Qantas customer care as a no status / Bronze FF

[bcworld]

I could rant about this all day but to (hopefully!) avoid a TL>DR scenario...the background is 2 bronze FF pax booked on a J award SFO-MEL. That flight (29/9) was initially delayed by 15 hours (from 10pm to 1pm next day). No accommodation offered and told to make own arrangements and submit a claim after the fact. Subsequently the flight was cancelled altogether the end result being we were downgraded and put on UA in Y SFO-SYD-MEL, departing 25 hours late and arriving 28 hours later than scheduled.

So far everything is too much trouble for QF!

I have had to fill in 3 separate 'feedback' forms: Expenses, Downgrade & Insurance Letter.

I have been told (verbally by CSRs) that I can expect the points differential (96k-45k) per pax to be refunded although reading some other threads in this forum I do question that! I see people (e.g. Plats downgraded from F!) having to go to the ACA to prompt that process...what should I expect here? My feeling is this should be straightforward, as there was no element of mixed class travel to complicate matters and this was a points booking so no complication of fare differentials.

Additionally, as a J award I paid an exorbitant carrier surcharge...I have requested for the large difference in the business vs economy surcharge to be refunded for that sector...is that reasonable?

Of course none of this happens unless I ask for it, that irks me!

With regard to reimbursement of expenses...of course I am out of pocket as $200 in no way covers reasonable hotel expenses in San Francisco, on a Saturday night, booked at a moments notice on the weekend of Folsom Street Fair! However, CC have come back to me and said they will refund $30 for incidentals (so $230 total)...and I mean $30 total, when I am fairly certain according to their own conditions $50 PER PAX is due for a 25 hour delay! Am I wrong again?

Lastly, I have requested a letter for travel insurance...apparently it's reasonable I wait 3 weeks for this! You would think that this could almost be auto-generated if requested in the event of a flight cancellation such as this?

Assuming I will ultimately receive $300 for out of pocket expenses, should I expect any issues with the refund of points & carrier surcharge?

 

[RooFlyer]

Only the same type of issues you'd have getting blood out of a stone. ( Or ... look to the experience to date), sorry.

 

[RichardMEL]

yikes. That was a very bad experience it seems.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I feel your pain - good luck with the struggle. If it’s any consolation I think all airlines are as bad - once they have your money they hang onto it. I booked two J tickets with Kenyan Air last year. They cancelled the flight in July and we were put onto an earlier flight which was all economy - tried to get a refund(the fare difference was $500 pp). They wouldn’t give anything and I didn’t have the energy to pursue it. Then to add insult to injury when we boarded the plane, there had been another equipment change, the plane had business class and they had sold all the seats and left us in economy

Just keep on pushing and go further if necessary- maybe eventually our fearless leaders will actually legislate to force airlines to do the right thing by the customers they screw around.

 

[Boca68]

A couple of points!

QF, keep persisting. As Rooflyer says, blood out of stone. But, don't let up. I think you are due a lot more than offered.

And secondly, the Credit Card company. The same applies. Is it Amex? Or another premium card? (Black/Platinum) If it's Amex, you can ask for the total lost expenses as a claim. Not $30...pffft!

 

[bcworld]

And secondly, the Credit Card company. The same applies. Is it Amex? Or another premium card? (Black/Platinum) If it's Amex, you can ask for the total lost expenses as a claim. Not $30...pffft!

As I almost always book trips like this with points...activation of credit card travel insurance is a bit of a grey area. Unfortunately, in this case the (significant) copayment of $850 per passenger was paid using VELOCITY plat amex! I think I would be covered for a booking made using VA points, but not QF.

I do have a separate annual policy which I expect will be able to make up the difference between actual spend and what QF are prepared to reimburse.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to hear.

Qantas continues to amaze me with their stance on customer service. You can pat them on the back all you like regarding profitability but that means nothing if yiu take shortcuts to get there. The CEO has failed.

Keep persevering. ACA may not be able to assist in all situations if the airline does not want to play ball.

 

[bcworld]

Qantas continues to amaze me with their stance on customer service.

I do find it pretty incredible that it is SO bad! They very clearly have a could not care less position on further inconveniencing those who have already been greatly inconvenienced!

Some say, oh all airlines are the same...I can't agree...in the recent past I've had both VA and TG go out of their way to help in adverse situations. Genuine efforts at service recovery...it really feels like that's not a term that exists in QF's vocabulary!

 

[serfty]

Can you summarise what you have managed to actually get back out of Qantas. Not promised stuff, but tangible things actually received.

 

[stm1sydney]

in the recent past I've had both VA and TG go out of their way to help in adverse situations. Genuine efforts at service recovery...it really feels like that's not a term that exists in QF's vocabulary!

There's the answer right there.

 

[bcworld]

Can you summarise what you have managed to actually get back out of Qantas. Not promised stuff, but tangible things actually received.

Nothing so far. So I will update as and when they respond.

They've already failed to meet their own self imposed deadline regarding the downgrade matter.

I am expecting an EFT payment but they don't provide detail on how much and how that breaks down, so that will no doubt cause me issues later if I want to make an insurance claim. All I'll have record of is $x being deposited in my bank account.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I do find it pretty incredible that it is SO bad! They very clearly have a could not care less position on further inconveniencing those who have already been greatly inconvenienced!

Some say, oh all airlines are the same...I can't agree...in the recent past I've had both VA and TG go out of their way to help in adverse situations. Genuine efforts at service recovery...it really feels like that's not a term that exists in QF's vocabulary!

i am more a Qantas basher than a Qantas supporter - I have pretty much moved my flying to other carriers. However I think all the airlines are inconsistent. I have had excellent service recovery from Qantas and also really bad. While it would be wonderful to think VA and TG are always good, I am cynical enough to think on another occasion they could be as bad as Qantas,.....

 

[GoldCanyon340]

While it would be wonderful to think VA and TG are always good, I am cynical enough to think on another occasion they could be as bad as Qantas,.....

They definitely could, nay would.

I'll generally defend QF but it sounds like the airline really dropped the ball here, even approaching EK's legendary "don't care" attitude at outstations.

OP, I really hope you get some resolution here.

 

[TheTrimmer]

Cashed in some points to fly to Brisbane last week in Business .Got offered last choice of meal as that was all they had left politely refused the so called salad swimming in oil.Was given a quiche from economy.Flight back asked at Brisbane Lounge checkin if they would have enough meals on board to which the reply was Brisbane has better catering.After boarding settled into seat Qantas female flight attendants boarded One in row 2 ,2 in row 3.in all in uniform When meal service came around guess who was served last,Staff served before me So once again no choice except for a salmon salad which I cannot eat.Once again I was offered something from economy. It was offered 15 minutes before landing.By this time pretty p....ed off. Was offered a complimentary bottle of wine Which I politely refused.Contacted customer care told them about my problems & they sent me an email to put my concerns in writing,Waited a week & contacted customer care,my original contact was not in at the time so spoke to another person who looked at my case & to which he said that I had been offered a meal & that I had refused. he also said qantas staff are treated as passengers ,????? As compensation he would offer me 5000 qff frequent point s.In summary in their quest for profit in Business Qantas has lost Class.Wasted a lot of points to fly business class to get economy service .Never again.

 

[bcworld]

Just had a web chat re the downgrade matter.

I pointed out they set themselves a time limit to respond...and I have waited for twice that time.

"I saw that email we sent you, sorry about that".

When asking, when should I expect a response.

"The calculation of your refund is complicated...can't provide any guidance".

96-45 is pretty complicated I agree! Maybe they're going to do 96 - any seat economy and ask me for more points!

 

[dajop]

Going completely OT, a quick question, are you a member of a star alliance program? You might be able to retroclaim some points for the UA flight if you are! Compensation for some of the angst.

 

[JohnK]

96-45 is pretty complicated I agree! Maybe they're going to do 96 - any seat economy and ask me for more points!

Don't laugh. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

 

[bcworld]

Going completely OT, a quick question, are you a member of a star alliance program? You might be able to retroclaim some points for the UA flight if you are! Compensation for some of the angst.

Already entered our Avianca LifeMiles numbers at the UA check in machine...so yes, so far have received 7400 *A miles each as 'compensation'!

 

[bcworld]

Nothing so far. So I will update as and when they respond.

I am expecting an EFT payment but they don't provide detail on how much and how that breaks down, so that will no doubt cause me issues later if I want to make an insurance claim. All I'll have record of is $x being deposited in my bank account.

2 payments into my bank account this morning.

$250 which was their original payment to me, even though the email they sent me said it would be $230.

$50 after I had to point out to them that the reimbursement of meals and incidentals is PER PASSENGER.

That has taken a week since filling out the form...so reasonable performance there, minus having to explain their own T&Cs to them.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

ontacted customer care told them about my problems & they sent me an email to put my concerns in writing,Waited a week & contacted customer care,my original contact was not in at the time so spoke to another person who looked at my case & to which he said that I had been offered a meal & that I had refused.

He also said qantas staff are treated as passengers ,????? As compensation he would offer me 5000 qff frequent point s.In summary in their quest for profit in Business Qantas has lost Class.Wasted a lot of points to fly business class to get economy service .Never again.

Duty staff may have to be guaranteed a meal probably as part of the F/A's award however it don't believe they need to get first choice over a commercial pax so don't see why they couldn't have ended up with the salmon salad. Staff on leisure travel are not guaranteed a meal and should only be served after commercial pax.

2 payments into my bank account this morning.

$250 which was their original payment to me, even though the email they sent me said it would be $230.

$50 after I had to point out to them that the reimbursement of meals and incidentals is PER PASSENGER.

That has taken a week since filling out the form...so reasonable performance there, minus having to explain their own T&Cs to them.

Is the $250.00 meant to be the difference in the co-payment between J & Y of the QF imposed carrier surcharges in addition to the taxes on the SFO/SYD award?