Qantas - what will Coronavirus mean in the medium term?

[QFflyermelbourne]

With the discussion around airlines offering extended status etc, how is this for an idea?

Booked trips that are now not taken due to virus still earn points and status if forfeited.

I have several forward bookings for the coming weeks I may now not need/want to take. All booked well prior to the crises so I don't expect I'd have much luck asking for cancellations and refunds.

I'm far more concerned with keeping well at this point so I really don't even care if I have to throw them away but to still earn the points and status credits would be a nice idea. QF gets my revenue to help keep them going and I am still legitimately working to maintain status through this year.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well I don’t think any airline is doing ok, ban or no ban though I suspect US ‘bans’ may be only days away....

My point was was more that they are a marginal international international airline with no domestic back up, that also isn’t the national carrier so unsure if they’d be rescued if their owners couldn’t prop them up. Just thinking

There are strict rules against government assistance in EU countries. Flag carrier or not will make no difference to that. We saw recently with flybe that assistance was quickly offered and equally withdrawn because of complaints by other carriers.

 

[Max Samuels]

You quoted my post that was 9 days old.

Posts don't age well when it comes to COVID-19!

I did update my assessment in this post:

I wish your prediction was right though!!

 

[exceladdict]

With the discussion around airlines offering extended status etc, how is this for an idea?

Booked trips that are now not taken due to virus still earn points and status if forfeited.

I have several forward bookings for the coming weeks I may now not need/want to take. All booked well prior to the crises so I don't expect I'd have much luck asking for cancellations and refunds.

I'm far more concerned with keeping well at this point so I really don't even care if I have to throw them away but to still earn the points and status credits would be a nice idea. QF gets my revenue to help keep them going and I am still legitimately working to maintain status through this year.

Not sure how that would work for corporate travel. To be completely ethical I'd cancel any business travel even if only a small portion of the ticket was refunded to my company, as opposed to not showing up. Could work for personal travel i suppose, but could be abused - booking many of the cheapest fares that you couldn't technically fly.

 

[Max Samuels]

How is JQ's domestic going? I imagine of the QF group their Asian based network would be particularly vulnerable

I flew JQ MEL-BNE yesterday... was completely packed! The usual terrible airport experience too - so business as usual!!

 

[RSD]

To be honest I think that airlines, governments, and us all have far bigger issues to deal with at the moment than status credits.

 

[AIRwin]

I flew JQ MEL-BNE yesterday... was completely packed!

Disgruntled Grand Prix fans leaving MEL?

 

[fr.stephen]

I was due to fly to VIE on Tuesday. QF ticket on EK metal.
Just converted it into a voucher. Going in November instead.
One little gotcha is that vouchers can only be used on Qantas operated flights.
So I wonder how I'm going to get to VIE?
About to have a dig in the booking system and see what it offers me.

 

[fr.stephen]

So yes, it offers me BA flights to get from LHR to VIE.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wonder how easy/difficult it will be for folk to redeem vouchers come time to use them. If QF continues with heavily reduced capacity in the form of 787s (vs 500 seat A380s), fares could be sky high. Time will tell.

 

[EzioAuditore]

'The Australian' on Friday 13 March has almost a full page on implications for airlines.

It says that one QFi flight from HKG to SYD (A330) had '39 passengers' with the Captain signing some card for a passenger and writing 'hope you enjoyed your almost private flight.' Very witty.

in the same article, there is a quote from the chairman of Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation Peter Harbison: “what i am hearing is that the best positioned airline in Asia has 30 days of cash left.”
I wonder which airline that is ?
CX, SQ, KE ...

 

[fr.stephen]

Well this is utter cough, the system won't allow me to purchase two sale fares using the voucher. I have to purchase one sale and one flexible, or two savers.
The original tickets were sale on both legs. So how can they impose conditions that are even more restrictive than what I originally purchased?

I might just let it sit for now. November is a long way off and I'm sure a lot is going to happen between then and now.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well this is utter cough, the system won't allow me to purchase two sale fares using the voucher. I have to purchase one sale and one flexible, or two savers.
The original tickets were sale on both legs. So how can they impose conditions that are even more restrictive than what I originally purchased?

I might just let it sit for now. November is a long way off and I'm sure a lot is going to happen between then and now.

Not sure about the conditions on your vouchers - one of the more experienced AFFers will be able to advise... but onerous restrictions are not new - including conditions that you have to purchase a 'more expensive fare' than than the one cancelled for domestic flights. So it can turn a $99 fare to SYD into something much more.

If there is ever an option for a cash refund, it may be a better option, with far more flexibility, than being tied to a voucher.

 

[fr.stephen]

I'm sure you're right - "This credit voucher can only be used for a fare of equal or higher value than your original fare and for travel on Qantas operated flights from or within Australia."

Not that one should be caring about status credits in the current environment, but it would be interesting to see if one gets the status credits for Flexible if using a voucher that was originally used to purchase a Sale fare.

 

[Pushka]

I've only accepted a voucher for one uncomplicated fare. I'm selecting that refund button when I cancel Bali.

 

[TheInsider]

5.5hr wait in for the contact center today!!!!

 

[OATEK]

I'm sure you're right - "This credit voucher can only be used for a fare of equal or higher value than your original fare and for travel on Qantas operated flights from or within Australia."

Not that one should be caring about status credits in the current environment, but it would be interesting to see if one gets the status credits for Flexible if using a voucher that was originally used to purchase a Sale fare.

I never found that the QF system would recognise fares of equal value, when push came to shave. Had to cancel QF1/2 fares a few years back, and when I used the vouchers to rebook the only fare the system would accept were about 20% more than the original.

 

[Melburnian1]

QFi had a staff member (travelling as passenger) who was asymptomatic on a recent LHR - Australia flight who subsequently developed coronavirus.

QFi has failed to state publicly which flight it was - poor - and merely says that (NSW Health? QLD Health?) will be contacting passengers (presumably those who sat within two rows.)

No mention by the ABC news as to whether cabin crew involved (who served this passenger) are also in self-isolation. They should be!

 

[milehighclub]

QFi has failed to state publicly which flight it was - poor - and merely says that (NSW Health?) will be contacting passengers (presumably those who sat within two rows.)

QF has a a flight listed from LHR to SYD with a passenger confirmed to have it. The fact that the passenger was crew is irrelevant.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF has a a flight listed from LHR to SYD with a passenger confirmed to have it. The fact that the passenger was crew is irrelevant.

Reading the QF release again, it merely said he or she travelled from 'UK to Australia.' By the cases listed, the person was bound for either BNE or SYD.

Its list has a previously discussed passenger who flew LHR - SIN on 29 Feb and what seems to be a separate person who was on QF82 SIN - SYD, also departing on 29 Feb.

Another one was on SIN - SYD QF2 on 27 Feb ex Lion City.

There is then a LHR-SIN passenger on 11 March, perhaps connecting on QF52 SIN - BNE ex SIN 12 March as both are shown with a 'case' on board.

Unrelated to the above is a passenger on QF20 shown as departing MNL on '4 March', arriving 'SYD (today) 15 March.' That must be a typo, so that person departed MNL last night.

Let's hope the crew member wasn't socialising with other QFi crew in London (who weren't on his or her flight) prior to going to the airport.