QF Any seats rewards - beware if you need to cancel

[dundas]

I recently booked a classic awards seat for a friend who had to cancel - cost, 5000 points.

Today I had to cancel a J class any seats reward ticket to Canberra and return - it cost me 39000 points and instead of being refunded 34000 (39000 - 5000) points as would be case for a classics award seat, I was given a credit, usable only within Australia, for $331.

Do I feel burned? Yes. Would I trust any Qantas offering in the future? Not without reading the fine print each time I use it.

That's the shabbiest dealing I think I've had with any corporate of late.

 

[jas]

Am I the only person reading this and thinking that would be a really useful way to turn points into $ for a status run?

Especially when there's some fairly cheap J deals available...

Where in the T&C's does it talk about credits etc?

 

[aus_flyer]

I don't think it would be good at all.

The anyseat award system clearly prices points at ~ 1c per point.

So unless you think points are worth less than 1c each, then no, it's not a good way to turn points in $

 

[jas]

How do you figure 1c=1 point? I don't see how $331 goes into 39000 (or 34000) points...

My figuring is that the amount refunded/credited was the cash value of the fare that was refunded.

 

[MelUser]

I agree it is a nasty rule especially given that the penalty on a Classic award is only 5000 points. I had cause to cancel a 192000 points Classic award and 5000 was such a small percentage that I was not upset.

There is one thing that bugs me with Qantas if is that you change a confirmed points upgrade flight you lose 5000 points but this is a small loss given your loss.

Moral of the story - stay away from ANYSEAT awards.

Have you thought about travel insurance if it was an insurable event?

 

[serfty]

...

Where in the T&C's does it talk about credits etc?

15.6 Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Award - tickets cancellation & refunds

15.6.1 Any Seat Awards are non-refundable unless otherwise specifically stated in the applicable Fare Conditions.

15.6.2 An Any Seat Award:
(a) will not be refunded after commencement of travel; and
(b) can only be refunded in full (and will not be partially refunded).

15.6.3 A refund of an Any Seat Award will only be made in accordance with the applicable Fare Conditions and these Terms and Conditions. Any refund of an Any Seat Award will be made by re-crediting Points redeemed to the Member's account and refunding any money paid to the Member's Accepted Payment Card, less any applicable refund fee set out in the Fare Conditions. Unless otherwise specified in the Fare Conditions, any such refund fee will be deducted first from the Points to be re-credited to the Member and then, if required, from money to be refunded to the Member's Accepted Payment Card. A minimum refund fee of 5000 Points will apply to Any Seat Awards.

A $ refund is outside the T&C's of the booking. A refund fee of $60 appears to have been assessed.

 

[dundas]

I had insurance but it doesn't cover me for the cancellation.

 

[serfty]

How do you figure 1c=1 point? I don't see how $331 goes into 39000 (or 34000) points...

My figuring is that the amount refunded/credited was the cash value of the fare that was refunded.

There is a $60 fee mentioned when booking cash/point any seat awards. $60 = 6000 points ... so maybe the any seat award actually cost 39,100 points or thereabouts. A refund fee of $60 appears to have been assessed.

As I posted, a $$$ value refund is outside the T&C's of the booking unless any $$$ were used as part payment.

I would call back and complain, quoting the T&C section 15.6.3!

 

[dundas]

A $ refund is outside the T&C's of the booking. A refund fee of $60 appears to have been assessed.

Thanks for posting this:

>Any refund of an Any Seat Award will be made by re-crediting Points redeemed to the Member's account and refunding any money paid to the Member's Accepted Payment Card, less any applicable refund fee set out in the Fare Conditions. Unless otherwise specified in the Fare Conditions, any such refund fee will be deducted first from the Points to be re-credited to the Member and then, if required, from money to be refunded to the Member's Accepted Payment Card. A minimum refund fee of 5000 Points will apply to Any Seat Awards.

However, this doesn't make sense in terms of my situation. I got a credit for $331 (not a refund, but a credit) and not points - the minimum 5000 points refund fee did not apply.

 

[markis10]

Thanks for posting this:

>Any refund of an Any Seat Award will be made by re-crediting Points redeemed to the Member's account and refunding any money paid to the Member's Accepted Payment Card, less any applicable refund fee set out in the Fare Conditions. Unless otherwise specified in the Fare Conditions, any such refund fee will be deducted first from the Points to be re-credited to the Member and then, if required, from money to be refunded to the Member's Accepted Payment Card. A minimum refund fee of 5000 Points will apply to Any Seat Awards.

However, this doesn't make sense in terms of my situation. I got a credit for $331 (not a refund, but a credit) and not points - the minimum 5000 points refund fee did not apply.

Thats why its being suggested you call back and complain, QF have not followed the guidelines in terms of giving you points back rather than $$$

 

[david870mdg]

any seat awards are extremely unpopular, terrible value for points / $ , and overall cough. I will never use one.
Yet somehow QF claims that they are a money spinner for them.?
Why? because they are able to rip people off by reducing classic award allocation?

 

[markis10]

any seat awards are extremely unpopular, terrible value for points / $ , and overall cough. I will never use one.
Yet somehow QF claims that they are a money spinner for them.?
Why? because they are able to rip people off by reducing classic award allocation?

Thats a gross generalisation if I ever saw one

I recently used anyseat to book flights to Ozfest, at 14500 points all in, it was 500 points cheaper than a direct flight and 5500 points cheaper than the classic award for the flight taken which routes via Melbourne. In fact if you are unable to get a direct flight, often anyseat can be cheaper than classic. There are better uses of points depending on your personal circumstances, and sometimes classic awards have less availability and cost more than anyseat awards, there is another thread here for a similar situation ex HBA, certainly worth checking from time to time.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...lyer-program/need-help-re-qf-award-21692.html

 

[Mal]

That does seem weird. Probably (yet another) IT bug, or if done over the phone, the operator stuffed up.

With the talk of Any Seat Rewards earning SC's/points themselves at some point in the future... perhaps an early IT enhancement was rolled out incorrectly.

 

[dundas]

Thats why its being suggested you call back and complain, QF have not followed the guidelines in terms of giving you points back rather than $$$

Thanks to all who responded to my posts on this topic, that was most helpful. I used the contact page on the website to put my case, and got a polite reply saying that the rules of the airfare are as they have been quoted here, and to contact the Call Centre, which I did. As of right now the 34,000 missing points aren't back in my account, but should be within 48 hours. I'm happy with that.

 

[dundas]

Thanks to all who responded to my posts on this topic, that was most helpful. I used the contact page on the website to put my case, and got a polite reply saying that the rules of the airfare are as they have been quoted here, and to contact the Call Centre, which I did. As of right now the 34,000 missing points aren't back in my account, but should be within 48 hours. I'm happy with that.

Just a postscript: it's taken nearly two weeks for my $331 voucher to disappear, and my 33,000 odd points (after allowing for the 5000 point penalty) to be reinstated. Definitely worth hanging in for - the voucher was of minimal value, was for use within Australia only, and I am spending the rest of the year in Thailand! Thanks again for the help from this site.

 

[JohnK]

Very good outcome.

Definitely worth hanging in for - the voucher was of minimal value, was for use within Australia only, and I am spending the rest of the year in Thailand! Thanks again for the help from this site.

It was serfty to the rescue again!

Rest of the year in Thailand? Enjoy!

 

[swylie]

Just a follow up to this - I am currently on the Flight Bookings page for an ASA MELSYD, and when I click and open the "Business" Fare Types pop-up, I read the following (which may have been added/amended since this post started):

Cancellations (including no show)
Fare is fully refundable.
Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Award: If this is a Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Award and the itinerary has been partially flown, then a proportion of the money and points originally used to obtain the award will be refunded to the applicable Member. The proportion refunded will be the remaining ticket value as allocated by Qantas as a proportion of the original ticket value.
Any refund or credit is the Australian dollar price.

Link to the page where I read that is: Bookings - Fare Types

 

[medhead]

Just a follow up to this - I am currently on the Flight Bookings page for an ASA MELSYD, and when I click and open the "Business" Fare Types pop-up, I read the following (which may have been added/amended since this post started):



Link to the page where I read that is: Bookings - Fare Types

That has been there for a while. Certainly, it was when I booked my ASA award about 1 or 2 weeks ago. Also I dohn't think that applied to the OPs case, as I assume they cancelled before commencing their travel. It also says that money and points will be refunded. Money being refunded when someone does a cash copayment. The bit about QF calculating the remaining value does ject mean cash, it means QF will determine the remianing value of points or cash.

Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Award: If this is a Qantas & Jetstar Any Seat Award and the itinerary has been partially flown, then a proportion of the money and points originally used to obtain the award will be refunded to the applicable Member. The proportion refunded will be the remaining ticket value as allocated by Qantas as a proportion of the original ticket value.

The anyseat award system clearly prices points at ~ 1c per point.

So unless you think points are worth less than 1c each, then no, it's not a good way to turn points in $

That seems to be the refund valuation. And the cash co-payment option, when booking, seems to be calculated on the basis of 1.3 to 1.6 cents per point.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I've booked a bucketload of JASAs and had to cancel or change a couple.

WARNING: Don't do anything with them on the website - you will get into the same situation with credited back a $$ voucher which is ridiculously low compared to what the fare would be. I have seen international JASA work with points however, just seems to be a domestic issue.

ALWAYS PHONE TO CHANGE OR CANCEL DOM JASA.

I have had the operator do re-routings, date changes, cancellations (refund of all points in FULL immediately), all for the princely sum of $0/0 points. If it's an ASA on classic points level, they even found alternate flights with U (award) class availability and rebooked me for no charge. No rubbish telephone service fees or award ticket revalidation fees either. I suppose status helps with those too.

Of course, if you are travelling in whY or international J (Business Saver, etc), beware the fare restrictions. Domestic J is no problem - no fees