Using flight credit and finding 'change fee'

[RooFlyer]

Having been presented with a flight credit advice under My Bookings (see discussion here) Fully spent Qantas Pass

... I went to use my $380-odd credit. Went through the booking process via the flight credit portal, no problems, found a flight a bit more than the credit, go to payment page ... and it wants to charge me $99 "change fee", . Looking back, this was originally a flight to the Gold Coast that QF cancelled in 2021.

I call the Premium line (sounds like Auckland), she agrees to do the booking and waive the fee ... but then she can only see a fare higher than on-line (by about $30). I confirm that the fare I see is also showing on the regular booking portal as a 'Member Deal'. She puts me on hold to ask someone.

45 mins later (1 hour total call) I hang up.

Frigg'n hopeless.

 

[encryptededdy]

I just had a friend come across the same issue trying to use a credit that was created in early (before April) 2022. This was when the "Fly Flexible" policy was in force and therefore there shouldn't be a change fee, but was instead being charged the $99 change fee for Red e-Deals.

I told them to try calling up, but they ended up just paying the change fee since they didn't want to bother with the call centre (understandably).

I guess Qantas earned $99 from their own IT issues, sigh.

 

[RooFlyer]

This was when the "Fly Flexible" policy was in force and therefore there shouldn't be a change fee, but was instead being charged the $99 change fee for Red e-Deals.

You know, I didn't even think of that . That makes it even more of a crock.

 

[DejaBrew]

they ended up just paying the change fee since they didn't want to bother with the call centre (understandably).

Completely understand your friend’s reasoning here, but it unfortunately contributes to Qantas’ apathy towards resolving their system issues.

 

[RooFlyer]

Called again, got Hobart, who, when they realised where I was from, said "oh, you're one of us! Hope I can help you today" .

Unfortunately, helped very competently but without the result I wanted. Turns out I ( not they) cancelled the flight in 2021 and the 'fly flexible' fee 'amnesty' as she called it, has expired.

Agent sounded almost as disappointed as I was.

Still, I had forgotten about this credit, so I'm still in front.

unfortunately, I forgot to ask about the flight pass that is still there under my bookings.

 

[Quickstatus]

The ACCC should really look at these "flight credits". Its the Wild Wild west when it comes to consumer protections.

 

[encryptededdy]

and the 'fly flexible' fee 'amnesty' as she called it, has expired.

Yeah, I'm trying to understand this for the benefit of my friend who is in the same situation.

You cancelled during the Fly Flexible period, but from what I can tell from the wording at the time, it didn't stipulate that the fee waiver would only apply if you booked within a given period.

Archive of the rules as of Feb 2022: Fly Flexible | Qantas

The only thing I can read is

When changing your flight, you'll need to select a new travel date within 12 months of your original booking date and, while we'll waive any change fees, you'll need to cover any applicable fare increase for your new flights. For all changes your applicable Fare Rules and the Qantas Conditions of Carriage apply.

In both of our cases we're booking more than 12 months since the original booking date (but that's because Qantas extended the credits!), which I guess means the waiver no longer applies? That seems pretty coughty regardless.

 

[RooFlyer]

The thing that got me on the hook, and I've just confirmed with the fare guide is that mine was a Red-e-Deal .

What's more galling of course is that, because you have to choose a fare the same () or higher than the credit, you have to pay the $99 again to just make it to the threshold and then shell out to make it to whatever the next lowest fare is above that.

 

[justinbrett]

I enjoyed the opposite last year.

Avoiding QF change fees

Apologies if this is already widely known, I certainly wasn’t aware. You can avoid the $99 change fee by cancelling your flight and getting a credit voucher, and then rebooking. This method doesn’t charge the change fee (just increase in fare, if any). It’s a nice hack if you want to...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

I enjoyed the opposite last year.

Avoiding QF change fees

Apologies if this is already widely known, I certainly wasn’t aware. You can avoid the $99 change fee by cancelling your flight and getting a credit voucher, and then rebooking. This method doesn’t charge the change fee (just increase in fare, if any). It’s a nice hack if you want to...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can avoid the $99 change fee by cancelling your flight and getting a credit voucher, and then rebooking.

Well yes, of course. I would’ve avoided the fee then too if I had rebooked then but I didn’t. It’s okay, the rules are being followed so no problems there.

I had forgotten about this credit so I’m still about $250 in front. Having to use the credit for a fare more expensive is a bit of a crock ( but that's not new and plenty have complained about it before) especially when coupled with the $99 change fee, so your start that far behind.

 

[justinbrett]

Well yes, of course. I would’ve avoided the fee then too if I had rebooked then but I didn’t. It’s okay, the rules are being followed so no problems there.

I had forgotten about this credit so I’m still about $250 in front. Having to use the credit for a fare more expensive is a bit of a crock ( but that's but new and plenty have complained about it before) especially when Vitor will the $99 change free

No the fly flexible period was over when I made my booking and then cancelled it.

It was an IT glitch that wasn’t charging the change fee. It should have.

I swapped my one way into a cheaper return fare.

 

[jpp42]

I might have been in this situation but my credits were converted to Qantas Pass and therefore could be spent much more flexibly. Was it ever explained why some cancellations were converted but others remained as traditional credits?

Is the Qantas Pass/Travel Pass experiment now over? I assume Qantas had to pay a third party for the processing of those and prefers the legacy credits where they get to sting people for change fees and poor ability to use on lower fares. Here I was hoping they were actually doing something customer-friendly for once with those systems.

 

[RooFlyer]

Here I was hoping they were actually doing something customer-friendly for once with those systems.

Ha ha. Very droll . Never stand in the way of Qantas and a dollar.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I think the Qantas pass/Qantas travel credits where flights were cancelled due to covid, is now over.
They seem (to me) to now "encourage" people to use them up, I "assume" that within the forseeable future, maybe 6/12 months, they would close it down.

 

[jpp42]

I think the Qantas pass/Qantas travel credits where flights were cancelled due to covid, is not over.

To be specific, my question about "is the experiment now over" referred to the issuing of new Qantas Pass / Travelpass type products, due to new cancellations, or conversions of older credits. For example, my Covid cancellations were all originally Flight Credits (i.e. PNR based) but got randomly converted to passes later (16-digit debit card style) - but this didn't happen for everyone or for all PNR-type credits. I of course recognise that existing unredeemed passes will remain valid until redeemed or their expiry date, that should be obvious.