QF - sort yourself out!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Sequel

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Posts
476
It started with the the removal of ATA. I had only once or twice stepped foot on a non QF/OW flight for four years before the removal of ATA, happy in the knowledge that on the very off chance I did fly someone else I could still get into a lounge.

Since the removal of ATA (with a well timed status match from VA), I now maintain QFWP, but also fly VA and its partners enough to maintain VAWP. A not insignificant loss to QF.

While the removal of CD didn't affect me directly, and if it isn't making money I understand the business decision to cut it. What I really cant fathom as a business owner myself, the logic of cancelling already booked CD?!?! By definition these are premium passengers. At what would have been a cost of what, $50-$100 per trip? They now have the cost of ringing affected passengers, (after some time and backlash) offering compensation, and p1ssing off a whole bunch of people that extends much further than just those directly affected (which was a low take up rate anyway !?!?). I have read on AFF multiple post where $ paying J & F pax are saying they will look elsewhere, even if only 1 or 2 of those actually go through with it, that is $10k's lost to QF.

Penalising customers for flying partner (?) airlines to ports where QF doesn't even fly - no need to say more.

Despite all this (but I will admit, not before checking other options) I decided to book the upcoming family holiday to Europe on QF metal (bar a BA flight CDG-LHR to meet up with QF2). The hope is to do well in the upgrade lottery to try to reduce my points balance.

Try to upgrade on line - errors out at the My Booking page - not a good start, but I ring as suggested.

The flex tickets, as per the link in my booking, state For the purposes of redeeming Qantas Points for a Flight Upgrade Award, this fare is classed as Flexible Economy. ,however the chap on the premium line tries to charge me 96K per pax rather than 60k. I suggest he checks again, he gives up pretty quickly and puts me through to another department who are not interested at all and transfer me back to reservations, where I wait 5 mins on hold for someone to answer. The next person tries to tell me 96k, I suggest again that as per the QF website there is a new table for travel after 1 July which states 60k. Computer says no. Says she will check with her supervisor. After a further 15 mins on hold (with no comms from the QF end) I hang up. I had to pick up the kids from care, I didn't think a phone call to request upgrades to a simple QF booking would take over 40 mins!

They call me back 10 mins later (very welcomed) and say again computer says no, it is 96k, and that is all they can do. I don't quite have enough points for 4 pax x 96k x 2 legs, so they suggest waiting until after 1 july to see what happens. The supervisor will talk to FF the next morning and call me back. They dont.

I phone back later the next day and get another operator. Same answer and suggests the website is not clearly written, I suggest the website is black and white and it is just a F up at the QF end. They confirm that they have had a many complaints about the website over the last few months, and also confirms they have had a few people call with the same issue as mine but nothing will be done. Meanwhile, there will be other pax requesting upgrades and getting in the lottery queue ahead of me (either because they are on lower fare classes or dont know they should't be paying so much) all because QF continually fail to deliver what they say they do.

I am very close to just cancelling the $13k worth of flights and booking with someone else. You know, you just get that feeling when people/businesses make things too hard and continually disappoint. They only fly to a handful of destinations and the new calculator doesn't even recognise QF1, no flights from SYD - LHR!!

What a load of ramble! Anyway, in short, I have had enough!
 
Don't muck around. Make a complaint to the ACC, as some others here have done. They appear to be advertising cost X, and charging greater cost Y. You are not supposed to be allowed to do that; its a rip off, plain and simple. And not the first time Qantas operators are charging more than they should.

You may not have the inclination to pursue the complaint to the bitter end, but as long as it lodges with QF via ACC that will be a start.
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

Still waiting for points to be credited to my account after the cancellation of CD. Has been 12 business days so far.
Mind you the ACA hasn't replied yet either.
Maybe QF are running that as well.
Bloody disgrace!
 
Although at this point nothing would surprise me about QF, I don't remember seeing any mention that upgrade rates had increased.
E.g. MEL-xDXB-LHR is still 60k J->F.
 
You know, you just get that feeling when people/businesses make things too hard and continually disappoint.

This ...

Life is too busy and, frankly, too short, to spend time twisting the arm of any business that demonstrates to blind freddy that they'd rather not do business with me.

These days I don't try to fight the good fight, or to help someone with their broken business model, or argue about fine print ... I just take my spend elsewhere. Banks, insurance companies, car dealerships, etc, etc, etc have all been in the long list of companies that just don't appear to want to do business ... luckily there is still at least some competition in most of these fields and for the most part have been warmly welcomed elsewhere (yes, even with banking/insurance hehehe).

For mine, I'd already be cancelling the tickets and moving on - you might even be surprised and find better service _and_ pricing elsewhere :)
 
As a point of interest, the QF desk should have advised the OP that he/she doesn't need to wait until July 1st to request the upgrades. The upgrades should be requested now, no need to have the required (incorrect) points balance at the time of request.
If everything is corrected on July 1st then fine, and if not cancel the requests.
 
The calculator you have to use London (Heathrow) not London. Nothing will work to London. No idea why they have the two options. It's a basket case.

They even took out the intermediate points in the calculator. So you can't work out Brisbane to London. Does anyone from QF even test this stuff?

Refer to the BA calculator if you want to see something done properly.
 
The flex tickets, as per the link in my booking, state For the purposes of redeeming Qantas Points for a Flight Upgrade Award, this fare is classed as Flexible Economy. ,however the chap on the premium line tries to charge me 96K per pax rather than 60k. I suggest he checks again, he gives up pretty quickly and puts me through to another department who are not interested at all and transfer me back to reservations, where I wait 5 mins on hold for someone to answer. The next person tries to tell me 96k, I suggest again that as per the QF website there is a new table for travel after 1 July which states 60k. Computer says no.

Just to be sure, are you booked in Y, B or H fare class? From QF website:
# For travel to 30 June 2014, for international flights a) Discount Economy includes classes B, G, H, K, L, M, S and V and Economy includes class Y. For travel on and from 1 July 2014, for international flights: a) Economy includes classes G, K, L, M, S and V; and b) Flexible Economy includes classes B, H and Y.
 
Yep, booked in H (must have more money than sense, or at least I had more money before I booked!)
 
The upgrades should be requested now, no need to have the required (incorrect) points balance at the time of request.

So I don't need 800k points in my account to request 800k worth of upgrades?

I never got that far in the conversations with QF, always got stuck at the point where they try to charge me 50% to much for an advertised product!
 
Yep, booked in H (must have more money than sense, or at least I had more money before I booked!)

This is truly disgusting considering that you pay top $ for a Y seat and QF doesn't even try to make things right. Apparently their IT department can't handle the f%$#king simplified and fairer system:evil:
 
Sequel

I wish you well on your endeavours and hope that you either get the outcome that you rightly deserve or that you do as a lot of us have and walk. I along with many are frustrated with all the changes to the detriment of the frequent flyers who go out of their way to support QF.

Also hope that what ever way you go you have a sensational family holiday :) :)
 
So I don't need 800k points in my account to request 800k worth of upgrades?

I never got that far in the conversations with QF, always got stuck at the point where they try to charge me 50% to much for an advertised product!

No you don't :)
I have 120K worth of upgrade requests just now with a 100K point balance. There was way less than this when I put the requests in.
You only need to have the required balance at the time the upgrade is processed otherwise it will be declined.
 
Thanks Ansett!

It will be a great holiday, whether it is on QF or not is still to be decided - the good thing about spending silly sums on Y tickets is I can cancel them and get all my money back!
 
No you don't :)
I have 120K worth of upgrade requests just now with a 100K point balance. There was way less than this when I put the requests in.
You only need to have the required balance at the time the upgrade is processed otherwise it will be declined.

Things must have changed, because all the Y- to Y+ or J requests I have put in last year I needed to have the minimum number of points in my account. That being said, it is not coughulative, so with 73,000 points I was able to request 2 MEL-LAX and 2 SYD-SCL upgrades.
 
So I don't need 800k points in my account to request 800k worth of upgrades?

My understanding is that you need them both at the time of request and the time they're actually granted (if lucky):


  • Members must have enough points for the Flight Upgrade Award at the time they request it and when the upgrade is confirmed. Family transfers may assist in ensuring that sufficient points are available.
 
My understanding is that you need them both at the time of request and the time they're actually granted (if lucky):


  • Members must have enough points for the Flight Upgrade Award at the time they request it and when the upgrade is confirmed. Family transfers may assist in ensuring that sufficient points are available.

Yes but they are done per booking ie. in my case 2 x 60K then I only need the minimum per booking not double or 120K.
 
Things must have changed, because all the Y- to Y+ or J requests I have put in last year I needed to have the minimum number of points in my account. That being said, it is not coughulative, so with 73,000 points I was able to request 2 MEL-LAX and 2 SYD-SCL upgrades.

This is exactly what I mean, put ever more succinctly by yourself :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top