Rookie to experienced frequent flyer

[Stargazer]

An experienced flyer knows that journeys with multiple connecting flights carry more risk of delays causing misconnections, or of causing your bag not to make a flight even if you make it. If you're a nervous rookie flyer you might want to start with direct flights where possible. Plus if you do some time flying without status you'll appreciate it more when you eventually earn some status

Really valuable advice particularly the point about being a rookie flyer. I am interested in the strategies or approaches you follow if your flight is cancelled the night before your outbound travel - and this might affect several connecting flights. Or if a flight is cancelled mid journey with little warning. How would a rookie who is bronze with no status, and no access to a priority call centre, deal with this issue. This must have happened to you. What has experience taught you.

 

[UP4014]

Really valuable advice particularly the point about being a rookie flyer. I am interested in the strategies or approaches you follow if your flight is cancelled the night before your outbound travel - and this might affect several connecting flights. Or if a flight is cancelled mid journey with little warning. How would a rookie who is bronze with no status, and no access to a priority call centre, deal with this issue. This must have happened to you. What has experience taught you.

In all my 30 plus years of flying, I've only ever had two flights cancelled mid journey because of a mechanical failure for one and bird strike the other. I've never had a flight cancelled the night before and not been placed on an alternative that's within a couple of hours of the original.

It's so rare its taught me not to worry about it, sit back and enjoy the view if there is one. Get a free drink if you have a lounge to go to or just buy one.

When I'm travelling now I don't always have status on the airline I'm flying in another part of the world, so sometimes even frequent flyers are sitting out in the main concourse reading a book and paying for a coffee.

 

[kookaburra75]

2nd lesson learned from a decade at Ansett, don't hang on to points for eternity thinking you'll do something big with them, use them as you go on what ever makes you happy.

Ah yes, the great Ansett collapse. It became a game in Canberra to compare how many points someone had lost. I waved good bye to 200,000 (and six months of Golden Wing membership), but a friend who was saving them up for a big trip for him and his wife lost 800,000 points

 

[kookaburra75]

Credit card, credit cards
earn on everyday expenses

churning cards isn’t for everyone at every point in their life. But a seriously FAST way to accumulate FF points
The WINE bonus points
For the entrepreneurs.... run your business turnover through a earning credit card

Agree on the credit card earn. We put everything through on our combined credit cards, and earn at least 10,000 QF points per month. We pay it off in full when the statements are issued, so there is only the annual fee to worry about. And even then, you can twist their arm to get it waived, or a bonus points into the account to stay with the provider.

Also, if you want to go with Qantas, and have an ABN, you can set up a Qantas Business Reward Account to earn additional points (mine through YakPay), and transfer them into your personal account.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Really valuable advice particularly the point about being a rookie flyer. I am interested in the strategies or approaches you follow if your flight is cancelled the night before your outbound travel - and this might affect several connecting flights. Or if a flight is cancelled mid journey with little warning. How would a rookie who is bronze with no status, and no access to a priority call centre, deal with this issue. This must have happened to you. What has experience taught you.

I think this has already been covered, but the basics are this:

• if you have booked through an airline, say Qantas, and they cancel one of their own flights, you will be protected by the conditions of carriage and they will carry you in the next available service. If the flights are full, you may have to decide if you want to accept a downgrade if your chosen class of travel is full.
• if you have booked through an airline, say Qantas, and the ticket involves a partner airlines on a PAID ticket, qantas will usually work with the other airline to arrange alternative travel. Again, if the flights are full you may have to accept a downgrade, or choose to wait until your class of service is available. This could be a day or two away.
• if you have booked through an airline, say Qantas, and the ticket involves partner airlines in an AWARD ticket, Qantas will try their best to work with the other airline to carry you, But the other airline may not be so interested. In this case you need to look for alternatives. This might involve buying a whole new ticket at your own expense. Qantas cannot force another airline to open award seats.
• if your journey involves disruption on the day of travel, or part way through a journey all on the same day, different rules apply and airlines have great latitude to get you to where you need to go. There are IATA rules in place meaning they can ticket you on another airline if need be. Again, this is all subject to availability.
• things are unlikely to go wrong, but keeping an eye on your bookings and getting in early if you see f hear of a potential problem may help smooth things out.

 

[Stargazer]

Thank you MEL- Traveller for your detailed reply. This thread has been informative and extremely valuable.

 

[Anna]

Really valuable advice particularly the point about being a rookie flyer. I am interested in the strategies or approaches you follow if your flight is cancelled the night before your outbound travel - and this might affect several connecting flights. Or if a flight is cancelled mid journey with little warning. How would a rookie who is bronze with no status, and no access to a priority call centre, deal with this issue. This must have happened to you. What has experience taught you.

There have been a lot more flight delays and cancellations post covid than was usual before covid.

Post covid I have not been paying upfront for hotels. I have been making hotel bookings on the hotel websites with the shortest possible cancellation periods, ideally allowing me to cancel up to 6pm on the day of the stay. It is not the cheapest way to book, but I would prefer to pay say $80 more on the room rate, rather than risk a flight problem which means I am a no-show at the hotel and then I have to forego the whole cost of the room because I had made a cheaper but non-refundable booking.

 

[Stargazer]

There have been a lot more flight delays and cancellations post covid than was usual before covid.

Post covid I have not been paying upfront for hotels. I have been making hotel bookings on the hotel websites with the shortest possible cancellation periods, ideally allowing me to cancel up to 6pm on the day of the stay. It is not the cheapest way to book, but I would prefer to pay say $80 more on the room rate, rather than risk a flight problem which means I am a no-show at the hotel and then I have to forego the whole cost of the room because I had made a cheaper but non-refundable booking.

Wise advice. And I have been thinking along these lines. But the accommodation I have been looking at is somewhere $300-$500 for a 7 night stay above the non refundable rate. But this is probably a wise investment given potential flight issues

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Wise advice. And I have been thinking along these lines. But the accommodation I have been looking at is somewhere $300-$500 for a 7 night stay above the non refundable rate. But this is probably a wise investment given potential flight issues

You need to weigh up the pros and cons. Your delayed flight might get you in 12 hours or 24 hours later, and the extra you have paid for fully refundable total stay might be more than the cost of the first night you miss.

On a recent trip to Vietnam we booked the first hotel for a couple of days with a flexible rate in case of any problems, but the rest of them were non-refundable because we knew we’d be in the country by that time.

 

[Anna]

Wise advice. And I have been thinking along these lines. But the accommodation I have been looking at is somewhere $300-$500 for a 7 night stay above the non refundable rate. But this is probably a wise investment given potential flight issues

For me it's worth it because I can relax a lot more about the financial consequences to me of a flight cancellation or delay. It's also a good way to improve your hotel chain status in the chains that calculate your loyalty by spend as well as by nights stayed

I haven't had a flight cancellation happen to me touch wood, or a post-covid significant delay (just plenty of 1-2 hour delays, all except two on QF ). But if I did, and if I couldn't readily get the airline to sort it out on the spot, I would probably resign myself to spending more cash on alternative flights and then sorting a refund/compensation out with the airline later (or maybe by claiming on travel insurance, depending on the cause of the issue). Not everyone is going to be able to afford to stump up more cash then and there, but personally I would rather do that than miss out on travelling. I don't think this immediate post pandemic period is a good time to be travelling far if financially strapped.

 

[Stargazer]

I haven't had a flight cancellation happen to me touch wood, or a post-covid significant delay (just plenty of 1-2 hour delays, all except two on QF ). But if I did, and if I couldn't readily get the airline to sort it out on the spot, I would probably resign myself to spending more cash on alternative flights and then sorting a refund/compensation out with the airline later (or maybe by claiming on travel insurance, depending on the cause of the issue). Not everyone is going to be able to afford to stump up more cash then and there, but personally I would rather do that than miss out on travelling. I don't think this immediate post pandemic period is a good time to be travelling far if financially strapped.

MEL-Traveller noted that if a flight is cancelled and you need to deal with a partner airline on an award ticket Qantas will try their best to work with the other airline re a new flight. But it was also noted that the other airline may not be so interested. In this case it may be necessary to look for alternatives. This might involve buying a new ticket at my expense. Anna also pointed out this might occur if the issue couldn’t be sorted out on the spot. If buying a new ticket en route what is the best approach. Do you log onto Qantas bookings to purchase the ticket. Or do you log onto the primary carrier in a destination - eg in Singapore, elect to use Singapore Airlines - offering most options. Or do airports have ticketing counters.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

MEL-Traveller noted that if a flight is cancelled and you need to deal with a partner airline on an award ticket Qantas will try their best to work with the other airline re a new flight. But it was also noted that the other airline may not be so interested. In this case it may be necessary to look for alternatives. This might involve buying a new ticket at my expense. Anna also pointed out this might occur if the issue couldn’t be sorted out on the spot. If buying a new ticket en route what is the best approach. Do you log onto Qantas bookings to purchase the ticket. Or do you log onto the primary carrier in a destination - eg in Singapore, elect to use Singapore Airlines - offering most options. Or do airports have ticketing counters.

If you have started your travel it’s not so much an issue. Let’s say you have flown QF SYD-SIN but Qatar airways then reschedules their flight. At this stage you can call Qatar direct, or cathay or whoever the next flight is on.

This is because once travel has started the ‘agency’ laws no longer apply and the ticket is likely under airport control. It’s rare they’ll refer you back to the issuing carrier in these cases.

The main issue is BEFORE travel commences, and any subsequent carriers on the ticket will see Qantas as ‘the agent’ and refer you back to Qantas. Qantas then has to deal with the oneworld disruption desk, and responses may not be quick.

If however it really does go pear shape once you have commenced travel you shouldn’t be buying tickets on another airline because the rest of your ticket will be cancelled. Leaving you in a worse mess. Once you miss one sector the rest of the ticket gets cancelled. It needs to be fixed before your next flight. On day of travel this is rarely an issue. Do not do anything on your own accord, leave it to the airlines to fix.

If your travel hasn’t started, and qantas can’t fix subsequent flights and you’re left without travel I’d be looking for the cheapest fare to get you to where you need to be. Use google flights or find a travel agency with a cheap fare.

 

[tdimdad]

if you have booked through an airline, say Qantas, and the ticket involves a partner airlines on a PAID ticket, qantas will usually work with the other airline to arrange alternative travel. Again, if the flights are full you may have to accept a downgrade, or choose to wait until your class of service is available. This could be a day or two away.

A good way to test whether the changed connecting flight is all good is to attempt to check-in to your flight online. I have had a case where QF moved me to the next flight - but did not ticket it! This caused the online check-in to fail.

The way around this is to rock up to the airline service desk to sort it out, or go to the boarding gate well in advance (e.g. if the boarding starts 30 mins before departure, be at the gate at the latest 45 mins before departure) to allow the gate agents to fix it and get you onto the flight.

Always pack your carry-on so that you can ride out a potential delay of your checked luggage. Mine has been stuck at LHR for six days now with no sign of movement but luckily I'm here to see the family so can get spare clothes for loan. Carry-on with at least two days of gear gets you going ok and gives time for shopping for the rest, if needed. Plus, don't pack anything in your luggage that could spoil over time. Take it into your carry-on (if regulations allow) or simply leave it out of your trip, even if it was the world's best camembert.

 

[Stargazer]

I have heard that some airlines eg Qantas have closed down their service desks. Where is the airline service desk typically located?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have heard that some airlines eg Qantas have closed down their service desks. Where is the airline service desk typically located?

For 99% of airlines it will be marked with something like 'ticket desk' or 'service desk' or 'transit/transfer desk'. These can be either landside, near check in, or airside if you are in transit.

 

[infrequent_jim]

For me it was probably lighting up in the non-smoking section of the plane.

 

[KathN]

Hi Everyone, just wondering what mistakes you did as a rookie frequent flyer that you now do differently as an experienced frequent flyer

Sharing a huge mistake that I just made as a newbie Gold QF member. I completed my trip (solo business class) on 29 Sep 2022 and got 520 status credits. Then two days later, on 1 Oct 2022, all those credits got wiped as my Tier year ended on 30 Sep (I didn’t know). QF provided all Gold members with max 250 rollover. However I have lost 270 status credits through ignorance, I’m devastated. It was a one-off trip for me to retain Gold and I won’t be able to do it again in next 12 months. My joining date was 7 Sep.

 

[maia200]

You should remain gold until the end of 2023. With 250 status credits to start you off planning for 2024. Every year Status Credits rollover and you start again. You haven't lost the 270 status credits they have gone to your lifetime credit. In previous years pre-covid we had no Status Credits rollover and started from zero in our new membership year.

 

[KathN]

You should remain gold until the end of 2023. With 250 status credits to start you off planning for 2024. Every year Status Credits rollover and you start again. You haven't lost the 270 status credits they have gone to your lifetime credit. In previous years pre-covid we had no Status Credits rollover and started from zero in our new membership year.

Thanks, however my intention was to accumulate enough credits to keep gold for 2024, so this would have happened if I travelled after 1 Oct 2023, right?

Can’t even think of lifetime credit, It is super hard for me to get enough credits each year as not travelling for work.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks, however my intention was to accumulate enough credits to keep gold for 2024, so this would have happened if I travelled after 1 Oct 2023, right?

Can’t even think of lifetime credit, It is super hard for me to get enough credits each year as not travelling for work.

Yeah… you get status immediately once you qualify and it last for the remainder of your current year AND the year after.

Qualifying in the first month would give you 23 months of gold (or whatever).

Qantas does have soft landing though, so the year after you’ll fall to silver, not bronze. The requalify for gold once you have soft landed you’ll need the full 700 SCs. It doesn’t start from the base of silver.