Qantas Revenue booking cancellations (under covid19)

[CaptJCool]

Is it unusual that my return MEL-LST flight tomorrow (booked via Qantas online) has completely disappeared from "My Bookings" however I have had no email, no notification (SMS or otherwise) and there's no option to request refund or voucher from Qantas? Or is this observed behavior by others here?
I did not cancel the flights. In My Bookings under the PNR it shows the traveler info but no flights and no big red button.

No, this isn’t unusual per se

One of my trips is an off point.... the other two disappeared off the booking list without any notifications nor emails.

Because I recorded the booking ref I can go retrieve them and see they are cancelled but only option that way is cancel voucher....

 

[Happy Trails]

Received an email today informing me that an award booking had been cancelled due to coronavirus etc. Full refund to follow within 4 weeks.
The trip was completed last September.

 

[Walloper]

Is this a good strategy?

I don’t know if it’s a good strategy - but - it’s exactly what I’m doing with my paid J to LAX ticket!

I too got a very pleasant email from Qanta$ today reminding me that my “fee-free” voucher claim period was rapidly coming to an end.

I maintain that a “like-for-like” voucher would have satisfied me (despite the apparently inherent IT problems that it would cause Qanta$ to do so)!!

A “like-for-like” voucher is simply fair - as opposed to the current unfairness of Qanta$ issued vouchers.

 

[bPeteb]

The current deadline for canceling bookings for a voucher with no fees is 30 April. I have a business class booking to Paris for late June (QF/AF to Paris, EK return) and have been holding out canceling, waiting for QF to cancel so I can get a refund. I’ve just received an email from QF reminding me that I have until 30 April to cancel for a no fee voucher. I’m inclined to hold out (play a game of chicken) thinking that this date will have to be extended and there still is a good chance the flights will be cancelled. Is this a good strategy?

I received the same email today. I’m going to play chicken as well. I want the full refund. If my gamble falls I’ll be $600 down if QF doesn’t cancel and I have to, but we might not want to spend the whole voucher on a flight for me next year.

 

[Pushka]

[email protected]

Wow! You were totally spot on! Or an amazing coincidence! Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!

 

[froggerADL]

Wow! You were totally spot on! Or an amazing coincidence! Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!

Hi Pushka, Are you able to elaborate on what you did and the outcome please?

 

[Pushka]

Hi Pushka, Are you able to elaborate on what you did and the outcome please?

Just emailed the PNR. Requested assistance as booking was cancelled in early March and no refund yet. Very polite email.

 

[Mistress]

We are starting to get our QF refund $'s back from when we rang up from 25 march. so for us its been 30 days for a WP status.

 

[thepumpkin]

I received an e-mail that my June trip is cancelled and I received an e-mail stating I shall get a credit note.
It is an international ticket so it is quite a lot of money
Unfortunately I booked the ticket during the double status credit promotion so reluctant to push for a refund at this time ; however have discovered that Qantas have this unfair policy that you need to buy a ticket the same price or greater.; rather than an itinerary swap or just let you spend down the credit over a number of flights.
If they changed this policy----people may be less reluctant to insist on a full refund at the time as they would be able to spend it at the best fares as they wish.....and Qantas would have more cash reserves.

AA have also cancelled my flights but I can spend a credit over a number of bookings.

 

[Pushka]

We are starting to get our QF refund $'s back from when we rang up from 25 march. so for us its been 30 days for a WP status.

We were WP and it was about 45 days and just back.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

i hope status doesn't affect the order or speed the refund is processed.

 

[large]

i hope status doesn't affect the order or speed the refund is processed.

It shouldn't matter, if it did, I'm lifetime Bronze so that would mean I might get mine back 6 months from now.

I've gone past 6 weeks now and still waiting for my refund after 4 requests for a refund as QF kept putting it into credit. I wonder how much QF is making in interest and short money markets hanging on to all our money while we wait for our money.

 

[Pushka]

i hope status doesn't affect the order or speed the refund is processed.

I'm sure it doesn't. As per the discrepancy above. Cancelled early March (before it really hit the fan) and took 45 days as WP. Other WP posted above, cancelled 25 March and only took 30 days.

Post automatically merged: Apr 26, 2020

It shouldn't matter, if it did, I'm lifetime Bronze so that would mean I might get mine back 6 months from now.

I've gone past 6 weeks now and still waiting for my refund after 4 requests for a refund as QF kept putting it into credit. I wonder how much QF is making in interest and short money markets hanging on to all our money while we wait for our money.

I think it is more like managing cash flow or bleed. They are not making anything right now. Use the email address above. Although ours was cancelled before the voucher at no cost came into effect so we wore a cancel penalty on one of them.

 

[astrosly]

Thanks for providing the email as I sent off enquiries for a few bookings where I got voucher confirmation on cancellation but requested refunds via the button, and another which I called as they changed the schedule to have a long layover and was not acceptable and was advised I would get a full refund. This was between 25 March and 2 April. Note that for all of these bookings I am unable to access any vouchers as they al come back with an error.

This what I got back from Qantas about my refund enquiries:

I’ve looked at your booking and can see it is currently in a credit voucher.

The booking can only remain a credit voucher as it was originally a gift voucher (which is non-refundable).

You’ll be able to use the credit towards future bookings.


So I am not entitled to a refund because I used a gift voucher in part payment of the fare. I've checked their conditions of carriage, can someone help and point to where it says I have to have a voucher and no refund if I pay with a gift voucher?
Conditions of Carriage | Qantas AU

 

[jeza]

Thanks for providing the email as I sent off enquiries for a few bookings where I got voucher confirmation on cancellation but requested refunds via the button, and another which I called as they changed the schedule to have a long layover and was not acceptable and was advised I would get a full refund. This was between 25 March and 2 April. Note that for all of these bookings I am unable to access any vouchers as they al come back with an error.

This what I got back from Qantas about my refund enquiries:

I’ve looked at your booking and can see it is currently in a credit voucher.

The booking can only remain a credit voucher as it was originally a gift voucher (which is non-refundable).

You’ll be able to use the credit towards future bookings.


So I am not entitled to a refund because I used a gift voucher in part payment of the fare. I've checked their conditions of carriage, can someone help and point to where it says I have to have a voucher and no refund if I pay with a gift voucher?
Conditions of Carriage | Qantas AU

Link below to the T&C's for Gift Vouchers

Gift Vouchers | Qantas

Let friends and family decide where to go. Starting at A$50, Qantas Gift Vouchers can be redeemed for one-way or return domestic or international flights departing Australia.

www.qantas.com

 

[froggerADL]

So I am not entitled to a refund because I used a gift voucher in part payment of the fare. I've checked their conditions of carriage, can someone help and point to where it says I have to have a voucher and no refund if I pay with a gift voucher?
Conditions of Carriage | Qantas AU

I think it's probably a condition of the gift card purchase, rather than the ticket purchase.

 

[astrosly]

Link below to the T&C's for Gift Vouchers

Gift Vouchers | Qantas

Let friends and family decide where to go. Starting at A$50, Qantas Gift Vouchers can be redeemed for one-way or return domestic or international flights departing Australia.

www.qantas.com

Thanks, but these are the conditions for redemption of gift vouchers. Once a gift voucher has been redeemed for flights then the conditions of carriage come into play.

Interestingly that the conditions for redemption for a gift voucher is you do not have to spend the whole voucher in one go but the credit vouchers that Qantas are offering you have to spend it all in one go so it contradicts the original terms of a gift voucher.

Anyway this is all moot as there are no conditions attached to the entitlement to a refund for flights cancelled by the airline based on how you paid for the fare.

 

[astrosly]

I think it's probably a condition of the gift card purchase, rather than the ticket purchase.

A gift card or gift voucher is not a flight credit voucher. They have different uses and terms for redemption.

Qantas is swapping a booking to a credit voucher and not back to a gift voucher for the same value as the fare. They can't say because I used a gift card to pay for some of the booking's fare I am not entitled to a refund when they cancel.

And I should mention that I actually don't have any usuable vouchers that are able to be redeemed. At this stage Qantas have cancelled the flights, are refusing refunds and have not provided any vouchers.

 

[Melburnian1]

They will simply refund the money to the original card. You'll need to keep an eye out for it. The receiving card may send you a letter saying you have a credit balance, or they may not.

The main problem is that Qantas is not saying when the money will be refunded - could be weeks - up to 12 weeks. So it makes it complicated to keep checking.

Maybe telephone your bank every couple of weeks to ascertain if anything has hit your former credit card.

I can't speak re other financial institutions but usually the NAB call centre staff are good to excellent.

 

[flyingfan]

My guess is status doesn’t figure into it at all. They’re probably working off a very long spreadsheet or database sorted by date - status wouldn’t be one of the fields they care about. Much as we’d like to think our cards, SC balance and spend count for something, I bet they’re not actively saying “Who are our most loyal/high-value customers, let’s look after them first.”