Is Qantas walking away from Emirates partnership?

[Seat0B]

I recently booked a paid J ticket to DXB with +1. I booked on the Qantas web site, for a flight with a QF flight number (code share with EK) and as Qantas no longer flies to DXB, I was on EK airframe.

Selected seats, sitting together in the middle and all was good. Then, a couple of weeks later, I got a change to flight details (it was because daylight saving kicked in) and found that seat selection had been lost. So went to re-select the seats - and found that there were no seats together anywhere on the flight, and we had been randomly allocated seats at opposite ends of the J cabin.

Politely called Qantas to see what had happened and if it could be fixed and was treated like a hot potato. "nothing to do with us, that's an Emirates aircraft". Replied "yes and I am QFF WP, who booked a QF flight on the QF web site, so it is something to do with you". Some fruitless conversation ensued, before it was suggested that I should just wait until I was at the airport for check in and see if some other seats were available. This was not satisfactory to me. I called back a little while later (if you don't like the answer, keep trying!) and was again told that it was an Emirates problem and Qantas could/would not help. However, this person gave me my "Emirates booking reference number" which was not contained anywhere on my Qantas e-ticket. Used this to call Emirates direct - guess what, no problem, we were still in the originally selected seats, together.

However, I think this is pretty shabby treatment from Qantas - QF flight no, booked on the Qantas web site, with their code share partner - surely they can do better than that? Or is this just another sign that they really are walking away from the Emirates partnership without letting any of us know?

 

[GoldCanyon340]

It's always historically been better (mostly only possible) to manage your seats properly on QF marketed EK operated flights on the EK website. Now I realise this wasn't possible in your case and it sounds pretty poor the QF agent(s) couldn't/wouldn't do that. To also suggest you sort it out at the airport is an unhelpful response especially if the cabin was full. Possibly they're following a script? I don't know.

It's a stretch though to claim QF is walking away from the partnership, you'll still get your status credits

 

[Austman]

It's not much to do with the "partnership" but everything to do with different booking systems.

And it's not just EK. The problems that you describe can exist when you make a booking on the Qantas website that includes an airline that uses a different booking system.

It can even get "stuffed-up" when there's a JQ flight in there. And I doubt that QF and JQ are "walking away from their partnership". Considering they are owned by the same company.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

GDS companies are to blame. They are the scourge of the airline world.

 

[Forg]

Regardless of the cause of this problem & the different booking systems involved ... is it not an official thing that QF are dumping their thing with EK?

 

[Mattg]

Regardless of the cause of this problem & the different booking systems involved ... is it not an official thing that QF are dumping their thing with EK?

No, not at all. There has been no announcement about Qantas ending its partnership with Emirates.

 

[Austman]

QANTAS AND EMIRATES TO EXTEND PARTNERSHIP

About 4 years to go it seems.

 

[Himeno]

No, not at all. There has been no announcement about Qantas ending its partnership with Emirates.

Of course, if they did want to end their partnership, they don't have to wait until the ACCC anti trust immunity expires.
They first asked for 10 years, were given 5 which was then extended for another 5. There are 3 1/2 years left on that extension.

However, when QF broke up with BA, they were a year or so into an extension on that ATI.

 

[Mattg]

Of course, if they did want to end their partnership, they don't have to wait until the ACCC anti trust immunity expires.
They first asked for 10 years, were given 5 which was then extended for another 5. There are 3 1/2 years left on that extension.

However, when QF broke up with BA, they were a year or so into an extension on that ATI.

That may be so, but it is definitely not an "official thing" that the partnership is coming to an end in the near future. Neither Qantas nor Emirates have made any such suggestion.

 

[dajop]

However, this person gave me my "Emirates booking reference number" which was not contained anywhere on my Qantas e-ticket. Used this to call Emirates direct - guess what, no problem, we were still in the originally selected seats, together.

This is perhaps what they should have told you originally, an apology that their systems can't directly check what Emirates has done with seats, and therefore direction to Emirates (website or phone). This exactly the advice you would have received had you posed the question here first!

 

[kermatu]

You can put your QF booking reference into the EK "Manage booking" site and it will automatically change it to the EK reference which you can (should) use to select seats etc. No need to call, and run into potentially unhelpful and ignorant call centre staff.

 

[opusman]

The partnership is a large part of how they got back to profitability and it does very well for both airlines (probably even more so for QF than EK). The issue is simply one of different, incompatible, booking systems. It's one of those problems that has been there since the partnership began. Similarly the inability to use QF points to upgrade on EK flights. Just because they have a code share relationship doesn't mean they're the same company.

 

[Seat0B]

This is perhaps what they should have told you originally, an apology that their systems can't directly check what Emirates has done with seats, and therefore direction to Emirates (website or phone). This exactly the advice you would have received had you posed the question here first!

thanks dajop - I'll ask here first. The biggest problem was that the booking numbers were not the same - so I could not find anything on the Emirates web site and it only got solved when I got the Emirates booking no and called them. I'd suggest that both booking numbers should be on the e-ticket?

 

[Seat0B]

You can put your QF booking reference into the EK "Manage booking" site and it will automatically change it to the EK reference which you can (should) use to select seats etc. No need to call, and run into potentially unhelpful and ignorant call centre staff.

Thanks kermatu - this is exactly what I needed to know!

 

[Seat0B]

The partnership is a large part of how they got back to profitability and it does very well for both airlines (probably even more so for QF than EK). The issue is simply one of different, incompatible, booking systems. It's one of those problems that has been there since the partnership began. Similarly the inability to use QF points to upgrade on EK flights. Just because they have a code share relationship doesn't mean they're the same company.

Yes Opusman, I understand your point - however as a Qantas ticketed passenger, on a Qantas flight, booked on the Qantas web site, I would have expected a lot more service from Qantas, rather than just "turn up at the airport and see what happens!"

 

[downtheback]

Yes Opusman, I understand your point - however as a Qantas ticketed passenger, on a Qantas flight, booked on the Qantas web site, I would have expected a lot more service from Qantas, rather than just "turn up at the airport and see what happens!"

In this case, Qantas are merely the TA. Book direct, or get inferior service. Goes for any OTA.

 

[downgraded]

thanks dajop - I'll ask here first. The biggest problem was that the booking numbers were not the same - so I could not find anything on the Emirates web site and it only got solved when I got the Emirates booking no and called them. I'd suggest that both booking numbers should be on the e-ticket?

Whenever I've booked an EK flight through QF, the QF website actually tells you in the manage booking area that you need to use the EK site for seat selection, and now gives you the EK reference as well.

 

[ajw373]

However, this person gave me my "Emirates booking reference number" which was not contained anywhere on my Qantas e-ticket. Used this to call Emirates direct - guess what, no problem, we were still in the originally selected seats, together.

Interestingly you can use your Qantas PNR on the Emirates website and it will bring up your booking and allow you to select your seats. This despite Qantas and Emirates using different systems.

 

[Seat0B]

In this case, Qantas are merely the TA. Book direct, or get inferior service. Goes for any OTA.

Yes downtheback, but if you book direct on Emirates, you don’t get status credits.

 

[Seat0B]

Whenever I've booked an EK flight through QF, the QF website actually tells you in the manage booking area that you need to use the EK site for seat selection, and now gives you the EK reference as well.

Ok thanks downgraded. I must have missed that.