reward flight cancelled - what to do? urgent

[sphinx]

I booked an award return flight for my wife using my FF points. Qantas + JAL. She is now supposed to be on the return leg of the trip (flying from China to Osaka/Japan then back to Sydney). However, due to fog in airport, the flight to Japan through JAL is canceled. JAL can put her on the next-day flight but Qantas can't seem to find a seat on the connecting flight. This is complicated by the fact that the ticket is an award ticket. Both JAL and Qantas are not helpful at the moment as they seem only to care about their own leg of the flight....

Is JAL responsible because the cancelled flight is theirs? Which airline should I push harder? Is JAL supposed to find all possible ways to fly her back to sydney? Which airline should be the single point of contact? I don't want to deal with the two separately because it is almost impossible to figure anything out (Qantas is saying everything if full for award booking; JAL only can do the china-japan leg)....!

thanks!

 

[MelUser]

I would suggest travelling as far as you can with JAL and then go straight to QF check in desk and tell them that you want the next flight to where ever you are going.

QF ticketed the flight and it is their problem to get you home.

 

[Travel Guru]

I concur with Meluser.

How the flight was booked is rather irrelevant when it comes to changes beyond your control, whether it was a Full Y fare, an award booking or a ticket you won in a chook raffle, either way you have the same result, a ticket number, and an airline who has an obligation to get you home.

I would push with JAL, ask them to organise to reticket you on a suitable QF connection, and as Meluser said, if it still hasnt been done by the time you arrive in OZ, go to the QF tkt counter, explain the situation and ask to be put on the next available flight.

Whether there are award seats on the domestic leg is irrelevant, you're not making a voluntary change, its due to a situation beyond your control, so they should be changing it FOC and without hassle.

TG

 

[hardya]

QF do not fly from Osaka (KIX) to Sydney; it would be a QF flight number code-shared on JetStar International (JQ) metal. Therefore, no QF counter in KIX. JQ staff may plead ignorance as they are the carrier only, actually ticketed by QF (who have no presence in KIX).

Have you tried calling QF's Japan Call Centre? Sometimes they are more helpful than their Australian number. Their number in Tokyo (dialing from Australia) is 0011-81-3-3593-7000.

Keep demanding assistance from QF, they ticketed the flights.

 

[hardya]

In the worst case (if JAL and QF keep blaming each other, and she gets stuck at KIX), then perhaps the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) can assist in putting pressure on QF. Ridiculous and a last-resort, I know, but it would be ridiculous if she has to fork out extra $ due to QF's incompetence.

DFAT Consular Assistance:
Canberra: Telephone 02 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 (local call cost)
Consulate Osaka: Telephone 06-6941-9271
Embassy Tokyo: 03-5232-4111

JETSTAR's call centre can be contacted free-call from Japan on: 0120 934 787.

 

[sphinx]

thanks for all the replies. It is now sorted out.
In the end, I still have to call both airlines. I pushed Qantas to get her on the same flight the next day.. although they first said it was full. Qantas couldn't find any available seat on JAL's flight the next day... that is why Qantas can't handle the whole thing by itself. BUT, JAL is able to find one in the end.

They both pointed the other party as the responsible one until the very end. ..

 

[NYCguy]

They both pointed the other party as the responsible one until the very end. ..

Oh, surely not?

 

[ANstar]

They both pointed the other party as the responsible one until the very end. ..

"Oneworld - The alliance that revolves around you" at its best!