Service Fee - Does This Sound Right?

[QF029]

I'm WP and need to change a multi city international booking. It can't be done online so apart from my ticket change fee (which I'm happy to pay) I need to pay $80 to have someone change it over the phone.

In principle I think it's wrong to have to pay to use the phone when it can't be done online but the bit that surprises me is that the premium desk won't waive the fee when challenged. There's only so much time I'll spend to save $80 but I'm curious if others have had success in getting this waived?

 

[markis10]

I'm WP and need to change a multi city international booking. It can't be done online so apart from my ticket change fee (which I'm happy to pay) I need to pay $80 to have someone change it over the phone.

In principle I think it's wrong to have to pay to use the phone when it can't be done online but the bit that surprises me is that the premium desk won't waive the fee when challenged. There's only so much time I'll spend to save $80 but I'm curious if others have had success in getting this waived?

No, this has been an issue for a while and in effect its a tax on those wishing to use the multi-city facility, same applies for domestic bookings.

 

[Skoogle]

There's only so much time I'll spend to save $80 but I'm curious if others have had success in getting this waived?

As a WP, I have never paid extra fees for changing flights over the phone. Just flat out ask for it to be waived, say please and thankyou alot.

 

[BensAdventures]

I'm still an SG and I had to make a multi city booking last year and the online tool just wouldn't work and they waived additional fees then. Again be polite and if you don't succeed at first, call back and try someone else.

 

[QF029]

I thought that might be the case so I called back again with the same result. Even asked to speak to a supervisor who wouldn't budge.

 

[WhereAmI]

Have found the same as a WP. A few niceties and the fee is usually waived.

 

[QF029]

PS I was very pleasant so I don't think my manner is a factor.

 

[bossreggie]

I have also never paid a change fee. I agree that niceties are in order.

As my Grandma used to say. "You don't attract flies with vinegar" (Have ABSOLUTELY no idea why you would want to attact flies though??!!??)

 

[medhead]

As my Grandma used to say. "You don't attract flies with vinegar" (Have ABSOLUTELY no idea why you would want to attact flies though??!!??)

Knowing my grandma it would be to give them a good whack on the head.

 

[anat0l]

As a WP, I've never had any fees waived. I have asked and been offered twice to be able to pay an initial service fee for an award in cash rather than points, but that's about it.

I'm not a very difficult nor ill-mannered person, although it never occurred to me to ask for some consideration that if we can't do it online can we please have the change fee waived. I just take it in stride.

 

[jamesatfish]

Have had mixed results in having phone fees waived when there is no online option:

Rebooking a cancelled flight (ie booking the same sector using the credit from the cancelled flight) can normally be done online, but for some reason the booking hadn't been cancelled fully so it had to be done over the phone. Fee waived.

Booking an ACIR22 (OneWorld Circle Pacific fare) over the phone the other day, as there is no way to book this online. Fee would not be waived.

Seems it's hit and miss - I just assume that I'll have to pay the fee whenever I call to make or change bookings, and it's just nice when they make an exception and waive the fee.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Have had mixed results in having phone fees waived when there is no online option:

...Seems it's hit and miss - I just assume that I'll have to pay the fee whenever I call to make or change bookings, and it's just nice when they make an exception and waive the fee.

+1
QF can be hit and miss on these issues. l'm about 50/50

I'm pretty sure that JohnK also mentioned here some time ago that getting slugged a phone assisted booking fee when you can't make a booking online is a little bit rich. I agree.
Also, try making a booking online and use the QF "gift" vouchers, can't be done. Call the QF booking center, then lose half the value of the voucher from fees.

 

[serfty]

... Booking an ACIR22 (OneWorld Circle Pacific fare) over the phone the other day, as there is no way to book this online. Fee would not be waived. ...

Mind you, $80 is relevantly insignificant when compared to the $12100+ cost of an ACIR22 ...

 

[anat0l]

Mind you, $80 is relevantly insignificant when compared to the $12100+ cost of an ACIR22 ...

That's the kind of reasoning I took when being charged the $50* fee for booking a F Classic Award and a J Partner Classic Award through the phone.

Yes, I could've gone online to book the former, but there was no availability online, so I put in a Platinum request. I think that alone was quite worth having to shoulder the fee. The latter was not able to be booked online (still cannot be done), but I just took it in stride.

* Alternative was to proffer 2500 points.

 

[jamesatfish]

Mind you, $80 is relevantly insignificant when compared to the $12100+ cost of an ACIR22 ...

Which to my mind would have been a great reason to waive the fee...

The fare for which the booking fee was waived was a single $69 SYD-CBR flight on a Q400 in the cheapest fare class possible. Had they wanted to charge the fee it would have been easier to write off the amount and just book another $69 fare online.

 

[serfty]

Which to my mind would have been a great reason to waive the fee...

The fare for which the booking fee was waived was a single $69 SYD-CBR flight on a Q400 in the cheapest fare class possible. Had they wanted to charge the fee it would have been easier to write off the amount and just book another $69 fare online.

The Domestic/T-T telephone assistance fee these days is $40 ($80 for international).

Still, either figure is significant for a $69 fare.

 

[QF029]

Well, third time unlucky! I tried again and got the same result. The only upside was that because I'm currently in the UKs the fee was £30 instead of $80.