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

 

[Seat0B]

with a platinum and gold… you could have selected a seat next to the gold… no linking required?

Agreed, in principle, but it was B717, only 3 rows of business class, and there were not 2 seats together as 2 other people had selected seats in Row 3. Only Row 2 had seats together, and this would not come up on his booking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Agreed, in principle, but it was B717, only 3 rows of business class, and there were not 2 seats together as 2 other people had selected seats in Row 3. Only Row 2 had seats together, and this would not come up on his booking.

These archaic seating principles don’t lend themselves to the full ‘you can do everything online’ mantra

Hold 1 AC for the pollies if they really can’t bear to sit in row 2… but it would make life easier for everyone else to get rid of the seat blocks.

 

[ScottO]

That email is insulting, to say the least. I get that they had to do something, but all I see is more excuses, empty promises and - it gets better - blaming customers for Qantas' problems.

Telling me that I can do things online, when your website is broken and doesn't let me do so many basic things, is not helpful.

I am not booking any more flights with Qantas until this is fixed.

Agreed Matt. I am the same.... About to hit Platinum QFF and its so disappointing that I have no choice. Changes are necessary in this point in time and Qantas are not up to the task and are just about the most expensive option globally.

 

[ScottO]

I am curious, how does this work for customers booking for business trips, or larger companies managing bookings for their staff. Surely they can't put up with that s-storm and will stop using Qantas? Anyone knows more about those situations?

Yep. Had enough at this end.... booked a $12K business flight to LHR and had somany troubles changing dates that I would rather sh&t in my hands and clap than try and fly qantas at the moment. The world is in a state that flights changes are inevitable and qantas is simply not up to the task.

 

[pyffii]

its just not only Qantas but I held on for over 30 minutes to SE Water and now on hold to the Australian and its been 35 mins and counting....Just so frustrating and in both instances cant use the online functions so just have to call and wait...grrrr

 

[ChrisMars]

Like many here, I am very disappointed by Qantas, and I have been a big fan of the brand for a long time. The refund debacle, travel passes and other travel credit joke, and now the call centre disaster and customer disrespect, it's just too much. I am sad the branding of an iconic Australian company has been damaged so badly, and I hope AJ leaves his role to someone else, I don't think there can be any positive change under his leadership.

To be honest, I have the WP handcuffs, so I will still fly with Qantas for a little while. For my situation and goal, it will take time to transition to a new airline, and I am already preparing for it. Thanks to the AFF podcast a couple of weeks ago, I now have a better idea of what I should do in term of frequent flyer program and points accumulation.

 

[RichardMEL]

Definitely time for AJ to move on - everything is tarnished and the company needs a new breath of air through the place and a new vision. There seems too much legacy thinking and management style. I am not feeling AJ is the only one, but he is the figure head, and we all know he has been a cost cutting bean counter for decades - his priority has never been customer service.

He's not the only one of course, there's clearly core issues within senior and probably some levels of middle management that probably need a good clean out but most of these are people we'll never really know about... but vision and core principles are (or should be) directed from the top

and I don't feel customer confidence can begin to turn around until we see real change and dare I say it it's probably at the point that the bloke at the top needs to go.

One wonders where the board sits with all this going on...

 

[Waypoint]

Hmm... I didn't receive an email from Stephanie Tully . I want my insincere empty apology email from Qantas!

Nor did did anyone in my family. But then again, I never get the offer emails or info my partner gets - and yes, all my settings say send me everything. Has never worked.

 

[RichardMEL]

Nor did did anyone in my family. But then again, I never get the offer emails or info my partner gets - and yes, all my settings say send me everything. Has never worked.

something obviously broken there.

Suggestion: change your settings to disable all those offer emails etc.. save that.. then go back and re-enable it. It may just update the database correctly. maybe.

 

[The Astronomer]

With regard to waiting times, I have recently experienced considerable variation. I am pleased to report that on one occasion recently I was put strait through (as platinum on the premium line), but it was to a non-Australian call centre. I'm not so pleased to report that the lady couldn't answer my simple question, put me through to another department (I think it was the frequent flyer desk) and there was THEN a two-hour wait. It's amazing that even once one is through on the premium line, they themelves have to put you into a queue to wait to speak to the next person.

 

[justin23]

Yeah the Qantas webpage and ability to do stuff online is whats really IMO been the issue. I had a credit, but struggled to use it online for what I wanted to use it for. Eventually booked a return J to Auckland with it, but would it have been so hard to have an option when booking to input the 6 character booking reference during payment? Instead i had to click on the reference and go through a completely different booking, page that didn't even give me the option for example to offset the flights with carbon credits. IMO if you are giving people a credit, it really shouldn't matter what they spend that money on, but Qantas seems to want to restrict credits heavily. The travelpass however was quite easy to use......

 

[Mzungu]

We have found that a way to avoid having to phone Qantas is by not booking flights with them in the first place. All our domestic flight bookings this year so far have been with an airline that seems much easier to deal with and cheaper too - starts with V.

Excellent move.

I have never understood why the Qantas loyalists love being beaten over the head with continuous poor service, imperious company management, average seating, overcrowded lounges, indifferent staff and excessive prices. Masochism runs strongly in their veins!

I tired of Qantas 23 years ago, using Virgin for domestic flights and Emirates exclusively for international flights. That followed an outrageous string of incompetence and letdowns by the Q, which cemented my decision never to touch them again. They are terminally hopeless, pardon the vague pun.

 

[RichardMEL]

Excellent move.

I have never understood why the Qantas loyalists love being beaten over the head with continuous poor service, imperious company management, average seating, overcrowded lounges, indifferent staff and excessive prices. Masochism runs strongly in their veins!

I tired of Qantas 23 years ago, using Virgin for domestic flights and Emirates exclusively for international flights. That followed an outrageous string of incompetence and letdowns by the Q, which cemented my decision never to touch them again. They are terminally hopeless, pardon the vague pun.

So you come to this forum (QF specific) for a bit of schadenfreude?

not that the point isn't valid mind you.

I just find it curious the people who comment how they have ditched airline X years ago.. then comment in airline X's forum.....

but I digress

 

[Guvner]

With regard to waiting times, I have recently experienced considerable variation. I am pleased to report that on one occasion recently I was put strait through (as platinum on the premium line), but it was to a non-Australian call centre. I'm not so pleased to report that the lady couldn't answer my simple question, put me through to another department (I think it was the frequent flyer desk) and there was THEN a two-hour wait. It's amazing that even once one is through on the premium line, they themelves have to put you into a queue to wait to speak to the next person.

I'm sure Qantas will shortly announce that answer times have been significantly reduced.
They will, of course, fail to mention that the call is answered by someone who received 8 minutes of training on how to answer the phone, then placed in another queue where wait times are 2 hours. KPI met.

 

[justin23]

I have never understood why the Qantas loyalists love being beaten over the head with continuous poor service, imperious company management, average seating, overcrowded lounges, indifferent staff and excessive prices.

Because I fly more internationally and ex-CBR prices tend to not be that much different. Plus when i look to use another airline I'm often having to stay overnight in SYD, MEL or BNE because the fewer number of flights on Virgin make it less convenient. Sure if you live in Sydney you have the flexibility to not fly QF. Yes i could do that, but the convenience factor is not there most of the time. also virgin is not part of an alliance, making their points less useful to me. I don't tend to visit the places i could use points on with virgin. Although now LATAM is out of one world thats changing a bit with Qantas also (although code share is working for my next trip).

 

[blaz]

I just can't understand why there is now no way to sort out your issues using an email. Having said that, I have used the Qantas facebook site to message them and the turnaround time is about 2 weeks. Just make sure you supply all your information otherwise you are wasting your 2 week waiting time because all you will get is a response asking for more information. Most of these issues are regarding the use of points from another airlines FF program where you are not allowed to change things online because they are considered transactions by a travel agent.

 

[JWILLS]

"how many people died"... tacky.

What I am trying to sayis not taky. A older person has a credit with Qantas and does not inform his family. if that person dies and the credit program ceases - Qantas sends out a email - email could remail in the inbox unanswered money so one assumes the credit remains with aqantas - what do they do most likely nothing. Typical recent example I have been a FF for yearswith them and Inhave a credit qantas - qantas said recently they send out emails to FF members apologising none in my in or trash box.the whole set up needs to be reviewed by a outsider as to much self interest and blame game

 

[Ktan89]

Hmm I guess Qantas got number recognition to their database system. I didn't enter my QFF number but when they called me back they had my name!
No wonder I never get Hobart anymore..

 

[Jo145]

Qantas starting to feel the heat. An email from Stephanie Tully presumably sent to all QFF members.

Plenty of customer blaming in it, as we've come to expect from QF:

There seems to be no acknowledgment from Qantas that this problem started well before COVID. Back in 2018/2019 the wait time on hold was up to an hour. I used to circumvent the issue of trying to change my CEO's tickets (she was a Gold FF) by using the Chair's FF number (she was a member of the exclusive Chairman's Lounge) to get someone to answer the phone. Cheating I know, but when I was trying to change a same-day flight desperate times called for desperate measures. Am so happy I don't need to do that anymore.

 

[RichardMEL]

What I am trying to sayis not taky. A older person has a credit with Qantas and does not inform his family. if that person dies and the credit program ceases - Qantas sends out a email - email could remail in the inbox unanswered money so one assumes the credit remains with aqantas - what do they do most likely nothing. Typical recent example I have been a FF for year with them have a credit - qantas said tgey send out emails to zfF apologisings none in my in or trash box.

With respect this is a situation that is far more general an issue than with QF imo. What if the person passes with gift cards, other store credits, other communication from various companies, etc....

and dare I say a grieving family who has lost a loved one is probably not terribly interested in a credit for $239 from a trip to OOL that never happened. Sure, it forms part of the estate per se, but hardly a priority I dare say. (unlike FF points which, officially on death of a member return to QF - unless they are transferred out right before the time of death.. ahem)

I get the general point of course, but really... it seems that this is a real side thing, and I do feel it is a bit tacky in this regard and not really an issue with QF per se.

(and while I keep my own records on such things, if I passed away anyone in my family need to know where to look, and how to access it.. let alone to use any of it - I mean ts an issue with ANYONE dealing with many organisations and death unfortunately.