Qantas Says COVID Credits Are Refundable

[dylarr]

I visited the Qantas site tonight and noticed this:

View attachment 344594

The headline says the travel credits don't expire but they then go on to say that you must use the credits by 31 December 2023. What am I missing here?

-RooFlyer88

If you want to use your credit to make a flight booking, you need to make that booking by 31st December 2023. Otherwise the only option available to you will be a refund which you can request indefinitely.

 

[drron]

If you want to use your credit to make a flight booking, you need to make that booking by 31st December 2023. Otherwise the only option available to you will be a refund which you can request indefinitely.

So come January why don't they email each holder of a credit voucher asking where they would like their refund sent?

 

[Seat0B]

I visited the Qantas site tonight and noticed this:

View attachment 344594

The headline says the travel credits don't expire but they then go on to say that you must use the credits by 31 December 2023. What am I missing here?

-RooFlyer88

If you don’t use them for travel by 31 December, your only option then is a refund.

 

[Seat0B]

They actually messaged me today with this.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

They actually messaged me today with this.

View attachment 344607

So you have to call up Qantas which is notorious for several hour long hold times to request a refund. Why can't they do it automatically or provide a portal where you can direct QF where to refund the money to if security is a concern?

-RooFlyer88

 

[Seat0B]

So you have to call up Qantas which is notorious for several hour long hold times to request a refund. Why can't they do it automatically or provide a portal where you can direct QF where to refund the money to if security is a concern?

-RooFlyer88

Oh I totally agree with you. As the amount of money involved is very small, I was going to let it go, but then I thought about all the time on my hands with the leukaemia isolation and all….

 

[elanshin]

So you have to call up Qantas which is notorious for several hour long hold times to request a refund. Why can't they do it automatically or provide a portal where you can direct QF where to refund the money to if security is a concern?

-RooFlyer88

Because they're currently out of touch with the real experiences people have. As well as just being technologically out of date.

You find this regularly in medium to larger firms that are older where they don't utilise technology as much to solve their problems.

 

[encryptededdy]

So you have to call up Qantas which is notorious for several hour long hold times to request a refund. Why can't they do it automatically or provide a portal where you can direct QF where to refund the money to if security is a concern?

-RooFlyer88

They simply don't have the technology to do it. I suspect they also don't want to allow you to use the credit to book travel after 31 December because they would have to extend the PNRs that the travel credit is stored under, and that would take quite a bit of work too.

 

[petermorrison]

Hi all after being told on a previous call that I would need a statutory declaration in regard to not having the original credit card that I booked my flights on , before they would refund to my new card. I rang Qantas again on Monday and got a very helpful lady ,from the Phillipines ,who told me having a new card was not a problem. It took about an hour to sort out the details of the three Qantas passes I wished a refund for and today I have received my three refunds into my credit card , so finally a promise kept by Qantas well done !

 

[eastwest101]

Hi all after being told on a previous call that I would need a statutory declaration in regard to not having the original credit card that I booked my flights on , before they would refund to my new card. I rang Qantas again on Monday and got a very helpful lady ,from the Phillipines ,who told me having a new card was not a problem. It took about an hour to sort out the details of the three Qantas passes I wished a refund for and today I have received my three refunds into my credit card , so finally a promise kept by Qantas well done !

I would love to know if this poster's first call was to Cape Town and the second call cannot be Manilla right? Only Jetstar and Virgin have Manilla call centres so maybe the second call was either Suva or Auckland?

Maybe an idea for a useful sticky thread would be to list the call center locations and opening hours of all the major Australian airlines, so that people can see where their calls are actually going to? Obviously, in the case of Qantas, there is the added status complication of Platinum level and above usually directed to the Hobart call centre?

 

[dylarr]

I would love to know if this poster's first call was to Cape Town and the second call cannot be Manilla right? Only Jetstar and Virgin have Manilla call centres so maybe the second call was either Suva or Auckland?

Qantas also have a call centre in The Philippines. It's relatively new:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-opens-new-call-centre-manila/

 

[petermorrison]

I would love to know if this poster's first call was to Cape Town and the second call cannot be Manilla right? Only Jetstar and Virgin have Manilla call centres so maybe the second call was either Suva or Auckland?

Maybe an idea for a useful sticky thread would be to list the call center locations and opening hours of all the major Australian airlines, so that people can see where their calls are actually going to? Obviously, in the case of Qantas, there is the added status complication of Platinum level and above usually directed to the Hobart call centre?

My first call was to Cape Town , the second was Manila as I noticed her accent and asked where she was located. On the face of it you would have to say the Philippines staff training and knowledge is better than South Africa, or I just got lucky.

 

[drron]

I have found Phillipines call centres for various firms that i have used one for are a cut above most other OS call centres.

 

[Seat0B]

I have found Phillipines call centres for various firms that i have used one for are a cut above most other OS call centres.

Me too. The staff actually care.

 

[eastwest101]

Qantas also have a call centre in The Philippines. It's relatively new:

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/qantas-opens-new-call-centre-manila/

Thanks - I wasn't aware of that, Qantas isn't exactly going to boast about this or put it in the 'feelz like home" insipid advertising, but it looks like some decent resources and training might been put into this call centre. As it's also in a similar timezone to Australia it seems the logical choice that both Virgin and Jetstar decided upon. Would be nice if they put the Capetown call centre on the chopping block, that often seems to be the weakest link in their call centre network.

 

[jpp42]

Thanks - I wasn't aware of that, Qantas isn't exactly going to boast about this or put it in the 'feelz like home" insipid advertising, but it looks like some decent resources and training might been put into this call centre. As it's also in a similar timezone to Australia it seems the logical choice that both Virgin and Jetstar decided upon. Would be nice if they put the Capetown call centre on the chopping block, that often seems to be the weakest link in their call centre network.

The Philippines call centre was an existing internal outsourcing centre, used for back office processes, like ticketing. So when they added the ability to take inbound customer calls, you weren't getting greenhorns - many of the agents and supervisors were already working on behalf of Qantas. Also, the greater Manila area has a large industry of call centres for dozens of airlines globally, so it's reasonable that they can hire experienced agents (perhaps from other contracts at the same outsourcing firm), who already know airline systems like Amadeus and just need training on Qantas' specific policies. The same might not be able to be said for say, Cape Town.

 

[CaptJCool]

Bringing call centres back onshore ought be agenda Item number 1

Especially for domestic flying

Don’t mind so much for international although of course offshored back office work is a SIGNIFICANT labour saving arrangement GIVEN the minimum wage differentials between countries

 

[kangarooflyer88]

The Philippines call centre was an existing internal outsourcing centre, used for back office processes, like ticketing. So when they added the ability to take inbound customer calls, you weren't getting greenhorns - many of the agents and supervisors were already working on behalf of Qantas.

Having an overseas call centre handle customer care for travel related enquiries in and of itself is not an issue. What is an issue is when the people the airline chooses to outsource the calls to have no idea what it means to travel (and no I'm not referring to background knowledge here). You need someone who understands what it is like to be stuck at Atlanta airport waiting to get rebooked on a flight to Sioux City. That was the advantage of having a call centre in Dallas or Auckland or Hobart. People in these countries lack the empathy to help customers in these circumstances since they likely have never encountered the kind of cough we travellers experience.

Bringing call centres back onshore ought be agenda Item number 1

Especially for domestic flying

Well it needs to go a bit further than this. I would encourage Qantas customer executives to take a trip to the US and see how they handle things like IRROPs. Let's just say you don't need to sit on hold for hours to get rebooked. Oh and there are these things called customer service centres air-side that can help you sort out these issues too. I have had a flight go IRROP at 2 AM with UA at ORD and by 3 AM have my head on a pillow at a hotel provided by UA and an AC J flight the following morning. Had this been QF I would likely still be on hold.

 

[dairyfloss]

After having almost given up on getting a residual amount back from a covid flight credit QF initially said was 'not eligible for refund' due to the original booking conditions, I thought I would try once again, with the knowledge that QF were likely more flexible these days about the situation... and it worked!

I had to wait a good while for the Premium line in AKL to answer the call (maybe 20 mins?), but once I was connected, it was all done and dusted as quickly as the agent could get through the various screens and inputs. I even changed the refund destination from the original payment method without any issue, or need for the earlier referenced statutory declaration needed. It might take some time to actually be processed / refunded, they advised, but so long as it's happening - I'm happy!

If you were in the same situation and had given up hope... maybe give it another go.
Just set aside a bit of time for it is all.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[VPS]

Jul 23 I think I may have just had a win but it may be too early to tell.

I booked a flight using my Amex travel credit early 2021 for a flight in September. Qantas cancelled the flight and changed it to a 6am flight (that is never going to happen) Usually when you book through Amex you can't make changes but for some reason I was able to change it to another flight and I was able to upgrade to business for not much more. Then of course Covid and couldn't go so was able to put it into credit ($600)

I rang Qantas this morning - all ready to give me a credit and after 15 minutes oh no you have to ring Amex -
Rang Amex - no it's been amended and now under Qantas control
Ring Qantas back - nice young man in Fiji said oh because it's a business class ticket you can have a refund.

Fingers crossed it all happens

Aug 23

so more than 6 weeks later no refund. Ring the dedicated customer refund line and get a message if you're flight isn't today then hang up and call back later but I persisted.

The lady I spoke to wasn't particularly helpful but filled out a customer complaint form for me - apparently someone will contact me tomorrow.

I will not be holding my breath

Feb 24

Finally got my credit

Qantas would only give me $47 and said Amex had to pay the rest

After several phone calls to Amex they said they would sort it for me. Finally they said yes you will get a refund but it will take 8-12 weeks.

Nada

Rang again - we'll follow it up

Rang again Finally got a lady who followed it up and said yes there was a refund owing and it might take 4-6 weeks at which stage I got a tad terse

This week I finally got the refund in my account. $599 that probably took me about 4 hours of calling