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

 

[clifford]

I have a booking CBR-SYD-MIM-MEL-ADL, which has a schedule change due to the MIM-MEL sector no longer operating.

So Qantas have tentatively changed the booking to CBR-SYD-MIM-SYD-MEL-ADL, which of course won't ticket because of minimum connect time failing in MIM and MEL.

The only courses of action I have are to contact a call centre (which I am dreading) or cancel the booking for a refund (which won't happen anytime soon). I just don't think that Cape Town could sensibly deal with this.

How frustrating, Qantas.

Update:
I plucked up the courage to call 131313 today, the first 2 calls in the morning went straight through (no waiting) to Cape Town, and once advised who I was speaking with, I politely ended the call.

Third call, this afternoon, went through to Fiji after a 15 minute wait. Once I was advised that the gentleman on the call was in Fiji, I decided to give him the opportunity to fix my booking,. He was quietly spoken, neutral accent, and seemed to know what he was doing. Sure enough, after about 15 minutes on the phone he had changed the booking so that there was no longer a minimum connect time issue in Adelaide, and lo and behold, my ticket was reissued within a couple of hours.

I'll certainly be happy to use the Fiji call centre again, and will continue to boycott Cape Town (life's too short). Perhaps Qantas will eventually get the message.

 

[Mr H]

I'll certainly be happy to use the Fiji call centre again, and will continue to boycott Cape Town (life's too short). Perhaps Qantas will eventually get the message.

I guess everyone's experience is different. I would choose Cape Town over Fiji any day.

 

[clifford]

I guess everyone's experience is different. I would choose Cape Town over Fiji any day.

I just had too many (apparently) rude or incompetent agents there in the past. But, as you say, YMMV.

 

[Pablo]

I called 131211 at 330pm on Saturday and was answered immediately by Hobart. This is the second time that’s happened for me in the past 2 weeks.

 

[Pliny]

I called 131211 at 330pm on Saturday and was answered immediately by Hobart. This is the second time that’s happened for me in the past 2 weeks.

That's good to know. If my problem as promised is not sorted, I'll try that Hobart number.
I live south of Hobart. We do have the same accent.

 

[Mr H]

I live south of Hobart. We do have the same accent.

Are you a penguin?

 

[robinsparkles]

I called 131211 at 330pm on Saturday and was answered immediately by Hobart. This is the second time that’s happened for me in the past 2 weeks.

Can I ask if you have status?

 

[RichardMEL]

1pm AEST Sunday called (as P1). zero wait time through to HBA. Agent was amazingly proactive and helpful in many ways - going above and beyond what I was even asking for to try to find options. Couldn't possibly ask for more. Obviously the white card helps a fair amount.

 

[Mattg]

That's good to know. If my problem as promised is not sorted, I'll try that Hobart number.
I live south of Hobart. We do have the same accent.

This isn't a "Hobart" number, it's the Platinum phone number. If you don't have Platinum status, you'll be redirected to another call centre...

 

[Pliny]

Are you a penguin?

 

[Pliny]

This isn't a "Hobart" number, it's the Platinum phone number. If you don't have Platinum status, you'll be redirected to another call centre...

I got through to the queue on 131211 as an option was flight credits. No I'm a pleb.

 

[Mattg]

I got through to the queue on 131211 as an option was flight credits. No I'm a pleb.

Anyone can use this number, but it doesn't automatically give you priority unless you enter a Platinum frequent flyer number. The separate phone number for Platinum members is basically just marketing.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Just an aside from a frequent lurker on this thread, but I check in here often to see how this is going as I have been making good on my decision to avoid QF until this is fixed.

I'm pleased to see some improvements, not surprised that many of the problems persist, but mostly it just continues to strike me as I read the thread that you can feel the intense relief, elation and almost giddiness from people when they finally manage to achieve what they set out to achieve. Pretty much sums up what the state of affairs has been, when basic competence results in such joy.

I flew Air NZ on my trip to North America last month, Fiji this month, and Air Canada next month, and have to say my experience having to call each of them for various bits and pieces has been a shocking eye-opener at just how bad things had become at QF. The two clinchers were Air Canada answering without even a single ring after choosing the relevant option, and Air NZ apologised for the long wait time (it couldn't have been even 10 minutes) and then navigating through some complex changes without a moment of hesitation and then asking me to stay on the phone to confirm I'd received the new e-ticket.

Here's hoping the improvement at QF is real and continues.

There is a real gap and opportunity in the market to snare some premium money.

Is Alan asleep ?

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

There is a real gap and opportunity in the market to snare some premium money.

Is Alan asleep ?

It certainly feels like a lot of chickens are coming home to roost at the minute. This thread exists in large part not just because of the poor staffing and training of the call centres, but because Qantas has failed to build and run an operation that avoids those calls having to be made in the first place.

An aged, limited website (that ironically seems to offer less functionality than before Covid) that can't perform some of the most basic of tasks, constant cuts to staff in the air, below the wing, and everywhere else, and more recently, operational issues leading to delays and cancellations. It's a perfect storm. Dump an incompetent, understaffed call centre on top of those issues and you're cooked.

I'm but one flyer, but I've had it for now and I'll be curious to see what happens next. Even with a stellar, perfect call centre, I wouldn't book a ticket requiring a connection on the other end on an airline that's consistently late, and Alan's performance stats right now are not "match fit."

 

[RichardMEL]

It does feel like the company needs a clean sweep at the top to encourage and foster change... when that may actually begin to happen... well that's anyone's guess.

of course it's not as simple as that given the financial situation of the company and it's far from simple to change legacy systems like the clunky website (no matter how cheap work experience kids might be) and $$$ availl for investment in such things are likely limited specially with poor revenue for the past 2+ years and only now starting to come back, but with huge liabilkities on the books too (all those credits-until they expire of course), FF points unspent, all the rest...

not in any way intending excuses for the way things are, just that even if whole of senior management were replaced tomorrow with people truly dedicated to pro customer, pro proper technology changes, pro staff, so on and so forth it's just not that simple... as much as we would wish it.

 

[Pliny]

There is a real gap and opportunity in the market to snare some premium money.

Is Alan asleep ?

Alan's wide awake. He's been wined and dined buying a new Airbus Fleet.

I 'spose he hasn't time or money left to employ more call centre staff.

 

[Lynda2475]

Unfortunately he has employed more call centre staff but they are off shore and not well trained so may as well not exist.

 

[CMA222]

The call centres are only the start. The mess that is now Qantas is causing loyal flyers to look around. This should be leading to a mass exodus except that CX has been throttled by the CCP and the HKG government and the alternative is to move to Singapore Airlines and start again or look at BA, EK or one of the American airlines. BFOD in J now looks much more inviting to me whereas previously I would not have gone anywhere but QF to travel internationally, with CX as the back-up. Continuation of loyalty by QF extending validity was a logical attempt to hold on to "loyal" customers, but they took their eye off the ball for everything else.

 

[RooFlyer]

or look at BA, EK or one of the American airlines.

QR. Similarly priced to QF but with J and F hard and soft products so far in front its not funny. Still part of OW, so we can use our status and drink Qantas' cheap booze in their lounges till our heart's content.

 

[Lynda2475]

QR

Not a good choice is you are female.