SFO routes dropped?

[sjp]

After spending 12 hours on hold a few weeks ago I was finally able to use a 2020 credit to purchase SFO-SYD return trip for April 2022. In the last hour, I got a notification that my flight was cancelled and that my credit voucher will require me calling them back to use.

Taking a look at trying to make another booking, it seems like QF has suspended or ended flights to and from SFO. Does anyone have insight into what's going on?

 

[kreuky]

yep all my flights cancelled no idea what is going on

 

[TheInsider]

Demand has probably dropped off and not as many people are travelling as expected.

 

[Mattg]

I believe the official wording is that SFO is "paused". Whatever that means.

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-group-market-update-balance-sheet-recovery-from-delta-lockdowns/

 

[jb747]

Whilst I'm no fan of QF's management, I'd hate to be trying to sort things out at the moment. Borders open. Closed. Open. Sort of open. Sort of closed. There will be no reliable flight schedules until the politicians stop mucking about. And I don't know when that might be.

 

[RichardMEL]

QF is just responding to the market. The US carriers have done the same (eg UA was due to restart LAX/SFO-MEL and pushed that back). WIth the rapid changes going on, borders(as above), Omicron and all the well.. let's face it.. expensive cough (tests etc) required when you CAN go, demand has likely gone into a bucket.

QF can't sustain flying aircraft half or less full (see the other thread about some SYD-LAX's being cancelled and pax put on MEL-LAX) and so we have this situation that is very volatile for everyone and can change at a moment's notice.

Heck we in Oz know this all too well given certain states can and have, and probably will again, shut up shop in a matter of hours and change the rules.

would be a nightmare at an airline, or any travel company absolutely desperate to be able to provide these services - but only if the customers are there.

 

[jakeseven7]

QF is just responding to the market. The US carriers have done the same (eg UA was due to restart LAX/SFO-MEL and pushed that back). WIth the rapid changes going on, borders(as above), Omicron and all the well.. let's face it.. expensive cough (tests etc) required when you CAN go, demand has likely gone into a bucket.

QF can't sustain flying aircraft half or less full (see the other thread about some SYD-LAX's being cancelled and pax put on MEL-LAX) and so we have this situation that is very volatile for everyone and can change at a moment's notice.

Heck we in Oz know this all too well given certain states can and have, and probably will again, shut up shop in a matter of hours and change the rules.

would be a nightmare at an airline, or any travel company absolutely desperate to be able to provide these services - but only if the customers are there.

And who can blame the customers being jittery with trigger happy governments…

 

[Captain Halliday]

And who can blame the customers being jittery with trigger happy governments…

And in some cases the cost of tests and isolation exceeding the cost of the flight.

 

[jrfsp]

And in some cases the cost of tests and isolation exceeding the cost of the flight.

But also the cost of the inconvenience if you test positive prior to the flight.

"Free date change" , great that wont be much help 4 hours before the flight

 

[jakeseven7]

But also the cost of the inconvenience if you test positive prior to the flight.

"Free date change" , great that wont be much help 4 hours before the flight

And that’s before your accomodation slaps you too!

 

[r21111]

Bne SFO cancelled september 2022 also

 

[Scr77]

My April reward flights to SFO cancelled too. Seems the phone agents are able to reaccommodate the QF legs where reward seats don’t exist, but not if there aren’t seats available on partner airlines.

 

[sjp]

Scr77, did you already call yup to setup new flights? How long were you on hold for?

 

[Scr77]

Scr77, did you already call yup to setup new flights? How long were you on hold for?

There’s a priority number in the cancellation email. 1300 659 115. I called 13 times yesterday in the hope of finding a useful agent.

 

[ozflier]

Whilst I'm no fan of QF's management, I'd hate to be trying to sort things out at the moment. Borders open. Closed. Open. Sort of open. Sort of closed. There will be no reliable flight schedules until the politicians stop mucking about. And I don't know when that might be.

I have to agree - QF must be doing it hard at the moment - as much as i hate to say it , I can understand their pain!

 

[sjp]

There’s a priority number in the cancellation email. 1300 659 115. I called 13 times yesterday in the hope of finding a useful agent.

Thanks - somehow I didn't see that number in the email. After being on hold for an hour, I got through to someone and booked new flights. Thanks again!

 

[HS-TQE]

That explains why QF's BNE-LAX was filed as a double daily not long ago.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1471306969201856513

I do suspect the SFO routes including BNE's will eventually come online/be refiled in the GDS a few months down the track.

 

[Scr77]

Thanks - somehow I didn't see that number in the email. After being on hold for an hour, I got through to someone and booked new flights. Thanks again!

Did you require any partner airlines or just QF flights?

 

[sjp]

Did you require any partner airlines or just QF flights?

Well I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so I'm going to have to get my own way to/from LAX (I'm flying LAX-SYD / SYD-LAX now) but that isn't the worst thing in the world to deal with. I get a better choice of US domestic airline with that now.

 

[kreuky]

Managed to get my award tickets changed SFO-LAX-SYD (in J) and vice versa. No extra fees or points taken surprisingly, since it costs more if i was to book it anew. Got thru to someone in cape town after about 20mins (shockingly low based on past experience) and she seemed to know what she was doing. My strategy was just to look at SFO-LAX flights and vice versa on the QF website to see what they can see, then feed them the flights and asked them to put me on QF11/12. They seem to be flexible with opening reward seats on any date because of this involuntary change. Hopefully it works and is all ticketed but I would not be surprised if something gets messed up....
Also FYI, I wanted First Class seats for the domestic legs (since it says "your flight will be in business" when you select them) but initially she wouldn't do it as it appears as "First Class" on her system. I pushed and asked her to look at booking codes ("U" for First class since that's what AA/AS use now) and she managed to book them as "First class" seats for the domestic legs.