QF award booking - Qatar Airways withdrawal from Canberra

[Ajw20]

Good afternoon all,
Following the AFF’s article yesterday mentioning QR’s withdrawal from Canberra - Melbourne due to ground handling issues, has anyone got advice or recommendations on what I should do given I hold a CBR-MEL-DOH - Europe return (J class) in the month of June next year?

Looking on the Qatar website now, all flights ex CBR are on Virgin metal, connecting with QR in Melbourne.

Past history in similar situations with a QF partner award booking, makes me very concerned about this. With the addition of the Virgin component, I’m even more worried.

I’m monitoring my tickets daily and they are still valid and issued.

Any thoughts or guidance on what to do to avoid a late QR cancellation of my tickets and then QF throwing their hands up? I am assuming QR cannot assist, and QF won’t assist until there is an issue right?

 

[ChrisMars]

Oh no! I am in the same boat, though my reward is Y. Wondering if QR will move us to another flight or just cancel the ickets.

 

[Ajw20]

Oh no! I am in the same boat, though my reward is Y. Wondering if QR will move us to another flight or just cancel the ickets.

I’m not sure, but based on experiences with other airlines like Cathay, they just cancel your booking and send you back to Qantas to deal with it as the ticket is issued with them (081).
I think it’s even more likely with this one given the current options for the same sector on the QR website is CBR-MEL with Virgin and surely Virgin won’t allow a Qantas points pax flying with them.

It’s going to be a waiting game

 

[RooFlyer]

I think it’s likely that QR will not advise of any change until one or two months out from the time of flight. And then they will probably just put you on the virgin flight (being a partner - but maybe Qantas- does’t matter in this scenario) and it would need to be re-ticketed. And then you face the usual issue of Qantas not re-issuing the ticket within a few days and Qatar will then cancel it.

I think you should start calling Qantas, hope for a Hobart agent, and try to get the CBR-MEL leg on QF proactively. This will probably incur a fee as a ‘voluntary’ change. Else is there any current availability, from any Oz port? If yes, grab it and cancel the current one.

 

[MrJetset]

Would you be happy to drop the first segment? I imagine the married sectors are MEL-DOH-Europe, so shouldn't be an issue if you have an experienced QF agent.

QR would be within their rights to simply cancel your ticket and QF will offer a full points refund.
They may well reaccommodate you but you may not know until close to departure and are you happy with a scenario where your points are offered as a refund at that time and may have to purchase a commercial ticket?

If it were I, I would be proactive and have MEL-Europe confirmed and book a separate CBR-MEL ticket.

 

[Ajw20]

I gave them a call and was told to just wait, might try another method to contact them.

But I’d be more than happy to drop the first sector and make my own way to MEL. I’m actually happy for anything to secure the MEL to EU sectors!

 

[MrJetset]

I gave them a call and was told to just wait, might try another method to contact them.

But I’d be more than happy to drop the first sector and make my own way to MEL. I’m actually happy for anything to secure the MEL to EU sectors!

What's your QF status? Also, welcome to AFF

 

[Ajw20]

What's your QF status? Also, welcome to AFF

Status = non existent (Bronze)! And thank you

 

[ChrisMars]

As @Ajw20 , I am comfortable loosing CBR-MEL and keeping MEL-DOH alive, with the connection toward europe. I think I'll wait late December to call, and sort it out, just before the change-free period is over for award booking made before 30 September. Unless I get a CMT alert of course, at which stage I'll call Qantas immediately.

@Ajw20 good luck calling Qantas. without high status, it's really hard to speak to a good agent, so you will have to take anything they say with a grain of salt. Also, as soon as they touch your booking, you will have to keep calling to push for reticketing, as it might otherwise drop within 24h for award booking with airlines such as QR.

 

[Tpownage]

This is an FYI for my experience.

I had a Doha > Melbourne > Canberra > Melbourne > Adelaide Flight booked for Feb 5th 2023.

Upon checking my booking reference on Qatar and Qantas websites it indicated QR988 Doha > Canberra CANCELLED New Time 15 mins later Doha Departure Doha > Melbourne QR988.

I called to fix this and they had to "accept" the new flight,luckily for me this actually simplifies my routing Doha > Mel > Adelaide.

But if you have a ticket booked on Doha > Canberra Call Qantas if a Reward Flight or Qatar if its a cash flight ASAP.

You shouldn't lose your Doha > Mel as this is "auto changed" but still needs to be accepted and if your end destination is Canberra you need to add a new flight.

 

[ChrisMars]

I had a qf and qr notification of change overnight, but that's only a 5 min change, and just for the arrival time. Called qantas this morning, straight to hobart, they say the ticket is safe, their is no reticketing as the departure time and city is still the same. Should I be worried?

 

[ChrisMars]

Got my QR CBR-DOH segment of my award moved to the MEL-DOH overnight. This was expected, and I called Qantas to get a CBR-MEL seats. Was a bit hard to get Hobart (WP) but got there.

To my surprise, the agent say Qantas won't convert a revenue CBR-MEL as the initial change is from Qatar, and invited me to reach out to them for compensation, or my travel insurance. I doubt any of those would help. Maybe I was a bit naive, but I though they would just put me on a flight (April 20223). I asked if as a WP I could get a seat release, but again, no luck.

Now, for some reason, the agent didn't see the X availability on the 6am flight, until I pointed out, and insisted that I can see them, at which he say "let me switch screen, ah yea I can see it now". Wondering if Hobart has changed their system, as this was mentioned a few time on this forum this would happen.

So got those seats, paid a few extra taxes and 16k points. Ticketed 1h later.