The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread

[puchu]

Are you logged in to a QF freq flyer account? Need to be positively logged out. I use AY Finnair MMB

No luck unfortunately. I'm not fussed about handling it at the airport.

 

[RichardMEL]

No luck unfortunately. I'm not fussed about handling it at the airport.

Well yes a checkin agent should have no problem doing it, though they may not be too happy about the extra work...

I'm sorry you're having problems changing it. I would have thought it should be fairly trivial.

Incidently I tried on one of my bookings via AY and it did not let me save updated FF info either.

I was able to do it via royal jordanian (rj.com) site - so you could try that

 

[puchu]

Well yes a checkin agent should have no problem doing it, though they may not be too happy about the extra work...

I'm sorry you're having problems changing it. I would have thought it should be fairly trivial.

Incidently I tried on one of my bookings via AY and it did not let me save updated FF info either.

I was able to do it via royal jordanian (rj.com) site - so you could try that

Many thanks again for your advice - Royal Jordanian worked.

 

[The black sheep]

Hi all,
sorry if this question seems very simple, but I have three Qantas $50 gift vouchers which expire soon. Can I use all three on just one ticket for myself?

 

[serfty]

Hi all,
sorry if this question seems very simple, but I have three Qantas $50 gift vouchers which expire soon. Can I use all three on just one ticket for myself?

You may be able to but you will need to call and hope you get someone competent enough to do this.

 

[austgap]

Pardon the dumb question. With a QFF award to avoid the 6k penalty p/pax of cancelling can you call up (shudder) and change the reservation even if it's the origin/destination? eg: SYD-SIN replaced with HKG-SYD or does that still need to be cancelled and rebooked?

 

[serfty]

Pardon the dumb question. With a QFF award to avoid the 6k penalty p/pax of cancelling can you call up (shudder) and change the reservation even if it's the origin/destination? eg: SYD-SIN replaced with HKG-SYD or does that still need to be cancelled and rebooked?

There is a 5k points change fee, athough sometimes it is easier to book fresh then cancel, wearing the extra K rather than deal with the call centre lottery.

 

[Aswong]

I'm trying to book BEY to BGW (via AMM) over the phone as neither of these airports are searchable on the Qantas website.

The agent is telling me she can see reward availability but the flight cannot be priced (this is on Royal Jordanian). Does anyone know what this means? The explanation from the agent was not sufficient (she was claiming that reward flights cannot be booked unless it involves Qantas or has Qantas codeshare which I do not believe is correct given other flights I've booked previously)

Am I out of luck or is it worth trying a different agent - or is it an indication that perhaps Royal Jordanian are out of inventory?

 

[Mwenenzi]

I'm trying to book BEY to BGW (via AMM) over the phone as neither of these airports are searchable on the Qantas website.

The agent is telling me she can see reward availability but the flight cannot be priced (this is on Royal Jordanian). Does anyone know what this means? The explanation from the agent was not sufficient (she was claiming that reward flights cannot be booked unless it involves Qantas or has Qantas codeshare which I do not believe is correct given other flights I've booked previously)

Am I out of luck or is it worth trying a different agent - or is it an indication that perhaps Royal Jordanian are out of inventory?

Incompetent agent. Call again.
Awards are almost always native flights. Is a few of cases in south east pacific where awards on codeshares. QF only code shares a small minority of Oneworld flights.

An award on the route/day you want may not be available.

 

[serfty]

Am I out of luck or is it worth trying a different agent - or is it an indication that perhaps Royal Jordanian are out of inventory?

You got a Lazy or incompetent agent as @Mwenenzi indicates.

I currently have two Qantas Frequent Flyer award bookings that do not include any segments with QF flight numbers or on QF metal. Neither involve travel to/from/within Australia.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Also depends on if you do get a competent CSA (even though outsourced) who can do it without them making a dense/deep/"stupid" error and you losing the whole thing.
Not sure what the ideal is, but if you are lucky, you get a competent agent, and you can change the origin and destination flight, and nothing goes wrong.
Worst, is they make a mistake, or don't do the changes in time, and you loose the booking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Incompetent agent. Call again.
Awards are almost always native flights. Is a few of cases in south east pacific where awards on codeshares. QF only code shares a small minority of Oneworld flights.

An award on the route/day you want may not be available.

Yeah, there may be a reason why the flight can’t be booked… phantom availability or married segments or whatever. But in the absence of finding out the real reason the agent has just made something up

 

[Stargazer]

Mel_Traveller mentioned phantom availability - what is this. Also can you explain married segments. Also what exactly is meant by codeshare between airlines.

 

[Rangalad]

Mel_Traveller mentioned phantom availability - what is this. Also can you explain married segments. Also what exactly is meant by codeshare between airlines.

Married segments
Married flights occur when you have booked two or more flights from origin to destination and the flights lock together and become ‘married’.

Connecting flights lock together and become married:

• At the time of booking;
• After the sale of multiple connecting flights;
• After a change is made to an existing booking creating a new connection.

Why do flights marry?
The Qantas Revenue Management System provides availability based on your journey between origin and destination, or simply where a customer begins and ends their journey. For this reason, you should display availability and book your flights based on their origin and destination.

Codeshare
Qantas has arrangements with other carriers known as 'codeshares'. This means that even if you have made a reservation on Qantas and hold a ticket on a flight with a Qantas flight number, you may travel on another carrier's aircraft. If you are booked on a codeshare flight, it will be indicated on your ticket.

The following flights are operated by other carriers:

• International flight numbers QF200-399
• International flight numbers QF3000-5399
• International flight numbers QF8000-8999
• Australian domestic flights QF5400-5999

 

[RooFlyer]

Mel_Traveller mentioned phantom availability - what is this. Also can you explain married segments. Also what exactly is meant by codeshare between airlines.

In addition to what rangalad said:

Phantom availability is where an airlines web page shows 'award seat' availability, but for whatever reason it not actually available. Usually an attempt to book a seat that's 'phantom' will fail somewhere along the booking process.

If you book a 'codeshare' flight - for instance, on a Lufthansa airplane (or 'metal') SIN-FRA, but booked through Singapore Airlines who give that same flight their own flight number SQ1234, as far as Singapore Airlines is concerned, for benefits you are flying on a Singapore Airlines airplane. If its QF codeshare on a British Airways plane, you will earn the SC and points as if you were flying on a Qantas plane, not the sometimes discounted SCs and points Qantas would give a FF flying purely on a BA plane and flight number.

Codeshares usually happen between airlines within the same alliance - OneWorld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam.

A disadvantage is when there is a problem with the flight. Both airlines may say its the other airline's problem to get you to where you want to go.

 

[SYD]

A disadvantage is when there is a problem with the flight. Both airlines may say it’s the other airline's problem to get you to where you want to go.

The other major and more common disadvantage of codeshare flights is the potential lack of benefits if you hold status with the airline who’s code you’re booking the flight on but that status is not recognised by the operating carrier.

This is mainly an issue travelling in economy (ie can miss out on lounge access and advanced seat selection). Much less of a problem if flying in Biz or 1st.

Fortunately, where QF has a lounge, you’ll normally get access on a QF flight number even if it’s operated by another airline eg SIN-AMS on KLM).

 

[encryptededdy]

I just had a Jetstar flight cancelled and rebooked on QF. Is there a way to get a QF PNR out of this so I can seat select and attach my frequent flyer number? The JQ PNR doesn't work on the Qantas website. Also don't have an e-ticket number to work with since JQ is ticketless I think.

 

[serfty]

You will likely need to call Qantas, give them the details for your flight and they should be able to provide the PNR.

 

[encryptededdy]

You will likely need to call Qantas, give them the details for your flight and they should be able to provide the PNR.

I called and got Auckland, but they looked up the flight and couldn't find me on it. I guess maybe it needs to be manually processed at check-in tomorrow. We'll see.

 

[RichardMEL]

I called and got Auckland, but they looked up the flight and couldn't find me on it. I guess maybe it needs to be manually processed at check-in tomorrow. We'll see.

uh this concerns me tbh.

try JQ. they're the best to be able to help I should think. I wouldn't wait till morning to verify I actually have a new booking.