Qantas Promises to Fix Ongoing Reward Flight Ticketing Failures

[Lynda2475]

ou should be able to argue assistance fees away, the change can be a bit harder.

Im ok with the change fee, I requested the change, just not the assistance fee on top given there is no way to make the change except with assistance due to the poor QF website.

 

[Mr H]

Im ok with the change fee, I requested the change, just not the assistance fee on top given there is no way to make the change except with assistance due to the poor QF website.

You will probably be able to argue when you make your change that it should not be levied. If it is nevertheless levied, you can call the FF team to have it refunded once the booking has been ticketed. Your focus should be on securing the seats and getting the ticket.

 

[Lynda2475]

Your focus should be on securing the seats and getting the ticket.

Agree will be calling at 7am tomorrow, I think Belfast will have to go by the wayside - hotels are like $600/night must be something happening on those nights, so will aim to just do Ireland and Northern Irelnad can wait for a future trip.

 

[clifford]

Agree will be calling at 7am tomorrow, I think Belfast will have to go by the wayside - hotels are like $600/night must be something happening on those nights, so will aim to just do Ireland and Northern Irelnad can wait for a future trip.

Ireland (eg Dublin) isn't that cheap either.

 

[Lynda2475]

Ireland (eg Dublin) isn't that cheap either.

On the dates I'll be there is is easily AU $200-300/night cheaper for same type of hotel (HIX/Hilton) in similar location. It is unusual for me to book this close, usually I book 10months out and get great rates.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Im ok with the change fee, I requested the change, just not the assistance fee on top given there is no way to make the change except with assistance due to the poor QF website.

If booking first or business class the assistance fee is waived:

Service Fees will not be applied when changing Classic Flight Rewards booked for travel in Business or First class.​

Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions | Qantas

These Terms and Conditions form the basis of Qantas Frequent Flyer, to protect both Members and the Qantas Group.

www.qantas.com

 

[Captain Halliday]

If booking first or business class the assistance fee is waived:

Service Fees will not be applied when changing Classic Flight Rewards booked for travel in Business or First class.​

Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions | Qantas

These Terms and Conditions form the basis of Qantas Frequent Flyer, to protect both Members and the Qantas Group.

www.qantas.com

So what if I book a classic award in Y, then later call to make changes which include making it J?

Does the service fee apply?

I’d argue not. But the terms are ambiguous.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So what if I book a classic award in Y, then later call to make changes which include making it J?

Does the service fee apply?

I’d argue not. But the terms are ambiguous.

My reading is that the flight reward must be booked in F or J for the assistance fee to be waived.

Upgrading from Y to J or F I would expect the assistance fee to be waived as it can’t be completed on line. And of course once done, subsequent assistance fees would be waived

 

[RooFlyer]

So l guess now l play the 'Touch an OWA via the call centre and watch it completely catch on fire' game...

Or accept the suggested stupid change, wait for it not to be ticketed, then email again?

 

[Mr H]

Or accept the suggested stupid change, wait for it not to be ticketed, then email again?

That’s a really poor suggestion as it leaves the passenger to fix the situation if it is ticketed.

 

[RooFlyer]

That’s a really poor suggestion as it leaves the passenger to fix the situation if it is ticketed.

I'm happy too be corrected for giving bad advice, but I did say "wait for it not to be ticketed" - Presumably after a day or two (ie not 'in a prompt manner'). If it did get ticketed promptly, them my advice wouldn't apply.

 

[Stusipad]

Or accept the suggested stupid change, wait for it not to be ticketed, then email again?

Well, l called and got someone from the Fiji call centre (I'm currently Gold) who quickly understood the issue and booked me on the same flight the following day. I think it helped that Business availability was easily visible via the Qantas site.

Qantas site and CMT both show correct days/timings but no ticket number for the changed flight at this point (of course). It's in the hands of ticketing now, so..... to be continued.

 

[Mr H]

I'm happy too be corrected for giving bad advice, but I did say "wait for it not to be ticketed" - Presumably after a day or two (ie not 'in a prompt manner'). If it did get ticketed promptly, them my advice wouldn't apply.

If, by some miracle, it did get ticketed in the couple of days' waiting time, the passenger would then have to retrieve an impossible booking of their own making with no recourse to special consideration for IRROPS. At best that would be a 5,000 point change fee; at worst there might be no alternative award seats forcing the passenger to look at revenue options.

 

[RooFlyer]

If, by some miracle, it did get ticketed in the couple of days' waiting time, the passenger would then have to retrieve an impossible booking of their own making with no recourse to special consideration for IRROPS. At best that would be a 5,000 point change fee; at worst there might be no alternative award seats forcing the passenger to look at revenue options.

I think we are at cross purposes but the OP seems to be onto the situation, so I'll leave it

 

[Someone]

Interesting you mention 'Tom', the messages were all signed off by a 'TS'.

They're insistent I just pay cash to get the flights they had previously confirmed.

Following up, a different person in their social media team has now confirmed they’ve referred it and spoken with the escalations team. Apparently they’re now waiting to hear back from QR about reinstating my booking.

 

[Matt_01]

So another data point for contact with this 'escalations team.'

I have an OWA that includes a transit through Helsinki. Predictably a flight change came through that now has my incoming flight landing 13hrs after my next flight leaves Helsinki. No e-ticket comes through, and CMT shows no ticket number for this outgoing Helsinki flight. (all other flights OK).

I reached out to the escalations team explaining this was an involuntary change, that it was impossible travel, and to simply move my outgoing Helsinki flight to the following day (which has the required Business seat availability), and l get this back:

Thank you for your email and I hope you are well.

Just for some background, this mailbox is handled by a minimal number of ticketing agents . The email has been created as safety net for customers who have already agreed to flight changes or made voluntary changes, but their revised E-tickets have not come through in a prompt manner.

We aren’t resourced to be a first point of contact for all schedule changes on reward bookings.

Your first point of contact should be to our reservations team on 131313 to discuss rebooking options.

If after accepting changes through our reservations team your E-ticket does not arrive promptly, feel free to reach out to this email.

So l guess now l play the 'Touch an OWA via the call centre and watch it completely catch on fire' game...

Just out of curiosity did you receive an email with an image like the one below or similar. As background I am P1 and have often receive flight change notifications. Most of them make sense but this one did not as on face value my arrival into SYD is after my flight to ICN. Also this is the second change (different flights/ PNRs) in as many days. On reflection thought of how many of the posts I have read along the QF cough ups and wondered if the lastest QF changes would impact P1s and yes this is a self centered reflection.

I called QF and questioned them on what had actually changed, it was ADL-SYD arrival time by 5 minutes the onward SYD-ICN remained unchained so all-in-all nothing had really changed from a QF perspective but on a closer look my ICN-KUL is also missing so I have to follow this up. The other booking was a lost flights but these have been reinstated. IMO the latest and greatest changes to improve their systems is most likely adding to the CC wait times, there should have been no reason to call QF if the notification was clear and succinct.

Honestly if this is what QF thinks is an improvement I am just gobsmacked that they fail to learn. I will only assume when it comes to employing ITS staff QF HR have not heard of the saying "pay peanuts, get monkeys". IME when stuff like this happens there is usually an email that gets sent out with words along the lines of "..company blurb/ intro.. we/ I am informing you that that xx_ is leaving our "organisation" to pursue other opportunities etc.etc.etc.

 

[Stusipad]

Just out of curiosity did you receive an email with an image like the one below or similar.

Yes, l had one of those.. It was what first made me go 'Huh??' when l sow the times didn't link up.

 

[Mr H]

Just out of curiosity did you receive an email with an image like the one below or similar.

I would first verify using CMT before calling anyone. That way I would know what I was discussing.

 

[Flyfrequently]

If booking first or business class the assistance fee is waived:

Service Fees will not be applied when changing Classic Flight Rewards booked for travel in Business or First class.​

Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions | Qantas

These Terms and Conditions form the basis of Qantas Frequent Flyer, to protect both Members and the Qantas Group.

www.qantas.com

Is this a recent change?
I had 4500 points per pax assistance fee taken when changing a BC CR flight that Qantas/CX had rescheduled and didn't meet MCT. I found better flights.
When I noticed the -9000 points, I called and had fee reversed on the basis that I had not been informed of the fee when making the necessary change.
Good to have that link, thanks.

 

[Lynda2475]

Just called up to change some flight on my OWA, agent Portia (not sure where she was located, thought I heard a south african twang but seemed to know what she was doing) called me back twice, once due to poor line and once to say Ticketing said coudlnt process new e-ticket because payment hadnt gone through and ask to take credit card again.

I can see 2 pending $55 charges (tax difference) on my Amex (should only be one), no e-ticket or itinerary received yet. But points still havent been deducted from the changes I made last Friday so I wonder if this is actually the payment issue preventing ticketing (although that change was ticketed).

Will give it til tomrorow and then email to see what is happening.