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

 

[aikman]

I booked a classic award flying Emirates. Emirates cancelled my flight, which is fine, but now I don't know if I will automatically get a refund or if I need to ask for it. The cancel button on my booking is greyed out and when I hover over it, it says "Your booking is processing" which sounds promising except that its been showing that for the past three weeks. I tried to call last night but gave up after an hour. I suppose I'll try again the next time I can spare an entire day to go on hold.

 

[Clayton]

I had a similar issue with the booking remaining visible but untouchable on AAdvantage, and after 4 weeks waiting for a refund, called them and was told that it would never have been refunded without intervention. Fortunately AAdvantage has a very responsive call centre so none of the OTT wait times we have to endure with QFF.

Much as it is painful to do so, it seems the best approach is call Qantas Call Centre. If anyone has some intel on whether there are any favourable times to call , but I have been caught out waiting for the call centre to open, and in the first seconds, of it opening there is already a several hours waiting period.

 

[Scarlett]

Sounds like...
Until customer response times are tied to executive remuneration KPIs, nothing will change.

QF execs offshore heavy maintenance because it’s cheaper.

QF execs offshore customer contact agents because it’s cheaper. They clearly also only pay that/those subcontractors for a limited number of staff. If they wanted to fix the problem they could pay for more staff, but they don’t. And until the problem is tied to KPIs, the incentive is of course to do whatever is cheaper.

So how does anyone here change that? Well, does anyone know someone else who controls superannuation fund voting rights at a QF AGM? If so, those voting rights need to be used to tie exec remuneration to customer satisfaction after using QF contact centres. That’s how change occurs! I don’t mean to be too blunt, but posting complaints here is really just pissing in the wind.

Or unless a P1 wants to ‘shirtfront’ AJ about this problem at the next invitation only gala event (and then never fly QF again)...

 

[Mattg]

I hope everyone is filling out the customer "satisfaction" survey at the end of each call.

Of course, it's a bit hard to fill this out if the call drops out or they hang up on you...

 

[Zinger]

I received QF gold status early in the year with their status challenge offer. I hadn't flown them since I held gold status and became a victim of the 2011 Qantas grounding and was stuck in Singapore for a week. I then took up the VA status match offer and have been very happy with them and have been a Velocity platinum member since.

Then I decided to book a QF flight to AKL as part of a status credit bonus in attempt to keep my QF status alive. An email arrived saying my flights have changed and have been rebooked to economy class despite my original booking being in paid business class seats.

I phoned. I waited. I waited and waited. I recharged my phone. In the nearly three hours while on hold to the gold membership reservations line I remembered all the times QF disappointed and took no responsibility when needed. I decided to just cancel my QF flights and stick with VA.

Eventually someone answered. I cancelled all flights and made it clear why, only to be told a refund would take between eight and twelve weeks. And it did.

My experience with VA is that calls are answered within a minute or two and refunds arrive the following day.

 

[SOPOOR]

Another comparison I make is Qantas to myer/David Jones.

When I was growing up they were like shopping at harrods, prices were higher they only stocked good stuff and their service set them apart. You could ask a million questions, take your time and a very generous returns policy.

Fast fwd to online presence and I found myer and David Jones online shopping experience to be the worst out of Harvey Norman, and even kmart or target! Imagine being worse than kmart!!

But that being said their pricing has become competitive so they may no longer be trying be the "premium" brand

I received QF gold status early in the year with their status challenge offer. I hadn't flown them since I held gold status and became a victim of the 2011 Qantas grounding and was stuck in Singapore for a week. I then took up the VA status match offer and have been very happy with them and have been a Velocity platinum member since.

Then I decided to book a QF flight to AKL as part of a status credit bonus in attempt to keep my QF status alive. An email arrived saying my flights have changed and have been rebooked to economy class despite my original booking being in paid business class seats.

I phoned. I waited. I waited and waited. I recharged my phone. In the nearly three hours while on hold to the gold membership reservations line I remembered all the times QF disappointed and took no responsibility when needed. I decided to just cancel my QF flights and stick with VA.

Eventually someone answered. I cancelled all flights and made it clear why, only to be told a refund would take between eight and twelve weeks. And it did.

My experience with VA is that calls are answered within a minute or two and refunds arrive the following day.

 

[Scarlett]

 

[sudoer]

Am currently waiting on hold to change a partner classic award booking which cannot be done in MMB.

Estimated wait time at the start of the call was 'under 30 minutes', now at 54 minutes and counting... maybe they've broken the status priority system again.

Edit: just got through at the 58 minute mark.

 

[Danger]

Qantas's call centre is beyond bad ...

That is the saddest, most infuriating story I've read on AFF in a long time.

I hope everyone is filling out the customer "satisfaction" survey at the end of each call.

Of course, it's a bit hard to fill this out if the call drops out or they hang up on you...

I find it's 50/50 whether I get put through to the survey or not. A lot of the time, the agent disconnects the call at the end of the conversation, rather than putting me through to the survey.

...

Eventually someone answered. I cancelled all flights and made it clear why, only to be told a refund would take between eight and twelve weeks. And it did.

...

I give Qantas (and every other merchant, for that matter) two weeks to refund, which I think is more than appropriate given a merchant grabs your money in seconds, then I chargeback. I currently have three active chargebacks with Qantas.

 

[jakeseven7]

Called again tonight to link a booking, 5 mins and through.

So just to be clear is it just non status pax struggling at the moment? I haven’t had a wait in months and months (WP here and key in FF number always).

 

[sudoer]

So just to be clear is it just non status pax struggling at the moment? I haven’t had a wait in months and months (WP here and key in FF number always).

My 58 min wait tonight was as a WP. Went through the QFF & PIN auth, selected the option to change upcoming booking > international.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I give Qantas (and every other merchant, for that matter) two weeks to refund, which I think is more than appropriate given a merchant grabs your money in seconds, then I chargeback. I currently have three active chargebacks with Qantas.

Are you getting your money back faster as a result?

Any obvious change in your interactions with QF? Faster refunds now? Blacklisted?

I wonder what would happen if QF started getting lots of chargebacks?

Maybe if the credit providers started leaning on QF, things might speed up.

 

[SOPOOR]

That is the saddest, most infuriating story I've read on AFF in a long time.



I find it's 50/50 whether I get put through to the survey or not. A lot of the time, the agent disconnects the call at the end of the conversation, rather than putting me through to the survey.



I give Qantas (and every other merchant, for that matter) two weeks to refund, which I think is more than appropriate given a merchant grabs your money in seconds, then I chargeback. I currently have three active chargebacks with Qantas.

Imagine consumers were allowed to take 9 weeks to pay their tickets.

I guess there is afterpay

 

[gilldo]

Of course, it's a bit hard to fill this out if the call drops out or they hang up on you...

I've never made it through to the survey in 25 calls - always drops out beforehand!

 

[Mattg]

I've never made it through to the survey in 25 calls - always drops out beforehand!

I guess that's one way for the call centre to keep its KPIs looking alright

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My 58 min wait tonight was as a WP. Went through the QFF & PIN auth, selected the option to change upcoming booking > international.

I wonder if 'make new booking' (ie potential $$ to QF) gets answered quicker?

 

[jakeseven7]

My 58 min wait tonight was as a WP. Went through the QFF & PIN auth, selected the option to change upcoming booking > international.

Hmmm ok mine was domestic and just realised all have been recently as well perhaps that’s the issue? Pressing international?

I’m getting through pretty much instantly all the time.

Only during the domestic lock downs I had to use call back…

 

[Mattg]

I wonder if 'make new booking' (ie potential $$ to QF) gets answered quicker?

You'd think so, but not in my experience.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sadly we all know nothing will change. We will continue to complain about long wait times but we will inevitably continue to buy Qantas tickets at every available opportunity because it is entrenched in our minds that Qantas is the best, right?

For some corporate staff travelling domestically, there may not always be a feasible choice as Qantas obviously has the most developed route network.

However internationally, two-thirds of journeys occur on non-Qantas group airlines. Many avoid Qantas and Jetstar like the plague, or should one now say 'like Omicron'.

 

[Melburnian1]

Are you getting your money back faster as a result?

Any obvious change in your interactions with QF? Faster refunds now? Blacklisted?

I wonder what would happen if QF started getting lots of chargebacks?

Maybe if the credit providers started leaning on QF, things might speed up.

The ever helpful Mattg (and sources on other non-aviation sites) have previously reminded us that there are strict time limits imposed by Visa/Mastercard on initiating chargebacks, so starting it within three weeks is prudent.