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

 

[AIRwin]

The banner on the QF website currently advises not to call unless travelling within the next 24 hours:

 

[Cddc]

The banner on the QF website currently advises not to call unless travelling within the next 24 hours:
View attachment 243678

Judging by the many threads on the internet similar to this I don't think it matters what time you call, I still spent 45 minutes two day ago before giving up and this was under 'normal' conditions (before borders were closing again).

I find it telling QF has a voice prompt saying they will not tolerate aggressive behaviour towards their staff. They used to have this on the centrelink call line when I had to call them back in my student days.

I'm sufficiently angry enough now that once I make my mother's booking, I will be cancelling ours. Just looked up VA and their business flights are $200 cheaper pp each way.

 

[Port Power]

Wow, just wow.

I need to make a business class booking on behalf of my elderly mother and want to use her voucher from a previously cancelled flight, which the website is not recognising.

I spent 45 minutes on hold before giving up 2 days ago.
Finally got though to someone after 1h 2min on hold today.

The consultant put me back on hold to try and validate the voucher before before the call was cut, presumably hung up on.

My wife and I are both platinum on Virgin and lowly bronze on QF. We both recently booked business class flights on QF to start making the transition but if this is the service and hold times we can expect, we will be reconsidering.

Actually, come to think of it, poor QF service was the reason why we switched in the first place - it's just been long enough for us to forget

Grrrrrr.......

The covid cases in Queensland and borders slamming shut will have given rise to a huge number of calls. That’s the reason once again for extensive delays. (Another reason to maintain WP )

 

[Daver6]

The banner on the QF website currently advises not to call unless travelling within the next 24 hours:
View attachment 243678

Given they have a double SC promo currently running then ends soon, that's hardly practical for some people.

QF should be on top of this by now. Over a year into this situation, having a border close and lots of last minute calls required should NOT be an unexpected situation.

 

[SeaWolf]

QF should be on top of this by now. Over a year into this situation, having a border close and lots of last minute calls required should NOT be an unexpected situation.

The unfortunate reality is that call centre wait times were a problem for Qantas long before Covid. Generally these days I'd suggest it's better to book your Qantas flights through a reliable third party booking service, so that when this sort of thing happens you know you'll have someone to help who won't just leave you hanging on the phone for hours on end.

 

[jakeseven7]

Wow, just wow.

I need to make a business class booking on behalf of my elderly mother and want to use her voucher from a previously cancelled flight, which the website is not recognising.

I spent 45 minutes on hold before giving up 2 days ago.
Finally got though to someone after 1h 2min on hold today.

The consultant put me back on hold to try and validate the voucher before before the call was cut, presumably hung up on.

My wife and I are both platinum on Virgin and lowly bronze on QF. We both recently booked business class flights on QF to start making the transition but if this is the service and hold times we can expect, we will be reconsidering.

Actually, come to think of it, poor QF service was the reason why we switched in the first place - it's just been long enough for us to forget

Grrrrrr.......

It’s been a horrendous few days for the airlines, people started cancelling and rearranging the second QLD had a case....

 

[AIRwin]

Phone system upgrade​

Wednesday 21 April 2021.

Due to a scheduled phone system update, you'll be unable to call us on Wednesday 21 April between 9pm and 11pm, AEST.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/support/outage-notification.html

 

[TomVexille]

Wow, just wow.

I need to make a business class booking on behalf of my elderly mother and want to use her voucher from a previously cancelled flight, which the website is not recognising.

I spent 45 minutes on hold before giving up 2 days ago.
Finally got though to someone after 1h 2min on hold today.

The consultant put me back on hold to try and validate the voucher before before the call was cut, presumably hung up on.

My wife and I are both platinum on Virgin and lowly bronze on QF. We both recently booked business class flights on QF to start making the transition but if this is the service and hold times we can expect, we will be reconsidering.

Actually, come to think of it, poor QF service was the reason why we switched in the first place - it's just been long enough for us to forget

Grrrrrr.......

I don't get why they don't call you back when you get disconnected. I was on the phone to SQ to assign bassinet seats pre-covid and the call kept dropping out (poor reception at my end) and the SQ agent patiently called me back each time until we finished.

Then again, don't bother calling QF unless you're WP or above as they just don't care

 

[jonboixxx]

I don't get why they don't call you back when you get disconnected. I was on the phone to SQ to assign bassinet seats pre-covid and the call kept dropping out (poor reception at my end) and the SQ agent patiently called me back each time until we finished.

Then again, don't bother calling QF unless you're WP or above as they just don't care

Over many years, without fail, SQ have always called me back, if we were cut off or when they promised to callback. If the line was hard to hear, they will say I'll call you back (straight away). I am not even PPS .

 

[Bugalugz]

Last week I had to ring to book an infant in seat and first agent (overseas) had confirmed the date and read back the date I booked but then when I got confirmation it was a different month - had to ask him multiple times to speak clearly. Hold time was 45mins.

Rang straight back - hold time was 75 minutes and got a woman who then said oh my computers frozen and you will need to call back - wasn't having a bar of that. Then all the Supervisors were in a 'meeting' and she refused to transfer me to anybody - then I said that it wasn't acceptable that I was on hold for 75 minutes and 1 minute into the phone call your telling me to ring back. She then told me that she was terminating my call because 'I've clearly explained you need to ring back'.

Next agent then answered and the sale had ended at midnight for the fares which wouldn't have been an issue if the 2nd agent had of sorted it out. Then got told had to pay fare difference so argued that point and the supervisors must of magically finished their meetings, so had to argue and get them to go back and listen to the tapes.

The other times if I've rung early AM seem to get the amazing team at the NZ call centre who are efficient and friendly and get everything done.

 

[Zanzara]

Shame they couldn’t redeploy and retrain some of the staff they’ve laid off. There’s clearly a need. There’s always some excuse why they have unprecedented demand, exceptional circumstances etc.

Clearly the QF management believe people can and will tolerate the infuriating wait times in the mistaken belief that the majority of people don’t really need to call.

Alan Joyce and his cronies must believe eveything can and should be fixed on line; which regrettably, it often can’t. If people could avoid calling and listening to the BS sales pitch accompanying the interminable wait, making your ears bleed in the process they undoubtedly would.

Good job other airlines (admittedly mostly overseas ones) don’t have the same philosophy but recently VA are only marginally better at the moment with reduced opening times...

 

[PineappleSkip]

Just wondering whether QF have rearranged the prioritisation of calls since they changed their phone menu options. Been on the line about 1/2 an hour now, which is unusual as I usually get through reasonably quickly after I key in my Ff number. Just trying to link two bookings together, but suspect I got relegated to the bottom of the pile as I selected the *new* option "seating" and then "domestic".

Didn't think that the NZ temporary cutoff for NSW would send their system into disarray. $64,000 question is what will happen if I HUACA and select some other option.

Cheers skip

 

[astrosly]

Just wondering whether QF have rearranged the prioritisation of calls since they changed their phone menu options. Been on the line about 1/2 an hour now, which is unusual as I usually get through reasonably quickly after I key in my Ff number. Just trying to link two bookings together, but suspect I got relegated to the bottom of the pile as I selected the *new* option "seating" and then "domestic".

Didn't think that the NZ temporary cutoff for NSW would send their system into disarray. $64,000 question is what will happen if I HUACA and select some other option.

Cheers skip

I am thinking that as well, as a WP I would get someone within minutes who answered "premium line" but I've called now, went through 3 menu options, entered my FF number and was given a message saying the queue is about 30 minutes but after 15 minutes I hung up.

Will try again tomorrow morning when I have more time to wait. My menu selections were that my flight has changed, QF changed my flights and it is domestic.

p.s. wonder if the current app issue is what is causing the volumes and extended wait times? If people can't access their bookings on the app to self service then they are going to have to call...

 

[PineappleSkip]

I would get someone within minutes who answered "premium line"

Well I left it singing its little wait song and eventually got someone who answered "premium line", was very nice and linked our bookings. It just took 45 minutes to get through to her.

Cheers skip

 

[Spacetravel]

From the looks of it I have no hope as a bronze. I only "joined" QF last year and never have been able to get through to anyone via any channel for various requests. Trying at different stages of the pandemic regardless if it's 3am or 3pm with no restriction changes in months or lunch time a week of border changes. I've waited several times over an hour and usually it gets disconnected or I've run out of time. Waited 4 hours on Wednesday afternoon before giving up. Facebook messages sent months ago also have had 0 response. The wait is so bad I've decided QF don't have a call centre and anything that might need one I just cry and give up.

 

[rekeno]

Called today, waited for 4 hours before someone picked up, that's really very bad

 

[Spacetravel]

Called today, waited for 4 hours before someone picked up, that's really very bad

Oh wow it looks like I might have been close!

That is shocking. I work for a company with a call centre (previously as part of the call centre) and anything over 30 min was completely unacceptable. Over 15 min and it was all hands on deck, ie people who don't usually take phone calls, overtime, call back service, anything we could do was thrown at it.

 

[Daver6]

Called today, waited for 4 hours before someone picked up, that's really very bad

That's truly appalling. Is the call-back service still being offered or is that another victim of Covid?

 

[NSun]

On Thursday, I called to re-book a flight credit which I couldn't do online and was worried something had changed with the menu options and then the long wait.

I waited 15 minutes but did get someone from New Zealand rather than the Phillipines so evidently it still exists - perhaps it was just bombarded that day in light of the situation in NSW. I don't ever re-call waiting that long since reaching WP but from hearing others experiences about waiting longer I now count myself as lucky.

 

[jb747]

I'm surprised that the QF call centres don't simply connect a couple of customers together. No need for staff at all then.