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

 

[parkesyau]

Day of week	Fri
Time of call	1545 AEST
Number used	13 12 11
Status	Platinum
Hold time	~8 mins
Call Centre (if known)	Fiji/South Africa (going off accent)
Matter resolved	No
Details	Called up to check on a international reward flight change (not in my favour) and to see if there any options. No luck, the agent on the phone right away suggested that I cancel my reward ticket and book a commercial ticket with Air India. Not happy with the response, as the agent didn't seem like he did any search for any alternate flights etc. May be there were too many people affected by the change and got in touch with the customer service, so he knew right away what to say ... I also had another engagement at 1600, so I thanked him for his time & hung up the call

Day of week	Sat
Time of call	2103 AEST
Number used	13 12 11
Status	Platinum
Hold time	> 1 min
Call Centre (if known)	Fiji/South Africa (going off accent)
Matter resolved	No
Details	Called up to follow up on the international reward flight change and see if anything can be done. Call answered straight away after keying in the FF number & security code. Explained the issue, the agent on phone apologised for the issue, looked up a few flights as alternates. She couldn't find anything that was favourable to me. To be honest, my flights were too tight and on different PNRs, so yea, it wasn't going to be. The agent on the phone did say that she is going to talk the "relevant" team to see if any flights can be "opened" up to accommodate me and call me back. She asked when will be the right time to call me, I said anytime after 1800 on Sunday. However, I wasn't expecting a flight to be "opened" up, but I did expect to get a call back as promised, which didn't happen either.

So if you’re having no luck as a platinum I have no chance

 

[Ade]

So if you’re having no luck as a platinum I have no chance

I wouldn't say that ... What is the issue you are facing?.

If you are referring to your luck in terms getting to talk to someone, then it might just take a bit longer ... but if you are referring to the change in flights/etc, then you will probably fine. My booking was, as rightly pointed out, very ambitious and too close ... I planned to fly CBR-SYD-SIN, landing SIN at 1750, clearing immigration, re-enter & check-in for a MH flight departing at 1915. And these were 2 different bookings, so essentially, if any flights were delayed/cancelled, I'm stuck ...

 

[parkesyau]

I wouldn't say that ... What is the issue you are facing?.

If you are referring to your luck in terms getting to talk to someone, then it might just take a bit longer ... but if you are referring to the change in flights/etc, then you will probably fine. My booking was, as rightly pointed out, very ambitious and too close ... I planned to fly CBR-SYD-SIN, landing SIN at 1750, clearing immigration, re-enter & check-in for a MH flight departing at 1915. And these were 2 different bookings, so essentially, if any flights were delayed/cancelled, I'm stuck ...

Booked two seperate classic reward bookings over the weekend with codeshare westjet for our trip. The e ticket doesn’t get issued quick enough as westjet apparently have a time delay. Then I’ve had to call and the agents reinstate the booking, have issues linking the points and tax I pay, join the back of the ticketing queue for it to time out again. They have my points my tax and they keep getting “timed out” by westjet with the booking. Its a constant loop I am up to my 3rd time now and nobody will put me through directly to ticketing agent to get help

 

[parkesyau]

Booked two seperate classic reward bookings over the weekend with codeshare westjet for our trip. The e ticket doesn’t get issued quick enough as westjet apparently have a time delay. Then I’ve had to call and the agents reinstate the booking, have issues linking the points and tax I pay, join the back of the ticketing queue for it to time out again. They have my points my tax and they keep getting “timed out” by westjet with the booking. Its a constant loop I am up to my 3rd time now and nobody will put me through directly to ticketing agent to get help

I’ve booked a westjet codeshare about two weeks ago and had no issue
It seems these two booking I made on Saturday are stuck in this never ending loop and I am always on the phone repeating the whole saga. Nobody will even expedite me to Auckland or Hobart for help they just tell me they don’t have a direct line when I know they do as yesterday I got put through to Auckland who found the issue with linking the taxes I paid they found it in their back end system. But of course by the time it got to the ticketing dept again westjet had timed out ( I am beyond frustrated now I have asked to speak to a senior or someone who knows but they just put you on hold to check something )

 

[parkesyau]

I call the 1300 number above each time. I don’t who who I am getting anymore. This morning sounded FIjI, on hold again now and could be South Africa or Phillipines I have no idea . Multiple times people have entered things in their system wrong ( Auckland explained yesterday when fixing it) but again nobody has been able to ticket it

 

[Ade]

I’ve booked a westjet codeshare about two weeks ago and had no issue
It seems these two booking I made on Saturday are stuck in this never ending loop and I am always on the phone repeating the whole saga. Nobody will even expedite me to Auckland or Hobart for help they just tell me they don’t have a direct line when I know they do as yesterday I got put through to Auckland who found the issue with linking the taxes I paid they found it in their back end system. But of course by the time it got to the ticketing dept again westjet had timed out ( I am beyond frustrated now I have asked to speak to a senior or someone who knows but they just put you on hold to check something )

I can understand. This can be super frustrating. Especially, when working with codeshares & reward seats. In my experience, I have always had luck talking to someone from AU when I call between 8 AM and 11 AM AEST. When I call during this time, I always, always, get AU based agents who know exactly what they are doing. If you are based in AU or can get in touch during the aforementioned AEST hours, you will definitely have luck.

Re : timeout - sometimes, the agents make a duplicate booking and it goes through successfully. They then cancel the original booking and retain the duplicate one. May be suggest this next time you get to speak to them?

In my experience, when I wanted domestic reward Y seats to be released, the agent made at least 2 duplicate bookings and asked me to choose the one I wanted to retain. I was charged only for the booking that I retained, not all the duplicate (and temporary) bookings made by the agent when he was on the phone with me.

 

[parkesyau]

I can understand. This can be super frustrating. Especially, when working with codeshares & reward seats. In my experience, I have always had luck talking to someone from AU when I call between 8 AM and 11 AM AEST. When I call during this time, I always, always, get AU based agents who know exactly what they are doing. If you are based in AU or can get in touch during the aforementioned AEST hours, you will definitely have luck.

I haven’t stopped trying all morning. I agree I need someone in AUs to fix this. I tried at 7 I tried again at 10 now again at 12 I even ask to transfer nobody helps I am going around in circles having the same conversations explaining the same things and them giving me the run around basically because they have no idea

 

[parkesyau]

I haven’t stopped trying all morning. I agree I need someone in AUs to fix this. I tried at 7 I tried again at 10 now again at 12 I even ask to transfer nobody helps I am going around in circles having the same conversations explaining the same things and them giving me the run around basically because they have no idea

Everyone tells me something different now FIjI told me they can’t ticket it because there’s not enough points in my account even though they took the 56k points three days ago when I booked
How can their system not marry up correctly
I am really screwed over with this
Another “ I’ll look into this and call you back within the hour “ What’s my next option? I am done with this game

 

[levelnine]

What’s my next option? I am done with this game

I haven't followed all your posts, but is it getting to the point that you should pay for a ticket and leave the points booking for another day? Sometimes you just have to take the financial hit.

 

[Scr77]

Everyone tells me something different now FIjI told me they can’t ticket it because there’s not enough points in my account even though they took the 56k points three days ago when I booked
How can their system not marry up correctly
I am really screwed over with this
Another “ I’ll look into this and call you back within the hour “ What’s my next option? I am done with this game

Try emailing Stephanie Tully? Email is here somewhere if you search.

 

[parkesyau]

Try emailing Stephanie Tully? Email is here somewhere if you search.

You don’t have it by any chance? Looking everywhere getting mixed messages
Is it first name.last name @ quantas .com or . Au? Or no dot between first name? Don’t really want to give out booking numbers to anyone

 

[Scr77]

You don’t have it by any chance? Looking everywhere getting mixed messages
Is it first name.last name @ quantas .com or . Au? Or no dot between first name? Don’t really want to give out booking numbers to anyone

l don’t think we’ve ever known correct one for sure. Email them all. Several people have reported that a useful representative will get in touch.

 

[jpp42]

@ quantas .com

l don’t think we’ve ever known correct one for sure.

We can be sure it doesn't involve "quantas" however.

 

[DC3]

Several people have reported that a useful representative will get in touch.

That would be Jennifer?

 

[MrJetset]

I started calling at 10AM today. Took 8 HUCA to finally get a HBA agent.

It was a complex change involving unmarrying segments and I didn't want any risk of losing the confirmed F seats. The agent was able to sort it very quickly.

Also, seems wait times are down to non existent or only a minute or two on the WP queue.

 

[parkesyau]

I started calling at 10AM today. Took 8 HUCA to finally get a HBA agent.

It was a complex change involving unmarrying segments and I didn't want any risk of losing the confirmed F seats. The agent was able to sort it very quickly.

Also, seems wait times are down to non existent or only a minute or two on the WP queue.

I just realised Huca is hang up I guess a lot of HUCA tomorrow

 

[levelnine]

I started calling at 10AM today. Took 8 HUCA to finally get a HBA agent.

How do you work out their location? Accent? Or do you ask?

 

[parkesyau]

How do you work out their location? Accent? Or do you ask?

I’ve been asking their name and where they are based and been writing it down before I start my ramble. I’m gathering a list to make a very nice email so far I have had Manila when calling the 13 number but since swapping to the number on this site I get a lot of FIjI and today my first Cape Town. I had one NZ too

 

[RooFlyer]

I started calling at 10AM today. Took 8 HUCA to finally get a HBA agent.

It was a complex change involving unmarrying segments and I didn't want any risk of losing the confirmed F seats. The agent was able to sort it very quickly.

Also, seems wait times are down to non existent or only a minute or two on the WP queue.

Am I understanding correctly? You are WP but took 8 calls to reach Hobart?

 

[DC3]

How do you work out their location? Accent? Or do you ask?

Kiwi accent, dropping all of the vowels (i.e., ‘Check-in’ is pronounced as ‘Chicken’). Oz accent = Hobart. South African accent (rather harsh to my ear) = Cape Town. Fiji may be a bit harder, but I have experienced both of the accents. And Manila is dead easy. Almost 100% foolproof.

Or, Question: “How is the weather in Cape Town today?”. Answer: “I wouldn’t know. I’m in Fiji”.