Qantas failed to ticket after they changed my flight. Advice?

[nezbit]

Was booked on a Classic reward flight with AF from HK to CDG in business. Flight was ticketed.

Last month the flight was cancelled (by Qantas /AF) and we were rebooked onto the same flight one day prior.

To my surprise, Qantas failed to ticket this new flight. After checking my bookings, I’ve noticed my booking has now been cancelled.

When I call support they say they can’t resolve (and there’s no longer any Classic Reward seats available).


How best should I go about resolving this?

 

[goldenhorn]

Email this new department: [email protected]

Qantas Fixes Ongoing Reward Flight Ticketing Failures

Qantas is taking concrete steps to ensure Classic Flight Reward tickets are issued and re-issued correctly in the future.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[nezbit]

Will email now! Thanks for the tip.

 

[Mwenenzi]

To my surprise, Qantas failed to ticket this new flight. After checking my bookings, I’ve noticed my booking has now been cancelled.

You may be surprised but many many of AFF would not be surprised. Has been a *very* common failing of QF. QF re-ticketing is not match fit.

Long partial list here-->

Qantas Fixes Ongoing Reward Flight Ticketing Failures

Qantas is taking concrete steps to ensure Classic Flight Reward tickets are issued and re-issued correctly in the future.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

When were you supposed to travel?
May be other OW airlines that can get you HKG-CDG, but don't like your chances.
Good luck.

 

[exceladdict]

Will email now! Thanks for the tip.

Please do report back with your outcome.

 

[goldenhorn]

Let us know if you have success. I’m curious to hear if they are actually resolving issues like this.

 

[renatts]

If your original booking was ticketed Air France must re-accommodated under EU261, the specialist team should know that. Your original ticket should be all you need to enforce this, as you didn't request the flight change.

EU261 applies if;
- If your flight arrives in the EU from outside the EU and is operated by an EU airline.

Air France are an EU Airline and you were arriving in the EU.

If you don't get a result from your initial e-mail I would probably be trying again and pointing this out.

 

[Pushka]

If your original booking was ticketed Air France must re-accommodated under EU261, the specialist team should know that. Your original ticket should be all you need to enforce this, as you didn't request the flight change.

EU261 applies if;
- If your flight arrives in the EU from outside the EU and is operated by an EU airline.

Air France are an EU Airline and you were arriving in the EU.

If you don't get a result from your initial e-mail I would probably be trying again and pointing this out.

That explains why KLM who’ve been changing my award flights several times have reissued tickets immediately

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If your original booking was ticketed Air France must re-accommodated under EU261, the specialist team should know that. Your original ticket should be all you need to enforce this, as you didn't request the flight change.

EU261 applies if;
- If your flight arrives in the EU from outside the EU and is operated by an EU airline.

Air France are an EU Airline and you were arriving in the EU.

If you don't get a result from your initial e-mail I would probably be trying again and pointing this out.

Partly right.

The original cancellation was subject to EU261, and the OP was reaccommodated.

Qantas didn’t ticket. That then gets AF off the hook… not their fault a third party failed to ticket and totally outside their control.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That explains why KLM who’ve been changing my award flights several times have reissued tickets immediately

Most airlines just process simple schedule changes. Aeroplan you don’t even need to accept anything. They give you a couple days to decide then go ahead. AA/UA are the same.

Unless day of departure the ticket reissuing has to be done by the ticketing airline. For a QFF ticket this would be qantas.

 

[Pushka]

Most airlines just process simple schedule changes. Aeroplan you don’t even need to accept anything. They give you a couple days to decide then go ahead. AA/UA are the same.

Unless day of departure the ticket reissuing has to be done by the ticketing airline. For a QFF ticket this would be qantas.

This was a cancellation and brought forward 24 hours.

 

[renatts]

Partly right.

The original cancellation was subject to EU261, and the OP was reaccommodated.

Qantas didn’t ticket. That then gets AF off the hook… not their fault a third party failed to ticket and totally outside their control.

I get what you're saying, but EU261 still applies to the original ticket.
AF Indeed did attempt to reaccommodate, and QF failed to ticket. So OP has no longer been reaccommodated and still requires a remedy under EU261. QF Failing to ticket doesn't get AF off the hook, they still have an obligation to give the OP a new route based on the initial ticket purchased, which would include the new route being issued a valid ticket.

The issue isn't whether EU261 applies, it's whether OP can find someone at Qantas who understands what happened and has the ability to contact Air France and request they open seats again due to ticketing issues.
Who pays for those seats is between AF and QF, not OPs problem.

OP had a ticket covered under EU261.
AF cancelled a flight on that ticket which resulted OP no longer having a ticket and their booking has been cancelled.
How all of that occurred isn't really OPs concern, it's between the airlines to fix.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I get what you're saying, but EU261 still applies to the original ticket.
AF Indeed did attempt to reaccommodate, and QF failed to ticket. So OP has no longer been reaccommodated and still requires a remedy under EU261. QF Failing to ticket doesn't get AF off the hook, they still have an obligation to give the OP a new route based on the initial ticket purchased, which would include the new route being issued a valid ticket.

The issue isn't whether EU261 applies, it's whether OP can find someone at Qantas who understands what happened and has the ability to contact Air France and request they open seats again due to ticketing issues.
Who pays for those seats is between AF and QF, not OPs problem.

OP had a ticket covered under EU261.
AF cancelled a flight on that ticket which resulted OP no longer having a ticket and their booking has been cancelled.
How all of that occurred isn't really OPs concern, it's between the airlines to fix.

EU261 only applies to a valid reservation and ticket.

Once Qantas failed to reticket in time the reservation and ticket lapsed.

As you point out, the OP has a contractual relationship with Qantas, and qantas needs to put right, but it’s not under EU261.

None of this is the fault of the passenger, I don’t know whether a claim using EU261 would be successful as it falls at the first ground.

 

[renatts]

EU261 only applies to a valid reservation and ticket.

Once Qantas failed to reticket in time the reservation and ticket lapsed.

As you point out, the OP has a contractual relationship with Qantas, and qantas needs to put right, but it’s not under EU261.

None of this is the fault of the passenger, I don’t know whether a claim using EU261 would be successful as it falls at the first ground.

I understand where you're coming from, but I respectfully disagree. I think it's a fair bit greyer than that.

Original ticket was valid.
OP Never received a new valid ticket under EU261. A PNR doesn't count as a valid reservation and ticket. Which is what OP was entitled to under EU261.
I'd argue OP still has a claim under the original ticket as they never received the appropriate remedy (a new reservation and ticket for the reroute).

Realistically, if QF request the seats under EU261 I seriously doubt Air France would choose that hill to die on. I think OPs issue will be finding someone who will request Air France reinstate the booking.

This is 100% QFs fault, but I would be shocked if they couldn't get the seats reinstated by Air France - given that their first re-route was likely a higher fare class than the award seats anyway.


I would personally try contacting Air France as well. I know they're not required to help given it's QFF Booking, but I had some luck with contacting Cathay Pacific about issues with a QFF Booking and they were still happy to look into it for me. Same with JAL when Qantas call centre kept giving me wrong information.

 

[Flyfrequently]

That explains why KLM who’ve been changing my award flights several times have reissued tickets immediately

We too have been very pleased with communications from KLM and prompt re- issuing of tickets when scheduling changes were made. For those who have read my previous posts re KLM flight changes resulting in 44 hour trip MEL-AMA-LIS,flights are back to original schedule for September, fingers crossed it stays that way

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I understand where you're coming from, but I respectfully disagree. I think it's a fair bit greyer than that.

Original ticket was valid.
OP Never received a new valid ticket under EU261. A PNR doesn't count as a valid reservation and ticket. Which is what OP was entitled to under EU261.
I'd argue OP still has a claim under the original ticket as they never received the appropriate remedy (a new reservation and ticket for the reroute).

Realistically, if QF request the seats under EU261 I seriously doubt Air France would choose that hill to die on. I think OPs issue will be finding someone who will request Air France reinstate the booking.

This is 100% QFs fault, but I would be shocked if they couldn't get the seats reinstated by Air France - given that their first re-route was likely a higher fare class than the award seats anyway.


I would personally try contacting Air France as well. I know they're not required to help given it's QFF Booking, but I had some luck with contacting Cathay Pacific about issues with a QFF Booking and they were still happy to look into it for me. Same with JAL when Qantas call centre kept giving me wrong information.

Air France likely won’t care. It’s not their problem.

Air france may choose to be nice to qantas because they’re both airlines and in some sort of agreement… but if they don’t, QF could be forced to pay for a new ticket using its own cash.

For all AF knows the passenger could have told Qantas they no longer want the ticket and asked for a refund. All they will see is that their offer for a new flight wasn’t taken up. I think that’s where EU261 ends.

Contract between the passenger and Qantas then comes into play.

 

[nezbit]

Will continue to update this thread. So far:

- QFF Support have requested AF reallocate seats on the new flight. Support cites 5-7 day turnaround before I’ll know outcome.

- Escalation email team have chimed back offering seats on a non-comparable CX flight. I’ve declined and provided them with a list of CX or BA alternatives I’d be willing to accept.

 

[Rich]

- QFF Support have requested AF reallocate seats on the new flight. Support cites 5-7 day turnaround before I’ll know outcome.

Don't hold your breath on that one (if it is the standard non Hobart callcentres). I had an AA flight unticketed after a schedule change and they kept telling me 5 to 7 days but it never resolved. This was before that escalations team came about. I was fortunate that I could cancel and rebook as there was still award availability.

 

[nezbit]

Yikes. This was the Hobart Platinum team fortunately. I can also see the desired AF flight in my Qantas App as “on request”.

 

[Rich]

Yikes. This was the Hobart Platinum team

Fingers crossed then. I certainly never got that team.