Qantas Revenue booking cancellations (under covid19)

[burmans]

GDay

I have classic awards which have been cancelled. I also got the email earlier in the week saying they have been cancelled and i will get a full credit and that a second email will come out later in the week with more detail.

The second email has not arrived and if i go into the website to manage booking and click cancel it still says there will be a 6000 point penalty.

Has anyone received the second email?

Have any of the above posters who got a full points refund did your cancel page also say there will be a penalty? ie it is just a case of them not having updated their website accurately.

Thanks.
Pele.

I'm in this position too, flight has been cancelled for 2 weeks now, two separate emails that they are "dealing with it" and don't need to do anything but two weeks later nothing has changed.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

I was booked to fly 3 April form Melbourne to TinyTown, Brazil and back from Santiago to Melbourne on 13 April; mix of Qantas and LATAM flights.

I did not initiate cancellation and click the "cancel / voucher" button.

I received an email from Qantas stating the flights were cancelled on 23 March and received the actual voucher by email on 24 March. When I went into my booking on my laptop, it had indeed been converted into a voucher and the "refund" option was at the bottom of the page. I clicked it and got a confirmation of the full refund amount less credit card fees. Needless to say, the refund certainly has not appeared on my credit card.

(As an aside, I rebooked for the same trip in late October. Saved over $500 per pax than my original ticket and with better routing and aircraft on Air NZ. Qantas now wants $800 more per person than I originally paid [which means a whopping double NZ's current price], while LATAM is charging the same as I originally paid for exactly the same flights as Qantas is now offering for $800 more but on their codes. Not an encouraging data point for Qantas' future pricing; but regardless, I'll end up saving money waiting until October and prefer Air NZ anyway. Good riddance, Alan; thanks for the refund.)

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

I'm guessing the Qantas policy isn't different if we book now (ie during the known event)?

Can anyone comment on this? From what I see, there does not seem to be any differences between existing and new bookings? I need to spend a few hundred under for credit card spend so might give QF some cash now potentially on a flexi fare class and prepay a future trip.

 

[angella44]

I'm concerned that if there is too much pressure on Qantas to refund our bookings, there may be no Qantas.

International travel may change after this epidemic. Possibly it won't be as cheap and easy as in the recent past. What if Qantas is re-nationalised? I'm just relieved that I can keep my status.

 

[troels]

For those who have been offered vouchers, I understand these are valid to the end of the year but are there any stipulations on when you have to make a booking to use them?

I'm in a similar situation with Malaysia. They have cancelled one of my two flights planned with them and offered vouchers to 31/12 but I have to book and use them by June. This may be an issue because who knows how long this will go on.

I note that for both flights, if i attempt to go in and cancel for a refund they will apply massive cancellation fees (like 90% of the fare), even for the flight that they have cancelled already.

 

[Gary T]

I contracted with an airline to carry me on a certain day and time to a certain place. I didn't contract with an airline to give them an interest free loan which after12 months would not need to be repaid.
make with the coins boys...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm concerned that if there is too much pressure on Qantas to refund our bookings, there may be no Qantas.

Agree, and that's a reasonable point.

However - and this is a *huge* however... the way qantas is dealing with flights converted into vouchers or credits is that when you come to use them, you must buy a fare of equal or higher value. If you have purchased a $1500 fare to London which is now a credit, and when you come to fly they are offering $1200... you won't be able to book that. You'll have to book another fare, which could be $2000. Also, you cannot take your $1500 voucher and use it for three trips to new zealand, or for Aussie domestic.

It gets worse for those that may have purchased a business saver fare to the USA or London for $5999. When you come to redeem that credit it could be the fare is $8999 (which we are seeing some anecdotal evidence of already).

Other airlines like British Airways have converted flights into credit, but allow the passenger to use the credit in any way they want. When they come to redeem the credit, if the fare is lower, they get a new voucher for the balance. And so on, until the total credit is exhausted.

There were so many ways that Qantas could have done this to make the refund conditions fair and reasonable, but they don't seem to have given passengers any choice except to demand a cash refund

 

[Seat0B]

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.

So, over the weekend, two of my flights (paid) vanished from MMB. I have not yet received any refunds/vouchers, but I suspect they are now being actioned.

My points flights for this Thursday, on the other hand, are still showing, plus I am being totally bombarded with text messages about changes to my flights eg my 0620 jet service CBR-MEL has now turned into a 1330 Dash-8 service (arghhhhhh - if I were still travelling, I would not be happy about that). So today I bit the bullet and called Qantas. I am a WP and I got through at 9.30am today in about 3 minutes flat. Spoke to a very patient and helpful service agent in Tasmania - thanks Joe - who did a manual cancellation. I'm grateful for that, but it is odd as I have screen shots that I already cancelled this flight on line at the same time as my others.

So my advice is, if it still shows on MMB, even if you get the "can't find this booking" message, it is probably worth calling them to get it resolved.

 

[Port Power]

For those who have been offered vouchers, I understand these are valid to the end of the year but are there any stipulations on when you have to make a booking to use them?

Credit vouchers originally required flights to be booked (not flown) within 12 months of original booking. i.e. You booked the cancelled flights on 17 July 2019, you must book new flights by 17/07/2020. However Qantas now has given a flight credit extension so that you can book and fly by end of December 2021.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I accept that the vouchers can only be used for equal or higher fare per person.

At one point they were saying it’s for any trip, you can change say a flight to Cairns to a flight to Darwin. If this condition was carried through, the more expensive Darwin flight could be paid for by the Cairns voucher (Plus $$ for difference).

Now it’s silent. So more watch this space (or more accurately Qantas website).

 

[jbman]

So many changes since I last read this tread.

i would like to confirm, the voucher offer has been extended past March 31?

What I have found confusing in this tread there is a mix of award and paid flight cancelations and refunds being talked about.

Has a wiki been setup for quick reference?

thanks in advance

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

I contracted with an airline to carry me on a certain day and time to a certain place. I didn't contract with an airline to give them an interest free loan which after12 months would not need to be repaid.
make with the coins boys...

Yes, you have contracted with an airline to take you from First Place to Second Place on a specific day. Think of that as Section 1 of your contract. Things become less obvious after Section 1. Yes, Qantas contractually commits to refund you if your flight is cancelled for any reason. Virgin, however, does not. In their case, general Australian consumer law applies, but there are plenty of caveats and exceptions that Virgin and other businesses across the country and different industries are trying to exploit to avoid the refund.

So, no, you didn't contract for an interest free loan, but you haven't necessarily contracted for a cash refund, depending on the airline. (If it was QF, however, you will get it, and they're not denying them...)

It is understandable to assume we'll get a refund for a flight if an airline can't get us where we're going, but in future, I'm guessing many of us - myself included - will take a closer look before we click "ok."

Just a touch of humour today:

 

[troels]

Maybe just request the cash refund and if it is not agreed then let your bank/credit card take it up as a dispute - failure to provide goods or services paid for?

I'm trying this tack with the Malaysia ticket where they actively cancelled it. I'm hoping they will do the same with the much more expensive other flight (KUL to MEL).

 

[Port Power]

So many changes since I last read this tread.

i would like to confirm, the voucher offer has been extended past March 31?

thanks in advance

Qantas is now issuing credit vouchers with no change fees for flights booked until the end of July.

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

As @33kft and @craven morehead - I'm in the same boat - have got an AMEX travel credit booking for August 2020. Hopefully, the travel restrictions are lifted by them or it becomes safe to travel. Otherwise, have to call up AMEX and understand how this would be handled.

Also, all my bookings are done during DSC - hopefully, getting a credit voucher with the PNR retained, would give DSC when booked & flown using the credit voucher at a later date

Would doubt it unless it was the same trip ??

 

[sumthinfornuthin]

Irks me that Qantas says the new booking must be of equal or greater value. In effect if you don't spend on that booking the balance is GONE.
Not fair IMHO

 

[NM]

Qantas is now issuing credit vouchers with no change fees for flights booked until the end of July.

Yes. I have several QF lights booked for July. Combination of QFF award redemptions, paid Business Saver fares and AsiaMiles redemptions. The FF award flights will be refunded I am sure. Just need to wait for AsiaMiles to extend their cancellation fee waiver to flights beyond 31 May, which I am confident will happen.

But for my paid QF fares, I want a full refund and not a voucher based on the current constraints of the vouchers offered. So my only real option for now is to wait until they actually cancel the flights. Flights have been cancelled through to the end of May, but still show as operating from 1 June. Once they cancel the flight, I will pursue them for a full refund.

If QF offered a flexible voucher that allows me to use a portion of the value towards multiple flights and for different family members, I would consider their offer. But while it can only be used for a single trip of equal or greater value, it is of no use to me and I will be insisting on a full refund.

 

[Walloper]

My concern is not being able to get "like for like" under the voucher system.

I booked in December 2019 for a June 2020 flight to LAX in J - the flight has not been cancelled yet.

But - last week QF "invited" me by email to cancel my booking for a voucher refund (with the current "new" validity until December 2021).

My understanding is that I'm not in line for a cash refund yet because QF has not cancelled my flight.

If QF would voucher me for a J ticket to LAX I'd probably be OK - BUT - I'm unlikely to ever get a J flight to LAX at the price that I paid last December again.

So a voucher is highly unlikely to ever get me to LAX in J notwithstanding that is what I had.

If I can't get a cash refund and QF insist on playing games - like "inviting" me to cancel - then I would at least like to get a "like for like" voucher for (possible) future travel.

A voucher refund under the current conditions is just about worthless to me. I'm better off hoping that my flight actually gets cancelled by QF so I qualify for a cash refund.

"Like for like" refund vouchers are fairer to travellers - and they don't actually cost QF any more - but I see the problem - QF doesn't make anymore out of us for the (assured) difference in fare!



ps - and don't get me started about the incredible generosity of Mr Joyce in forgiving three months of his BASE pay while he stands down thousands of employees at no pay ...

 

[Walloper]

there may be no Qantas.

What if Qantas is re-nationalised? I'm just relieved that I can keep my status.

I don't think that there is much danger of "no Qantas" - the government has already given the airlines $730M - and there will be more!

The "re-nationalisation" is a more likely option - just depends on how much more the government gives them and under what conditions! And if that was to occur you could kiss your status goodbye - there won't be any.

 

[rogerkambah]

So, over the weekend, two of my flights (paid) vanished from MMB. I have not yet received any refunds/vouchers, but I suspect they are now being actioned.

My points flights for this Thursday, on the other hand, are still showing, plus I am being totally bombarded with text messages about changes to my flights eg my 0620 jet service CBR-MEL has now turned into a 1330 Dash-8 service (arghhhhhh - if I were still travelling, I would not be happy about that). So today I bit the bullet and called Qantas. I am a WP and I got through at 9.30am today in about 3 minutes flat. Spoke to a very patient and helpful service agent in Tasmania - thanks Joe - who did a manual cancellation. I'm grateful for that, but it is odd as I have screen shots that I already cancelled this flight on line at the same time as my others.

So my advice is, if it still shows on MMB, even if you get the "can't find this booking" message, it is probably worth calling them to get it resolved.

Yesterday at 5pm I looked at the QF mobile app on my phone to see their latest message on my travel for next Saturday. Just a change of flight number.
A message box opened so I messaged, telling them I had cancelled via the online system on 24 March, due to the function I was to attend (Buzz's Wine Tour), being cancelled in response to the new social distancing requirements.
Just a few moments ago I received a message back saying they were cancelling my trip, refunding all my points and cash paid.
Its taken a while but a good outcome.