QF Flight Credits - Change fee being levied at redemption?

[GDale]

Stumbled across this thread on ozb and found it interesting - it looks like passenger initiated flight credits are subject to a change fee when redeeming for new flights. The wording on the QF site (https://www.qantas.com/au/en/manage-booking/credit-vouchers.html?tabId=requested-by-you) seems to support this being charged:

There are no fees associated with obtaining your Flight Credit. However, any fees that applied to your original booking will apply at time of redeeming your Flight Credit, unless they have been waived. For example, if you purchased a Red e-Deal or sale fare, the change fee will be charged when you redeem your Flight Credit.

This policy also seems to apply to all credits (i.e., both pre-Sep 2021 and post-Sep 2021)

Does anyone know if this is new or if it's always been there?

It seems rather punitive and would surely chew up a fair bit of the flight credit for those who originally booked discount economy fares, and it'd be very unfair if there was no mention of such a charge at the time the credit was requested under the flexible flying policy.

 

[AIRwin]

Does anyone know if this is new or if it's always been there?

Not new

 

[GDale]

Not new

Thanks, but if that's the case, wasn't it a little disingenuous of QF to offer "flexible flying" on those lower Y buckets? It surely would've given the average consumer the impression that their ticket has been "cashed out" as a voucher when the reality is quite a bit further from that.

I suppose the lesson's always the same, it pays to read the T&Cs!

 

[dylarr]

Thanks, but if that's the case, wasn't it a little disingenuous of QF to offer "flexible flying" on those lower Y buckets? It surely would've given the average consumer the impression that their ticket has been "cashed out" as a voucher when the reality is quite a bit further from that.

I suppose the lesson's always the same, it pays to read the T&Cs!

The Fly Flexible policy was only applicable for domestic bookings made and travelled thru to 30 Apr and wasn't extended by Qantas. Until then, the change fee levied at redemption was being waived under the Fly Flexible policy for every fare bucket, but now that doesn't apply anymore.

For international travel, Fly Flexible is still in effect for bookings made before 30 June for travel thru to 31 Dec. In this instance, such bookings would have the change fee waived under the Fly Flexible if you were to convert the booking to a flight credit. The credit would be subject to the same or higher value rule however.