QF change fee to increase from 9 Oct 24

[Lynda2475]

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/qantas-increases-price-on-booking-changes/news-story/997433c548727b1ddc296eab51d38045?amp

$20 increase from Oct 9

 

[eminere]

Direct link to the FAQ document from Qantas: Changes to Qantas fees

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Really a shame when you compare it to the States, where even the bottom-barrel low cost carriers have done away with them. Not surprising, of course.

 

[CaptJCool]

Really a shame when you compare it to the States, where even the bottom-barrel low cost carriers have done away with them. Not surprising, of course.

Well at least they have worked out that whe. You ask passengers to self-service, you don’t need to charge them for their own labour ….

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Well at least they have worked out that whe. You ask passengers to self-service, you don’t need to charge them for their own labour ….

Given it's almost impossible to make even basic flight changes via QF's IT, I suppose that's a fair point: it costs them money to force people to call in and painfully talk their reps how to do something we can't do ourselves, so I suppose we're on the hook for that cost.

It took me over an hour and a half last week to change two Y-class redemptions to J-class on the same flight. Just painfully difficult.

 

[CMA222]

The new CEO says that QF is "changing for the better" ! I think she meant "changing the fees because it is better for QF" to charge more to move my bundle of rights from one aspiration but not guaranteed fight to another aspirational but not guaranteed flight.

 

[Lynda2475]

Changes due to QF cancelling or materially changing time of flight will still be free. It's only change of mind changes.

 

[SYD]

Given it's almost impossible to make even basic flight changes via QF's IT, I suppose that's a fair point: it costs them money to force people to call in and painfully talk their reps how to do something we can't do ourselves, so I suppose we're on the hook for that cost.

Have you tried for a revenue ticket? Pretty straightforward.

It took me over an hour and a half last week to change two Y-class redemptions to J-class on the same flight. Just painfully difficult.

That would be a different change regime anyway but I’ve been able to change reward bookings online. Obviously, subject to reward seat availability.

Wouldn’t changing from X to U be a cancel and rebook anyway?

No idea what the deal is for CR+ changes and not about to find out anytime soon!

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Have you tried for a revenue ticket? Pretty straightforward.

That would be a different change regime anyway but I’ve been able to change reward bookings online. Obviously, subject to reward seat availability.

Wouldn’t changing from X to U be a cancel and rebook anyway?

No idea what the deal is for CR+ changes and not about to find out anytime soon!

It can be pretty straightforward for revenue tickets, if: 1) the flight hasn't been previously changed (as I've had several instances where schedule changes have randomly resulted in that option subsequently greyed out); and 2) you're only trying to change the date. If I recall, it was possible to change origin or destination in the past, but bizarrely around Covid this disappeared and has never returned.

In this case, once again only the day could be changed, which was fine, except (and perhaps it was because I was looking on the same day and there is only one flight between SYD-JNB) the change tool gave me a nondescript error when selecting the same day. I had to call in, and it was treated as a change, not a cancel and rebook.

Qantas' IT is woeful, and I don't think that's a hyperbolic or controversial statement. The US carriers are the gold standard in my opinion when it comes to self-serve options, but QF is definitely towards bottom of the list of the many carriers I fly regularly.

 

[SeatBackForward]

How much of that $20 increase will go to improving the skills of their call centres?

 

[VPS]

How much of that $20 increase will go to improving the skills of their call centres?

I think that is called wishful thinking

 

[SeatBackForward]

I think that is called wishful thinking

Ok let me rephrase. How much of that $20 will go to Executives and Directors Renumeration?

 

[VPS]

Ok let me rephrase. How much of that $20 will go to Executives and Directors Renumeration?

All of it

 

[CaptJCool]

All of it

No no
It’ll be used for share buybacks

Bonuses are fully taxed as income
Shares sold are tax discounted by 50% and taxed as capital gains

 

[justinbrett]

It’s been $99 for what, at least a decade.

Easily lower than inflation in that time.

I can write you a long list of other things that have gone up much more than that in that time that I have to pay more frequently.

 

[servicerequired]

Ummmm we are all missing the other requirement, but a Red-e-Deal needs to be moved up a fare class whenever a change is made … absolute BS … fare difference plus $120

 

[TheInsider]

Ummmm we are all missing the other requirement, but a Red-e-Deal needs to be moved up a fare class whenever a change is made … absolute BS … fare difference plus $120

No, it's same price or more. Fare price can't be lower. The actual fare class makes no difference.

 

[encryptededdy]

It’s been $99 for what, at least a decade.

I don't think so, it was increased from $65 to $77 in 2013 (QF Change fee increase from 18th Sep), can't currently find when it got increased to $99.

Anyway, I'd like to see Qantas reduce the cost of purchasing a flexible ticket on their domestic flights - I wouldn't be worrying about changes to the change fee here if they charged a fair price for upgrading to a flexible ticket.

I'm not a fan of Air New Zealand's unbundled fares, but I love that to go from a domestic seat+bag -> flexichange is only +NZ$19, and seat+bag -> flexirefund is only +NZ$37. Back when I travelled a lot domestically in New Zealand (self-funded) I would always buy a flexirefund fare, because why not? I probably only actually modified 1/4 of my bookings, but AirNZ always got that extra revenue from me.

I feel like if Qantas wanted $50 or even $75 extra for a SYD-MEL flex fare, I'd consider paying it. As it stands 3x the ticket cost for Flex vs. Red e-deal just cannot be justified for my leisure travel. Also remember that the expensive domestic flex fare from Qantas isn't even fully refundable ($99, now $119 to refund), vs. AirNZ's flexirefund which is fully refundable.

I hope Virgin's upcoming fare changes will get Qantas to price their domestic flex fares better... but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[oz_mark]

I don't think so, it was increased from $65 to $77 in 2013 (QF Change fee increase from 18th Sep), can't currently find when it got increased to $99.

It went from $88 to $99 in 2017

 

[justinbrett]

It went from $88 to $99 in 2017

I thought it was earlier but even 2017 is under inflation.

Inflation Calculator | RBA

www.rba.gov.au