1. On 22 January we booked return sale flights on Qantas SYD to FCO for departure SYD on 6 April. The flights were booked direct with Qantas on Emirates operated aircraft. The flights were sale flights subject to a $225 change fee per ticket.
2. We had also booked train seat reservations from Rome to Milan, accommodation & travel throughout Northern Italy, Italy and the south of France for our 5 week holiday. We can provide evidence of Northern Italian bookings as some are yet to be changed.
3. On 29 February when Coronavirus cases in Italy had exceeded 1,000 with 29 deaths we decided to defer our holiday until 28 September.
4. Due to technical issues with the Qantas website (it wasn't showing any new flights in September on the same route ie via Dubai) we rang Qantas stated that we had to change our flights due to the Coronavirus outbreak in Italy and thankfully Qantas made the changes without charging the flight booking phone assistance fees.
5. Qantas however charged us $225 per ticket amendment fees plus difference in fare fees.
6. Qantas recently announced that if you are travelling before 31 May you have until 31 March to change your flights for travel before 30 September and they will waive the change fee.
7. Due to the demand for the Qantas call centre and their policy to give priority to customers flying in the next 48 hours, we've sent Qantas 2 emails requesting a refund of the amendment fees. We're not seeking a refund of the cost of the fare difference.
8. We have not heard back from Qantas yet.
9. As lead traveller I'm a lifetime Silver request flyer although I suspect frequent flyer status has nothing to do with the refund of fees.
We feel that it wouldn't be fair and equitable to waive amendment fees for some flyers and not others when the reason for making the flight changes is the same - the outbreak of Coronavirus in Italy.
We've checked our annual travel insurance policy with Qantas and are not covered for these fees or for cancellation for any reason under their current NIB policy, whereas under our previous year's annual Qantas travel policy that Qantas had underwritten by QBE we would have been covered - ie Qantas has reduced the cover for its customers under their annual travel insurance policies.
Any suggestions as to how to progress a refund of the amendment fees would be most welcome.
Is anyone else in this situation?
2. We had also booked train seat reservations from Rome to Milan, accommodation & travel throughout Northern Italy, Italy and the south of France for our 5 week holiday. We can provide evidence of Northern Italian bookings as some are yet to be changed.
3. On 29 February when Coronavirus cases in Italy had exceeded 1,000 with 29 deaths we decided to defer our holiday until 28 September.
4. Due to technical issues with the Qantas website (it wasn't showing any new flights in September on the same route ie via Dubai) we rang Qantas stated that we had to change our flights due to the Coronavirus outbreak in Italy and thankfully Qantas made the changes without charging the flight booking phone assistance fees.
5. Qantas however charged us $225 per ticket amendment fees plus difference in fare fees.
6. Qantas recently announced that if you are travelling before 31 May you have until 31 March to change your flights for travel before 30 September and they will waive the change fee.
7. Due to the demand for the Qantas call centre and their policy to give priority to customers flying in the next 48 hours, we've sent Qantas 2 emails requesting a refund of the amendment fees. We're not seeking a refund of the cost of the fare difference.
8. We have not heard back from Qantas yet.
9. As lead traveller I'm a lifetime Silver request flyer although I suspect frequent flyer status has nothing to do with the refund of fees.
We feel that it wouldn't be fair and equitable to waive amendment fees for some flyers and not others when the reason for making the flight changes is the same - the outbreak of Coronavirus in Italy.
We've checked our annual travel insurance policy with Qantas and are not covered for these fees or for cancellation for any reason under their current NIB policy, whereas under our previous year's annual Qantas travel policy that Qantas had underwritten by QBE we would have been covered - ie Qantas has reduced the cover for its customers under their annual travel insurance policies.
Any suggestions as to how to progress a refund of the amendment fees would be most welcome.
Is anyone else in this situation?
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