Qantas Flight cancellation- J Classic Reward [Rebooked in Economy]

[tgt01]

Hoping for some assistance. I was on QF15 BNE to LAX tonight and this afternoon I received a text to let me know the flight was cancelled.

I called through to get a new flight, but because I was booked on a classic reward in J, they let me know there were no other flights available in the coming days, except for economy via SYD.

A second call confirm the above process is indeed correct. So now I am downgraded, and I have to request a refund of points. To run salt in the wound I have recieved an invitation to upgrade this flight using points, but I can't seem to get them back.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[cjd600]

Thats rubbish - they should reaccommodate you in J, regardless of award availability.

Looks like there is J to LAX via MEL tomorrow, and via SYD on Friday, being sold currently.
I'd insist they provide a suitable J option due to the involuntary cancellation imposed on you for your original ticketed J booking.
The seats are there on their own metal, so that's what they should be doing.

 

[elanshin]

I think the biggest mistake here is calling the call centre and not just rocking up to the airport. The staff at the airport would likely have reasonably more power and ability to do IRROP changes than the call centre who sees "U booking" - "oh, no other U availablity, sorry".

Also wouldn't the system have attempted to give you an alternative? Usually a person handling rebooking is sitting there trying to get people onto alternative options likely zeroing out every other plane in the next day to reaccomodate passengers on your flight, so a random call centre agent might not be able to see "seats" at all.

 

[DC3]

Hoping for some assistance. I was on QF15 BNE to LAX tonight and this afternoon I received a text to let me know the flight was cancelled.

I called through to get a new flight, but because I was booked on a classic reward in J, they let me know there were no other flights available in the coming days, except for economy via SYD.

A second call confirm the above process is indeed correct. So now I am downgraded, and I have to request a refund of points. To run salt in the wound I have recieved an invitation to upgrade this flight using points, but I can't seem to get them back.

Any advice appreciated.

Unfortunately, you’ve been talking to the wrong people. HUACA, until you get someone who is not incompetent or plain lazy

 

[Princess Fiona]

It

Hoping for some assistance. I was on QF15 BNE to LAX tonight and this afternoon I received a text to let me know the flight was cancelled.

I called through to get a new flight, but because I was booked on a classic reward in J, they let me know there were no other flights available in the coming days, except for economy via SYD.

A second call confirm the above process is indeed correct. So now I am downgraded, and I have to request a refund of points. To run salt in the wound I have recieved an invitation to upgrade this flight using points, but I can't seem to get them back.

Any advice appreciated.

its irrelevant whether or not you were booked in an Award or Revenue J ticket.
You do not have to accept a downgrade. Call back and insist that you be put on a business class seat as that is what you booked.
It may not be on the date/ route if your choosing in which case that is where the compromise to accepting a downgrade comes into it.
Nothing to do with it being a classic award and the agents you have spoken with are poorly trained and quite frankly talking garbage.

 

[tgt01]

Thats rubbish - they should reaccommodate you in J, regardless of award availability.

Looks like there is J to LAX via MEL tomorrow, and via SYD on Friday, being sold currently.
I'd insist they provide a suitable J option due to the involuntary cancellation imposed on you for your original ticketed J booking.
The seats are there on their own metal, so that's what they should be doing.

Thanks, I have now spoken to multiple people, none of whom will not put me through to a supervisor.

I have a business lounge access tomorrow, wondering if it's worth the risk to wait. I might try again in the morning. Any good times to call to get through to Australian based contact centre (or is that all gone now?)

 

[elanshin]

It's too late now, but if you were at the airport or headed to the airport when you got the text, they might've been able to get you on a domestic to MEL for QF95 tonight. That still has J3 open.

Post automatically merged: Apr 24, 2024

Thanks, I have now spoken to multiple people, none of whom will put me through to a supervisor.

I have a business lounge access tomorrow, wondering if it's worth the risk to wait. I might try again in the morning. Any good times to call to get through to Australian based contact centre (or is that all gone now?)

You wont get any local unless you have platinum and even then not always, hence why the airport would've been the best option as its irrops and the airport staff would then have some power to sort it out too.

 

[elanshin]

I just want to check one thing. Have you accepted a new flight on offer with a downgrade? Because if you have that will make your odds of being able to get back into business significantly harder.

If you havent accepted any new flights yet, then has an alternative arrangement been offered to you. Qf doesn't just cancel your flight then give you no options.

 

[tgt01]

I just want to check one thing. Have you accepted a new flight on offer with a downgrade? Because if you have that will make your odds of being able to get back into business significantly harder.

If you havent accepted any new flights yet, then has an alternative arrangement been offered to you. Qf doesn't just cancel your flight then give you no options.

Hi, yes - I felt I had no other option as I need to be in the USA on Friday for an event, so I accepted the downgrade, it was that or a refund. Even when I said that I could see the flights in PE and J available for purchase, they insisted they could only put me on a Classic Reward flight. The second person also confirmed this process. Rookie error accepting?

 

[elanshin]

Hi, yes - I felt I had no other option as I need to be in the USA on Friday for an event, so I accepted the downgrade, it was that or a refund. Even when I said that I could see the flights in PE and J available for purchase, they insisted they could only put me on a Classic Reward flight. The second person also confirmed this process. Rookie error accepting?

Yes, when there's a flight cancellation. Someone with power and ops control is working behind the scenes to rebook everyone. Until your offer comes in for the alternative option you should stay put unless you yourself can see a good option to suggest. After the option comes through then if you don't like it then you call (or talk to the staff at the airport).

Because you went and accepted a change, you no longer "need to be rebooked". It becomes extremely hard to get your business class seat back as you accepted the change yourself.

Edit: as I mentioned earlier, there's a good chance whoever is tasked with rebooking everyone likely zeroed out a bunch of seats in tomorrow's flights, so they can't be sold or upgraded whilst they actively work through the changes and unfortunately that means the rank and file call centre who are poor at what they're doing just sees "no availability".

 

[cjd600]

2 phone calls made and same cough service/knowledge on QF part. Quite unacceptable, but unfortunately not surprising.
The contact centre wait time has been "fixed" but the downside is the quality of assistance that answers the call more quickly.

 

[Seano987]

Slightly different scenario but when my Qatar rewards seat in business was cancelled due to a Qantas error, I insisted (made them aware of my frustration but remained calm) to be accommodated in business on Qantas - there was no reward availability but cash fares still available in business. They had to speak to a supervisor but I got my way.

 

[DC3]

Slightly different scenario but when my Qatar rewards seat in business was cancelled due to a Qantas error, I insisted (made them aware of my frustration but remained calm) to be accommodated in business on Qantas - there was no reward availability but cash fares still available in business. They had to speak to a supervisor but I got my way.

Yes, it can certainly be done. In fact there is really no reason why it can’t be done.

Unfortunately, some who are not well versed in this, are just fobbed off by incompetent/lazy Call Centre staff with a rubbish excuse.

 

[UP4014]

Thats rubbish - they should reaccommodate you in J, regardless of award availability.

Looks like there is J to LAX via MEL tomorrow, and via SYD on Friday, being sold currently.
I'd insist they provide a suitable J option due to the involuntary cancellation imposed on you for your original ticketed J booking.
The seats are there on their own metal, so that's what they should be doing.

200 passengers being spread around to other flights which are likely to already be above 70% full.

QF will even book you in your class of travel on AA if you paid for a ticket. When on a reward they will do their best but if there isn’t enough seats to go around the non paying passenger is down the priority list unfortunately.

Or you could wait for another day to travel.

Travel is always a series of compromises and once that concept is understood you’ll have a better trip.

 

[cjd600]

200 passengers being spread around to other flights which are likely to already be above 70% full.

QF will even book you in your class of travel on AA if you paid for a ticket. When on a reward they will do their best but if there isn’t enough seats to go around the non paying passenger is down the priority list unfortunately.

Or you could wait for another day to travel.

Travel is always a series of compromises and once that concept is understood you’ll have a better trip.

QF contact centre indicated no awards = no J.
Nothing about capacity challenges to reaccommodate.
Another day of travel doesn't appear to have been offered - just downgrade to economy.

Just trying to stick to the specifics of the post not a condescending statement about needing to understand that travel is about a series of compromises lol, most helpful in this scenario

 

[lovestotravel]

Flying QF was your first problem

 

[UP4014]

QF contact centre indicated no awards = no J.
Nothing about capacity challenges to reaccommodate.
Another day of travel doesn't appear to have been offered - just downgrade to economy.

Just trying to stick to the specifics of the post not a condescending statement about needing to understand that travel is about a series of compromises lol, most helpful in this scenario

No J awards because its full already with paying passengers.

 

[jase05]

Yeah, I’m demanding to be put on J even if it’s another day, another route or another carrier. No way am I accepting a downgrade for that length trip. It’s up to QF to sort it out

 

[tgt01]

Thanks for all of your advice folks. Managed to get through to a supervisor this morning and I'm now all sorted. Back in J on AA via Sydney.

 

[renatts]

Thanks for all of your advice folks. Managed to get through to a supervisor this morning and I'm now all sorted. Back in J on AA via Sydney.

Great result. This should have been offered to you originally, you should never have to fight for this kind of thing. Fare class availability should never be relevant when the airline cancels your flight.

good work persisting.