Rewards seats changed from QR to QF without approval and from J to Y

[SOPOOR]

This thread is not about schedule changes initiated by partner airlines. This is about people who call the QF Call Centre to ask about potential changes to their itinerary and find that an agent error causes them to lose what they once had and never wanted changed. It happened to me three days ago but fortunately I was able to find a replacement that was acceptable to me that another (better) agent was able to book.

I wouldn't even accept this kind of behaviour from a low cost carrier

Maybe if it was a third world corrupt country.

 

[Mr H]

I wouldn't even accept this kind of behaviour from a low cost carrier

Maybe if it was a third world corrupt country.

What does 'not accepting this kind of behaviour' look like?

 

[levelnine]

I'm honestly a little shocked at how widespread this problem is. This and other threads are making me reconsider my next OWA. Unless QF can sort this out, it might be worth burning remaining QF points on simple point to point flights then moving earning exclusively to other carriers/points schemes. The OWA is one of the only reasons I remain loyal to QFF — it has been an excellent use of points for me in the past. Once that goes, there isn't much benefit to QF over other options.

 

[SOPOOR]

What does 'not accepting this kind of behaviour' look like?

Chucking up a big stink/ doing chargebacks/filing complaints/demanding compensation/ombudsman if available/tribunal/contacting the ceo or manager/ legal action /ranting on forums/contacting the media/never using them again

One or more of the above actions

 

[Mr H]

Chucking up a big stink/ doing chargebacks/filing complaints/demanding compensation/ombudsman if available/tribunal/contacting the ceo or manager/ legal action /ranting on forums/contacting the media/never using them again

One or more of the above actions

Chucking up a big stink- to whom, how?
doing chargebacks - they will happily refund your ticket (eventually) but you won't be flying
filing complaints - they are ignored
demanding compensation - like that's going to happen!
ombudsman if available - you would have been offered a refund in full so no can do
tribunal - for what?
contacting the ceo or manager - how?
legal action - for what?
ranting on forums - bingo!
contacting the media - the media already knows
never using them again - so you're not flying

 

[SOPOOR]

Chucking up a big stink- to whom, how?
doing chargebacks - they will happily refund your ticket (eventually) but you won't be flying
filing complaints - they are ignored
demanding compensation - like that's going to happen!
ombudsman if available - you would have been offered a refund in full so no can do
tribunal - for what?
contacting the ceo or manager - how?
legal action - for what?
ranting on forums - bingo!
contacting the media - the media already knows
never using them again - so you're not flying

Well seems like you have it all worked out and have an answer for everything

I must have been dreaming for eveyrtime I've had success
Apologies

 

[Mr H]

Well seems like you have it all worked out and have an answer for everything

I must have been dreaming for eveyrtime I've had success
Apologies

I think my response was justified. You seem to be saying that you are better than the people who have been stuffed around - that you are a big shot and will win in a stand off against Qantas - and we are weak/deficient for not being able to do so. The experience of most of us is that we are powerless to take them on because we get a stonewall response or a flat offer of a refund. In this case, when QF has given away your flight, there is nothing you can do to get it back. Your options are to get a refund or work with them to find a compromise replacement. And the public does not care about people they perceive to be freeloaders travelling the world drinking champagne in first class - if it was Jayden missing out on his 16th birthday trip to Ool, on the other hand...

 

[Jeffstrongman]

I read the thread on Monday prompted by the AFF weekly email. I have business class rewards booked with qantas via Cathay pacific SYD-MAN via Hong Kong . Cathay had changed the flights recently and qantas had not reticketed. I rang them Monday night asking them to reticket the new flights so I had correct itinerary and etickets. Lady put me on hold eventually came back and said you will receive email in 24 hours with tickets reissued etc. yesterday afternoon the booking has completely disappeared- got Cathay pacific on whatsapp they said speak to qantas. Just on phone with qantas who are denying any knowledge or responsibility and now they have just cut me off whilst on hold. I can see this is going to be exactly as all the examples above. Their incompetence is beyond belief and there appears to be no recourse.

 

[siri]

I read the thread on Monday prompted by the AFF weekly email. I have business class rewards booked with qantas via Cathay pacific SYD-MAN via Hong Kong . Cathay had changed the flights recently and qantas had not reticketed. I rang them Monday night asking them to reticket the new flights so I had correct itinerary and etickets. Lady put me on hold eventually came back and said you will receive email in 24 hours with tickets reissued etc. yesterday afternoon the booking has completely disappeared- got Cathay pacific on whatsapp they said speak to qantas. Just on phone with qantas who are denying any knowledge or responsibility and now they have just cut me off whilst on hold. I can see this is going to be exactly as all the examples above. Their incompetence is beyond belief and there appears to be no recourse.

HK had covid issues and shut downs and as such we only had few transit options, BK air was in bankruptcy so thats out, options are spore and japan if you don’t want qf. Iam at peace booking via JA via Haneda to London.

 

[SOPOOR]

I think my response was justified. You seem to be saying that you are better than the people who have been stuffed around - that you are a big shot and will win in a stand off against Qantas - and we are weak/deficient for not being able to do so. The experience of most of us is that we are powerless to take them on because we get a stonewall response or a flat offer of a refund. In this case, when QF has given away your flight, there is nothing you can do to get it back. Your options are to get a refund or work with them to find a compromise replacement. And the public does not care about people they perceive to be freeloaders travelling the world drinking champagne in first class - if it was Jayden missing out on his 16th birthday trip to Ool, on the other hand...

I'd say you've misinterpreted my post grossly not even sure how you could come to that conclusion
I was emphasising the fact that the level of service provided is disgusting and even for a low cost carriers standards it is disgusting

 

[Mr H]

I'd say you've misinterpreted my post grossly not even sure how you could come to that conclusion
I was emphasising the fact that the level of service provided is disgusting and even for a low cost carriers standards it is disgusting

I'm sorry if I have misinterpreted it. I just think the 'not accepting it' butters no parsnips. If we want to fly, we have little option but to work within the system in front of us.

 

[dajop]

Is one clear thing to come out of al or this, if you want to change your booking, DO NOT reference your original booking when calling up to examine alternative routes/dates but instead check independently as if you were asking about a new booking. Then you don’t risk losing your original booking if the flights are not available. If the flights are available then the risk is diminished although some risk still there, particularly if on QR.

 

[Jeffstrongman]

Is one clear thing to come out of al or this, if you want to change your booking, DO NOT reference your original booking when calling up to examine alternative routes/dates but instead check independently as if you were asking about a new booking. Then you don’t risk losing your original booking if the flights are not available. If the flights are available then the risk is diminished although some risk still there, particularly if on QR.

It is a sad indictment of a national carrier that the starting point has to be complete mistrust and then work backwards from that point - and if at any stage something goes wrong have absolutely no rights whatsoever

 

[Fil-Ski]

I spoke with a very knowledgeable agent in AKL yesterday

The issue is that the SA/Fijian call center just don’t have the knowledge to make these booking changes and as a result tickets are not issued or partly issued

Hence why the flights drop

Throw flight changes and cancellations and you have an absolute mess

 

[Mr H]

The issue is that the SA/Fijian call center just don’t have the knowledge to make these booking changes and as a result tickets are not issued or partly issued

Hence why the flights drop

That is part of it, but when I spoke to my good Saffa agent she said that the systems they have available to them are also less complete than the ones available onshore - so there are some things that they are not able to do, and some things for which they do not have delegated authority and need other teams to intervene.

 

[NM]

Two words keep coming to mind as I read more and more examples of the same underlying problems:

Systemic Failure

 

[cjd600]

That is part of it, but when I spoke to my good Saffa agent she said that the systems they have available to them are also less complete than the ones available onshore - so there are some things that they are not able to do, and some things for which they do not have delegated authority and need other teams to intervene.

I had 3 different agents in SAF, on Saturday night, I was trying to add JL flights to my booking for 13 May 2023 LAX-HND-SYD which had just been released.
"No, those flights arent available, my calendar is greyed out after May 9"
- That seems to be cutoff 353 day release for QF fights, I say, these are on JL, and on my screen in fromt of me, and JL release earlier than Qantas.
"No, the computer has those dates greyed out"
- Here, take a look at this other booking for my wife and other kid (we have 2 identical split bookings, as coudlnt get 4J on the final flight)), they have flights booked for JL on 12 May - so somebody was able to do that even though you say its not available yet. Do you have a supervisor to support and show you how to do it? As you can see it was done on my other booking no problems
"I know how to do it, but the dates are greyed out, so I can't do it just yet"
- aaaargh, but you can see someone did it?
"Computer greyed out"
- fall in crying heap
3 x HUACA (actually the third one disconnected me whilst pondering it) and same reply each time, from 3 different SAF contact centre staff
Called again first thing Sun morn (maybe got AKL), flights still available thankfully, and added no probs......

 

[jpp42]

"Computer greyed out"

There are reports that the outsourced call centres use middleware that restricts them to certain features, compared to the HBA/AKL call centre which has direct access to all features. So they are probably telling the truth here in terms of what they can see (but it's pretty terrible they can't offer any solution).

 

[dylarr]

There are reports that the outsourced call centres use middleware that restricts them to certain features, compared to the HBA/AKL call centre which has direct access to all features. So they are probably telling the truth here in terms of what they can see (but it's pretty terrible they can't offer any solution).

From what I understand, it is actually Hobart and Auckland call centres that are using the "middleware": a legacy, custom in-house overlay for Amadeus Central Reservations (ACR) called "AQIRE". Mindpearl agents are using a native Amadeus system, not sure which one... it might be Altea Reservation Desktop (ARD) or similar.

 

[cjd600]

There are reports that the outsourced call centres use middleware that restricts them to certain features, compared to the HBA/AKL call centre which has direct access to all features. So they are probably telling the truth here in terms of what they can see (but it's pretty terrible they can't offer any solution).

But doesnt explain that another SAF call centre person could add my wife/child's flights in same scenario a day or so earlier...
They were probably searching for revenue fares or something, had never experienced this, and have many times added (with SAF) flights at 360/361/355 days for JL, QR, CX, BA etc with no probs