Qantas Revenue booking cancellations (under covid19)

[Seat0B]

But by the same token, all those that purchased 'peak fares' are going to lose out when it comes to them travelling off peak? They'll be paying for a higher fare class when fares in lower fare buckets might be readily available.

The whole notion of peak vs off-peak fares is nothing more than a way to make money. Fuel, wages, crew hotels... they don't cost any more because it's January 14 rather than January 15. The airline just wants to sell seats for as much as it can.

If QF is asking passengers to suspend commercial reality (ignore contractual rights to a refund), why can't airlines suspend their need to make more money off peak fares?

Or at least let you use the voucher for a fare of LOWER value and forfeit the rest of it if you choose to do so.

I ran into this problem a few years back when I had to cancel a very expensive peak business class ticket to USA for a voucher. When I went to redeem the voucher, there was literally NO business fare that was equal or higher to the value of the voucher. I tried to reason, they said no. I did about three days of HUACA until finally I got someone who agreed to let me swap it for the most expensive available business fare and forfeit the remaining few hundred dollars. It's a real trap and I agree with other posters that a lot of people won't realise how much this might cost them.

 

[rogerkambah]

On Tuesday (24 March) I cancelled (through Manage Booking) a Classic Flight Reward booking for 4 April and 6 April and have a screen shot of the cancellation.
I have not had any return of points or fees/taxes.
However, the booking still remains in my account but cannot be accessed due to the booking ref being inaccessible. I understand that QF changes the booking ref when the booking is cancelled.
The following day QF sent me an email saying that my flights had been changed and they would let me know details.
While I'm pi**ed off that I will probably have to contact them to sort things out, I'm not very keen on sitting on the phone for 2-3 hours listening to their discordant 'music'. I'm a bit concerned that if I do nothing I will be classified as a no show and won't get back either points or cash.

Anyone had a similar experience that time has resolved.

 

[JohnM]

I contacted them via email at the following address: [email protected]

I sent an email to that address requesting a cancellation.

I received an automated reply saying it was an non-monitored mailbox. Did you receive the same message initially?

 

[Seat0B]

On Tuesday (24 March) I cancelled (through Manage Booking) a Classic Flight Reward booking for 4 April and 6 April and have a screen shot of the cancellation.
I have not had any return of points or fees/taxes.
However, the booking still remains in my account but cannot be accessed due to the booking ref being inaccessible. I understand that QF changes the booking ref when the booking is cancelled.
The following day QF sent me an email saying that my flights had been changed and they would let me know details.
While I'm pi**ed off that I will probably have to contact them to sort things out, I'm not very keen on sitting on the phone for 2-3 hours listening to their discordant 'music'. I'm a bit concerned that if I do nothing I will be classified as a no show and won't get back either points or cash.

Anyone had a similar experience that time has resolved.

I am in exactly the same position, for similar dates (domestic flights on 2 April, 4 april and 6 April) cancelled on 17 March, some on points, and some paid and still no refunds. The bookings all still show on my profile, but when I click I get the "we are unable to find this reference number, please call us" error. And today they sent me a flight change notice for 4 April, which I also cannot access, presumably because some part of the system knows I have cancelled.

However, I have received nothing to show the cancellation - I'm a bit worried as other posters have said they got emails within hours or days and I have nothing at all. I did keep screen shots so at worst I will sort it out later. I know they are very busy right now.

 

[33kft]

I received an automated reply saying it was an non-monitored mailbox. Did you receive the same message initially?

I did get an automated response, but that wasn't the message. Mine said:

Thank you for contacting us. This is auto-generated email confirms that we have received your enquiry.

Please be advised that our contact centre is open Monday - Friday 7am - 6pm (AEDT).

We are currently experiencing a very high volume of enquiries. To help us serve those Card Members with the most urgent needs, we request you call using the number on your itinerary if your booking/check in date is in the next 48 hours.

 

[JohnM]

I did get an automated response, but that wasn't the message. Mine said:

Hmmm - puzzling, as the contact hours don't match what's in my reply.

This is what I got:



I'll let it sit for a week or so and see whether anything happens.

 

[JW]

Received an automated (apparently) response about a few canceled flights plus a voucher (which I never asked for). Queried this given the restrictive nature of the vouchers.

Qantas could easily have kept my and I suspect many others $$$$ if they gave a no nonsense voucher with no conditions attached. Instead they try to be clever (and potentially devious) and many will demand a refund (and may not return to qf when things get better).

Sometimes I'm just amazed how big business try to treat their customers. :-(

 

[rogerkambah]

I am in exactly the same position, for similar dates (domestic flights on 2 April, 4 april and 6 April) cancelled on 17 March, some on points, and some paid and still no refunds. The bookings all still show on my profile, but when I click I get the "we are unable to find this reference number, please call us" error. And today they sent me a flight change notice for 4 April, which I also cannot access, presumably because some part of the system knows I have cancelled.

However, I have received nothing to show the cancellation - I'm a bit worried as other posters have said they got emails within hours or days and I have nothing at all. I did keep screen shots so at worst I will sort it out later. I know they are very busy right now.

Hmmmm
Please keep us informed on what develops.
I think I'll wait until T-48 before biting the bullet if it doesn't resolve beforehand.

 

[Mr H]

Qantas could easily have kept my and I suspect many others $$$$ if they gave a no nonsense voucher with no conditions attached. Instead they try to be clever (and potentially devious) and many will demand a refund (and may not return to qf when things get better).

I spend too long trying to work out what companies could have said in difficult situations. With this one, I wonder about:

As you will have expected from news coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am sorry to tell you that your flight has been cancelled. You are entitled to a refund or an exchange under Australian Consumer Law.​

​

We are really keen to retain your custom, and at a time when so many of us are doing it tough, we would really like to welcome you on board when the world starts to normalise. ​

​

Therefore, we would like to offer you the following options:​

​

• a Covid-19 voucher with Qantas, valid until the end of 2022 which will offer your choice of the following options:
• a guaranteed seat on the route you booked, in the class you booked, so long as a seat is available in that cabin when you book, even if the fare class of your original booking (e.g. Saver) has already sold out (note that this will not result in an upgrade - e.g. from economy to premium economy or business class)
• a guaranteed seat on any route of an equal of lesser distance than the route you booked in the same cabin, so long as a seat is available in that cabin when you book
• a credit worth 150% of the cash value you paid for your ticket, valid on any route within our network. If your preferred ticket costs less than this value, the balance will be retained for a future ticket to be booked by the end of 2022. If your preferred flight costs more than the value of your voucher, you will pay the difference.
• a full refund of the cash or points you have paid with no cancellation fees (to be claimed by 31 December 2021.

​

Note that you do not have to take this decision now. These options will remain valid until 31 December 2021.​

​

We do hope to welcome you to a Qantas flight in the near future.​

 

[LinaLee]

Does Qantas have a link where you can get a refund not a voucher for a flight that was cancelled.

It’s right at the bottom of the T&Cs after you go to manage my booking for that flight voucher.

 

[JW]

Mr H thats well put together, QF might need to hire you to clean up a potential mess, when folks who have vouchers realise how restrictive they are (when they try to actually use them)

Seriously, I would have been happy with a voucher with no conditions apart from a reasonable time frame to use and some reference to similar pricing. Latter not as critical.

 

[seandenn]

Mr H thats well put together, QF might need to hire you to clean up a potential mess, when folks who have vouchers realise how restrictive they are (when they try to actually use them)

Seriously, I would have been happy with a voucher with no conditions apart from a reasonable time frame to use and some reference to similar pricing. Latter not as critical.

I'm with you JW - I went for the refund option for my Qantas cancelled Auckland to Sydney flight because there were too many conditions attached otherwise I would have been happy with the voucher.

 

[Mr H]

If you want people to avoid asking for the refund, you have to do two things: (a) make it clear that the refund is available if they want it; and (b) offer something better instead. And knowing that some people will want the refund anyway, you avoid a run on the bank by allowing people to make the choice at a later date.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

It’s right at the bottom of the T&Cs after you go to manage my booking for that flight voucher.

When I go into my booking, I‘ve got check in (greyed out), change and cancel/voucher.

If I hit cancel/voucher button, will there be another screen after that offering a refund?

 

[serfty]

When I go into my booking, I‘ve got check in (greyed out), change and cancel/voucher.

If I hit cancel/voucher button, will there be another screen after that offering a refund?

I depends, I have a revenue reservation for late August and when I click cancel/voucher a pop up appears offering voucher only as an option - I have nor proceeded past that.

With two Award reservations I have for June clicking cancel/voucher takes me to a new window with the following:

You are about to cancel the flights shown for all passengers
If the cancellation policy in the fare conditions that applied to your original booking allow for a refund, this will be refunded to your original form of payment, less applicable fees. For Classic Flight Reward bookings cancelled up until 31 March 2020, where your original travel date was prior to and including 31 May 2020, the usual cancellation fee of 6,000 points will be waived.
You can see more information in our fare conditions.

Alternatively, you can choose ‘Credit Voucher’ as your preferred option.

If you request a Credit Voucher up until 31 March 2020, and your original travel date was prior to and including 31 May 2020, we’ll credit the full value of any untravelled flights and waive any change fees on redemption. Choose ‘Back’ to change to Credit Voucher.​

I do not get credit voucher as an option with these award bookings.

I won't cancel yet as the flights are after 31st may.

 

[zqsn5678]

Has anyone actually got their refund back to their card/account yet? If so, how long did it take?

 

[BriarFlyer]

I looked at cancelling a revenue flight for July (yesterday, after the latest extension of terms.) I was offered a voucher only, with a line buried somewhere in there to contact Qantas for "other options."

 

[big_RED]

However, the booking still remains in my account but cannot be accessed due to the booking ref being inaccessible. I understand that QF changes the booking ref when the booking is cancelled.
Anyone had a similar experience that time has resolved.

My dad and I are in the same position as you. We both cancelled 1 x paid flight and 1 x awards flight (Syd > Perth return) cover 4 x passengers in total and it's been now 15 days total and neither of us have received any cancellation emails or vouchers/points back.

Same as you, both flights are still in our account listed as a flight about to be taken in 2 weeks. All 4 passengers this week even received the SMS from QANTAS to say the points upgrade to Business had been awarded to us for the paid flight...

So we're a little worried, but as per your experience when we click MANAGE we get an error so I just hope it's taking time.

 

[Mr H]

Has anyone actually got their refund back to their card/account yet? If so, how long did it take?

I cancelled a classic reward booking online on Wednesday 18 March. I have just had all my points returned this morning. I still haven't had the refund of taxes but I presume that will follow in due course.

 

[LinaLee]

When I go into my booking, I‘ve got check in (greyed out), change and cancel/voucher.

If I hit cancel/voucher button, will there be another screen after that offering a refund?

i should clarify that refund step is after your flight is officially cancelled and turned into a flight voucher that’s then listed under your bookings section. Qantas has done this automatically for my bookings. I received email informing my flights are now a travel voucher. Then you can select manage button which takes you to another page where it lists all the T&C of the flight voucher depending on how it’s generated. Scroll all the way right down to end and there’s a refund button. That’s what I then selected. Then screen refreshes with the refund amount (paid fare less credit card fees).
I don’t think you should initiate a cancel option until Qantas actually cancels and converts your booking to a flight voucher. But you might have to follow up if it get too close to your travel date. No idea how they will handle no shows even though we know they are not flying....

My booking was in late May. Surprised I got my booking converted so early given their backlog. Must be IT automated based on some criteria. I guess if it’s straightforward paid booking that’s when it’s automated.