Qantas charging policy for "consultant" assisted F

[Dave Noble]

Re: DIY is nice when you can get it ....

Dave ... I nearly had to eat humble pie here! Went back to the AA system and tried again, and loh-and-behold I was able to get a quote for my itinerary. But there was still a problem - I was booking 2 child fares and the system would not let me do that without a matching adult fare. It directed me to call reservations.

Still - I was nearly there, and I would have made it too if it wasn't for those pesky kids!

So the next question is - why can't Qantas offer the same multi-city option through their website, or waive booking fees in this case, or direct people to use aa.com? I would agree that allowing users to link purchased child fares to reward tickets is getting a little bit finicky, so maybe I was always going to be stuffed anyway, but getting back to the original post ..... part of the issue was not warning of all the fee/points that were going to be deducted and not volunteering alternatives.

Expecting every customer to have intimate knowledge of all booking conditions, One-World Partners' website features, Agent commission structures, etc. etc. is, in my opinion, a trifle unreasonable. It would be nice if Qantas sacrificed a bit of revenue in the name of customer service, but I'll assume we will differ on that point.


Cheers,

AC

Ah well, now ya getting picky in wanting to just buy child tickets , but in general there is a method. (also for those that care, the AA site has the benefit in that it tells the booking class ).

I think it is v poor that Qf don't offer an open jaw and stopover option on the site, no disagreement from me there

Given that there are ways around the fees, even just phoning a couple of travel agents and see what they would charge, even Fright Centre, and you would be able to cut it down from $80. If people weren't prepared to pay the $80, then QF would have to reconsider their charging policy

Overall, Im happy for QF to make revenue by apathy ; many people can't be bothered hunting around and these are perfect cash cows to milk

Dave

 

[QF WP]

Overall, Im happy for QF to make revenue by apathy ; many people can't be bothered hunting around and these are perfect cash cows to milk

After a phone call with Dave Noble this morning, I read this and nearly wet myself (yes, pun intended :wink: )

I'm probably guilty of being a "QF cash cow" - trying to weigh up whether it's best to book online with QF and pay the lot; or ring AA UK or USA, spend the time on the international phone call getting the booking done and say GST and some of the fees/surcharges that AA don't charge but QF do.

My "fear" (sometimes irrational perhaps :? ) is that I'd have to change the reservation prior to departure, necessitating another international call. Of course, once the itinerary has begun, changes can be made here with QF, but it still can be a hassle when you're doing a re-routing.

 

[Dave Noble]

Overall, Im happy for QF to make revenue by apathy ; many people can't be bothered hunting around and these are perfect cash cows to milk

After a phone call with Dave Noble this morning, I read this and nearly wet myself (yes, pun intended :wink: )

I'm probably guilty of being a "QF cash cow" - trying to weigh up whether it's best to book online with QF and pay the lot; or ring AA UK or USA, spend the time on the international phone call getting the booking done and say GST and some of the fees/surcharges that AA don't charge but QF do.

My "fear" (sometimes irrational perhaps :? ) is that I'd have to change the reservation prior to departure, necessitating another international call. Of course, once the itinerary has begun, changes can be made here with QF, but it still can be a hassle when you're doing a re-routing.

If you are making a change once it is ticketed, then that can be done either with AA o/s or AA in Australia; it's a K class ticket and there's no penalty for change then makes no odss; if it is a cheaper ticket then you'll pay GST on the new charges if done with AA AU; If you want the cheapest ticket available then aa.com is great ; no international call required

Dave

 

[Dave Noble]

My "fear" (sometimes irrational perhaps :? ) is that I'd have to change the reservation prior to departure, necessitating another international call. Of course, once the itinerary has begun, changes can be made here with QF, but it still can be a hassle when you're doing a re-routing.

If you are making a change once it is ticketed, then that can be done either with AA o/s or AA in Australia; it's a K class ticket and there's no penalty for change then makes no odss; if it is a cheaper ticket then you'll pay GST on the new charges if done with AA AU; If you want the cheapest ticket available then aa.com is great ; no international call required

Dave

 

[QF WP]

However with aa.com, isn't there still the problem that it won't accept Australian-based credit cards (there's always a catch to an excellent system).

 

[Dave Noble]

However with aa.com, isn't there still the problem that it won't accept Australian-based credit cards (there's always a catch to an excellent system).

Now ya just being silly. We covered this issue a few days ago when you called me right in the middle of doing it with one

Dave

 

[QF WP]

Allow me some moments of forgetfulness, yes now I recall...

 

[Maca44]

Thanks to information in this forum, and to a very helpful CSA at AA in AUS I learned yesterday when I booked a flight from SFO to SEA that you book on aa.com, contact AA in AUS, give them your booking reference and they put it on your credit card (minus the additional fuel charges etc).

AA in Aus reduced the fare further $30, no doubt for the GST component, by endorsing the ticket that it is to be used in conjunction with an international flight.

 

[NM]

Thanks to information in this forum, and to a very helpful CSA at AA in AUS I learned yesterday when I booked a flight from SFO to SEA that you book on aa.com, contact AA in AUS, give them your booking reference and they put it on your credit card (minus the additional fuel charges etc).

AA in Aus reduced the fare further $30, no doubt for the GST component, by endorsing the ticket that it is to be used in conjunction with an international flight.

Since when is there any doubt that SFO-SEA is not an international flight for GST purposes?

 

[Dave Noble]

Thanks to information in this forum, and to a very helpful CSA at AA in AUS I learned yesterday when I booked a flight from SFO to SEA that you book on aa.com, contact AA in AUS, give them your booking reference and they put it on your credit card (minus the additional fuel charges etc).

AA in Aus reduced the fare further $30, no doubt for the GST component, by endorsing the ticket that it is to be used in conjunction with an international flight.

Since when is there any doubt that SFO-SEA is not an international flight for GST purposes?

I don't think that there is any doubt that that is not a AU domestic

There are some taxes that can be removed on US domestic flights when in conjunction with international travel

Dave

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Nope. aa.com only seems to check name and first few address lines, not state/country :wink:

 

[NM]

I don't think that there is any doubt that that is not a AU domestic

There are some taxes that can be removed on US domestic flights when in conjunction with international travel

Dave

I don't doubt that, but the taxes that are removed have nothing to do with GST - unless Uncle George has introduced a GST since I last visited the LOTFAP.

 

[Maca44]

I don't care whether it is taxes, fuel levy or whatever, I am happy to just get the fare cheaper by having it in conjuntion with an Int'l flight. If you know the reason why the discount is applied for fares booked in Aus for USA could you please explain for my info.

 

[NM]

I don't care whether it is taxes, fuel levy or whatever, I am happy to just get the fare cheaper by having it in conjuntion with an Int'l flight. If you know the reason why the discount is applied for fares booked in Aus for USA could you please explain for my info.

Sure. There is a US Government tax called US Domestic Transportation Tax (tax code US) that is 7.5%. There is a stated excemption for this tax when:

Travel wholly within USA/Alaska/Hawaii is not taxable when the
documents show that US domestic travel is either included in the
international ticket to/from USA, or cross-referenced with the international travel by
indicating origin/destination of the international travel, the carrier furnishing the
international travel, form and serial number of the document used for international travel.

The tax rules for the USA can be found here.

 

[Travel Guru]

It never ceases to amaze me how much of one's most precious resource (time) some people are prepared to burn up just to save a few bucks by booking online instead of letting a professional handle it!!

As the saying goes, 'Those who shop on price alone, usually get what they pay for!"

 

[Dave Noble]

It never ceases to amaze me how much of one's most precious resource (time) some people are prepared to burn up just to save a few bucks by booking online instead of letting a professional handle it!!

As the saying goes, 'Those who shop on price alone, usually get what they pay for!"

To start with, ime the "professionals" don't tend to be that knowledgeable on what I would need them to know and it is more time and effort to use an agent than to do it myself

Dave