than SA. In my experience defiantly SA much better but it just depend on who you get I suppose

 

[levelnine]

That's not my approach, I'm am huaca until I get someone competent to resolve; and we all know that won't be anyone in SA.

I'll be interested in hearing how long it takes for you to get someone to issue you a simple ticket.

 

[RooFlyer]

Day of week Tues 31-May-2022

Time of call 4:15pm AEST

Number used 13 12 11

Status Platinum

Hold time 20 mins. First announcment was very long wait times for ticketing, reservations and (something), but hold to continue. Then normal messages.

Call Centre (if known) 'Pacific'

Matter resolved Hopefully, awaiting ticket issue.

Details Got a nice operator, 'Welcome to Qantas Premium..." sounding Fijian but not certain. But then I did he old local trick (for HBA call centre and a Tas local) of my grizzling about the local weather. "No, very warm where we are". .
I had 2 flights changed from directs out of/into HBA to now go via MEL (seems that HBA direct flight are being progessively cancelled 2-3 months out) and I was seeking better options than I was given. Put on hold each time, but not for long and both apparently OK. I got told the tickets have been put into the queue and will issue within 24 hours. Alarm bells ... asked if they could be issued straight away. Told no - but I will get an itinerary - which I have, the old computer-type face things.

No real complaints, other than longer wait than used to and no immediate re-issue of tickets. The operator did things in a straightforward way, checking alternative flights, several if available, clearly and concisely.

Will call again tomorrow if tickets not received. First time ever I haven't got the HBA call centre.

Edit: e-ticket received 20 mins later . So thats a tick for Fiji from me.

 

[ronlon]

It's just not right. There is nothing wrong with being recognised as having status with privileges. However whether we are bronze, platinum, yellow or purple when we need to call we should ALL be able to speak to ANY call centre location and they should ALL have a similar skill set and level of training.

 

[Nitro6333]

It's just not right. There is nothing wrong with being recognised as having status with privileges. However whether we are bronze, platinum, yellow or purple when we need to call we should ALL be able to speak to ANY call centre location and they should ALL have a similar skill set and level of training.

Totally agree with you on this. We all deserve efficient service from operators who know what they’re doing. Higher status definitely should receive faster service

 

[Captain Halliday]

Interesting you find Fiji better than SA. In my experience defiantly SA much better but it just depend on who you get I suppose

Seems to be plenty of experiences posted up thread of the South African call centre acting defiantly.

And the nominations for most ironic typo of the year are…

 

[love_the_life]

Day of week Tues 31-May-2022

Time of call 4:15pm AEST

Number used 13 12 11

Status Platinum

Hold time 20 mins. First announcment was very long wait times for ticketing, reservations and (something), but hold to continue. Then normal messages.

Call Centre (if known) 'Pacific'

Matter resolved Hopefully, awaiting ticket issue.

Details Got a nice operator, 'Welcome to Qantas Premium..." sounding Fijian but not certain. But then I did he old local trick (for HBA call centre and a Tas local) of my grizzling about the local weather. "No, very warm where we are". .
I had 2 flights changed from directs out of/into HBA to now go via MEL (seems that HBA direct flight are being progessively cancelled 2-3 months out) and I was seeking better options than I was given. Put on hold each time, but not for long and both apparently OK. I got told the tickets have been put into the queue and will issue within 24 hours. Alarm bells ... asked if they could be issued straight away. Told no - but I will get an itinerary - which I have, the old computer-type face things.

No real complaints, other than longer wait than used to and no immediate re-issue of tickets. The operator did things in a straightforward way, checking alternative flights, several if available, clearly and concisely.

Will call again tomorrow if tickets not received. First time ever I haven't got the HBA call centre.

Edit: e-ticket received 20 mins later . So thats a tick for Fiji from me.

The Fijian CC was quite efficient in my issue (ticketing for a BPay itinerary) - said 24 - 48 hours and received within the 24 hours.