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

 

[MARTINE]

I know, its so frustrating! The reason I had 3 changes to make this time is because cape town "dropped out" during my last call a week earlier.

I forgot to add because we didn't complete all the changes my first change wasn't locked in again either. So the call was a total waste of time. I'm going to attempt a 7am call midweek to get Hobart or Auckland. I know we have the priority number in the thread but I feel bad/ don't want to take it away from other people who need it more than me just to use it for an OWA that is fairly far out still. I certainly have the priority numbers saved though so if I ever need to urgently get through its my first call.

Can't wait until I finally reach Platinum (please no more pandemic, just let me travel!) so I can "hopefully" get through with less headache. Ironic, I know - spend MORE money due to their poor service just so I can get slightly better service.

Your experience has been dreadful — being hung up on , told off for asking people to do their job .. are you able to avoid QF? Is that an option for you…
It appears the response/outcome from the special numbers is very operator dependent - some are great but most …….

 

[bam71]

I got a tip on here a while ago to email [email protected] and ask them to refund the points. They did it a few days later and replied to me confirming. Doesn’t help with the money part of the refund but better than nothing and saves a call to the contact centre.

Thanks! Will get onto them now. Cheers

 

[MARTINE]

Another option may be for AFFers who are QF shareholders to raise concerns as losing customers is not good for bottom line. There are access points.
Personally - and not surprisingly - I would never buy QF for the very reasons we are talking about on this thread.

 

[Spacetravel]

Just use it. Absolutely everyone should use the priority number, then they might actually do something about the pathetic service offered by the standard method of contact.

Knowing how Qantas work though, if the number gets too much abuse QF will just "enhance" the number away and force everyone to the main number even if you are at the airport in urgent need.

Your experience has been dreadful — being hung up on , told off for asking people to do their job .. are you able to avoid QF? Is that an option for you…
It appears the response/outcome from the special numbers is very operator dependent - some are great but most …….

Isn't the fact QF are our only option why we are all here? Funnily enough I just came over from VA. Their phone line is great but they don't fly to where I need anymore so here I am.

Data point, I tried to call again today at 12 - did the call back number, wait time was 30min - 1 hour, still no call after 2 hours. Will report back if I get a response. If today doesn't go well I might use the number in the thread as I'm getting over having to wait.

Update: Received call back after 2 hours 30 min. Got "lovely" cape town again. Rep put me on hold for 10 minutes then disconnected. Why are they so bad? Anyway I've caved will use the priority number now.

I may have mentioned this up thread, I don't know. I work in a call centre for an organisation probably everyone here is familiar with and cops some flack for bad service occasionally. Behind the scenes it is always our goal to get wait times down to 0 minutes and at least for a portion of most days it is. If there is a queue longer than 30 minutes for any real length of time, its all hands on deck, people who don't take calls full time (maybe promoted out of the job) are back, overtime is given to anyone who is willing to do it. In addition to that, yes there is some bad behaviour but if we saw chronic bad behaviour coming from a particular centre or agent there would be a fire up their cough very quick. Hanging up on customers is a huge no no and if someone is caught it would be a 1 chance then they are out. It feels like Qantas doesn't do any of this?

Update 2: Tried the priority number, waited for 30 minutes and decided to hang up. Out of patience for this week will try again next week.

 

[TheInsider]

No idea how true this is, but I've been advised by someone that this airport priority line is now equivalent to a Gold FF calling. This is a major change if it's the case.

 

[Mattg]

No idea how true this is, but I've been advised by someone that this airport priority line is now equivalent to a Gold FF calling. This is a major change if it's the case.

Well as a gold frequent flyer, my experiences of calling the regular number have been absolutely woeful. Good luck to any Qantas customers who are actually at the airport and need urgent assistance, if this is the case... you're sure going to need it!

Seriously Qantas, when is enough going to be enough? Is there any actual plan to improve the call centre (i.e. by hiring more staff in Australia and/or New Zealand - because anything else is a bandaid solution and doesn't actually solve anything) to the point where even a basic level of service is actually being provided?

 

[dylarr]

No idea how true this is, but I've been advised by someone that this airport priority line is now equivalent to a Gold FF calling. This is a major change if it's the case.

Talk about cutting off one's nose to spite one's face if true. This will go down like a lead balloon.

 

[serfty]

Oh well, the numbers were ozbargained ...

I'm surprised it took so long for the enhancement.

 

[TomVexille]

Predictable decision given the contempt QF management have for their customers

 

[Spacetravel]

Knowing how Qantas work though, if the number gets too much abuse QF will just "enhance" the number away and force everyone to the main number even if you are at the airport in urgent need.

No idea how true this is, but I've been advised by someone that this airport priority line is now equivalent to a Gold FF calling. This is a major change if it's the case.

Oh well, the numbers were ozbargained ...

I'm surprised it took so long for the enhancement.

Looks like I jinxed it, didn't think what I said would come true so quickly

 

[Jacques Vert]

Rang the Premium Line yesterday using +1's WP number. On hold for an hour before I hung up as I had to go out. Normally get through in less than 10 minutes as a WP. It's getting worse.

 

[henleybeach]

I’ve tried 4 times last week, each time I was on hold for more than 1 hour 30 minutes before giving up.
I have a ticket I want to cancel and get a credit to re-book. The website won’t let me do it, as the cancel/voucher button is shaded out for some reason.
If they never answer, I’m not sure what I can do!

 

[MooTime]

I’ve tried 4 times last week, each time I was on hold for more than 1 hour 30 minutes before giving up.
I have a ticket I want to cancel and get a credit to re-book. The website won’t let me do it, as the cancel/voucher button is shaded out for some reason.
If they never answer, I’m not sure what I can do!

They QF are simply useless, pathetic in this regards.
They offer zero excuse, offer zero fixes.

VA have no such issues, less members, less flyers, less staff, less revenues whatever, yet still have no que's, QF far que's every time, no excuse it's all relevant.

Having a thread that's populated many times daily of this mess is evidence itself that QF simple don't care about their pax.

 

[Zanzara]

They QF are simply useless, pathetic in this regards.
They offer zero excuse, offer zero fixes.

VA have no such issues, less members, less flyers, less staff, less revenues whatever, yet still have no que's, QF far que's every time, no excuse it's all relevant.

Having a thread that's populated many times daily of this mess is evidence itself that QF simple don't care about their pax.

Yes true and this isn’t covered in the media, because most travel journalists seemed to be easily bribed with free flights, upgrades and the like… AFF excepted of course

 

[Captain Halliday]

I’ve tried 4 times last week, each time I was on hold for more than 1 hour 30 minutes before giving up.
I have a ticket I want to cancel and get a credit to re-book. The website won’t let me do it, as the cancel/voucher button is shaded out for some reason.
If they never answer, I’m not sure what I can do!

Charge back on your credit card, citing QF’s refusal to respond.

 

[Mel B]

No promises, but this might be helpful....

My understanding (from unofficial sources) is that there is a priority phone number that airport staff give to passengers which rotates every few weeks. One such number is 1300 134 502. It was made available a few months ago, but does still seems to work

Updated on 12 Nov 21. See first post in this thread for the current number.

Any current number? I am having this same issue with B-pay not being credited even though I never actually opted to pay by B-pay and paid on the phone by CC.

 

[Port Power]

I’ve tried 4 times last week, each time I was on hold for more than 1 hour 30 minutes before giving up.
I have a ticket I want to cancel and get a credit to re-book. The website won’t let me do it, as the cancel/voucher button is shaded out for some reason.
If they never answer, I’m not sure what I can do!

Don’t cancel for a credit and rebook. Just change your current booking to the new destination. That rule is still in place for most bookings.

Doesn’t mean you can do it online of course. That would be too easy!

 

[Spacetravel]

I want to scream, I am so over calling Qantas. I tried again today:

Day of week	Sunday
Time of call	2000AEST
Number used	131313
Status	Gold
Hold time	Announcement said <30 min, wait was 1 Hour, no call back option
Call Centre (if known)	Cape Town
Matter resolved	No
Details	Called again to try my luck, agent seemed "fine". They said they would need to call another department and will call me back in 15-20 minutes. Its been over an hour and I don't think they will be calling me back. This call centre is ****ing ridiculous. I knew QF had problems before I came over but this is insane. I'm on the verge of flying out my remaining points, credits and switching back to VA and its Musical Chairs Alliance. That had its own dramas but I never had to call 8-10 times for 1 request.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Rang the Premium Line yesterday using +1's WP number. On hold for an hour before I hung up as I had to go out. Normally get through in less than 10 minutes as a WP. It's getting worse.

Rang the Premium line again this morning using +1's WP number and the lovely Sara answered half way through the first ring! As it should be.

Now to use up all vouchers, etc. before +1 looses her WP status and choose another program.

 

[timbervolt]

Don’t cancel for a credit and rebook. Just change your current booking to the new destination. That rule is still in place for most bookings.

Doesn’t mean you can do it online of course. That would be too easy!

I thought this would be better than getting flight credit as I am having to deal with so many problems with this.
I had a mel-syd QF/JQ return trip for $367. I wanted to postpone it and the fares would be $309 for QF/QF. I asked to change for the $309 trip, expecting a refund. No no no. I had to pay a fare difference of an additional $471. So I asked for a flight credit. JQ was not refundable but the QF was but there would be a fee I think was $80 or flight credit. I sighed and asked for a flight credit for the QF ticket. I'm still waiting for the email with the ref number.