Long wait for refund for cancelled reward flights Qantas - a common experience?

[MPP2768]

Hi All,

Just reviewing out travel plans to Europe booked for May , I have booked my Europe tickets using Qantas points all booked under classic reward flights . There are 3 different booking reference nos. as i booked them as the classic award tickets became available as below
Leg 1 Mel-Sin- Mel
Leg 2 Singapore-Doha- Vienna
Leg 3 Paris-Dubai-Singapore
I understand cancellation charges are 6000 points per passenger , does this mean i will be charged 6000X3 points per passenger or juts 6000 points per passenger for all 3 cancellations.
Can we pay cash instead of points for the cancellations? does anyone know how much do 6000 points translate to in terms of AUD

Thanks

 

[dylarr]

Yes - for the most part, you shouldn't have any problems cancelling a rewards booking online via Manage Booking. Each time I've used this the points and cash have come back.

From experience, getting the points back can take anywhere from immediately to a number of weeks. The cash component will take anywhere from 4 - 8 weeks.

If you have a pressing need to get the points back quicker and they are taking a while, I've found that Qantas are usually happy to process the points quickly if you contact them, but they won't touch the cash component until it has been 8 weeks.

 

[Lynda2475]

I cancelled 2 classic reward flights online last year and in both cases points were returned and taxed refunded to credit card.

 

[GrahamBRI]

I have been making and cancelling reward flights online with Qantas every month (it was my best way to navigate the COVID restrictions in every state and remain flying). I have had absolutely no issues with cancelling Qantas reward tickets online. As indicated, it can take a few days to a week to get points back and cash does typically take the full 8 weeks. A couple of time my cash has got stuck past 8 weeks, requiring a phone-call and long holds, but never the points. I have found Virgin much better with their timing for crediting points and cash (almost instantaneously), but often their online system stops you proceeding and require a phone call to cancel...... thankfully I have found Virgin phone lines very good.

 

[Matt_01]

As others mentioned there are no issues with the points and taxes being refunded it just takes time. What seemed to have confused a number of people was the poor QF wording when going through the cancellation process it was poorly written, confusing and misleading. Cancelling classic rewards can be done online and the classic reward will always refund all fees and taxes and at the moment points as well, pre covid classic rewards could not be put into credits. In the past 6 months across multiple bookings I have made, changed, cancelled over 40 times and yet to have an issue.

 

[sanne]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies.

 

[sanne]

Yes Matt_0, that was the issue I was referring to… the poor QF wording when going through the cancellation process. Since I have 4 x U flights BNE to BME flights to cancel and 2 x U Perth to BNE flights I wanted to make sure I’d get all these points refunded without a problem. Thanks.

 

[serfty]

I canceled transpac economy reward online Saturday. The cancellation confirmation email was received Sunday and the points back by Monday morning. In my recent experience it'll likley be about three weeks for the $+++.

 

[MH_fan]

It's been 4 weeks since I cancelled a reward ticket with Qantas. The points came back within 2 days but I'm still waiting on the taxes. Is this normal or should I chase this up?

 

[Pushka]

It's been 4 weeks since I cancelled a reward ticket with Qantas. The points came back within 2 days but I'm still waiting on the taxes. Is this normal or should I chase this up?

8 weeks. I received payment for one cancelled in late December on Friday. Still waiting on one one but that's what I was told when I rang.

 

[MH_fan]

Thanks. Will just have to wait then.

 

[AIRwin]

Wow I'm impressed that the points refund was almost instant when I cancelled my Reward booking this afternoon...

 

[JohnM]

Wow I'm impressed that the points refund was almost instant when I cancelled my Reward booking this afternoon...

Hasn't that been the general outcome for some time now? Certainly it's been my experience.

The refund of the $$ used to take about 8 weeks or more, but for the last cancellation I made on 27 January, it took 4 weeks.

 

[encryptededdy]

For what it's worth I've had to change two award bookings recently. Both happened to be to a cheaper routing (less taxes & fees), and one was done online and the other was done over the phone. For both bookings however, I got the refund of the difference in taxes & fees almost instantly.

 

[sanne]

Hasn't that been the general outcome for some time now? Certainly it's been my experience.

The refund of the $$ used to take about 8 weeks or more, but for the last cancellation I made on 27 January, it took 4 weeks.

Today I received the refunds for 3 x cancelled award flights… took just over 3 weeks. Points were refunded more or less straight away.

 

[dajop]

Wow I'm impressed that the points refund was almost instant when I cancelled my Reward booking this afternoon...

Hasn't that been the general outcome for some time now? Certainly it's been my experience.

No, definitely not a general outcome. I cancelled one flight on Saturday morning and another on Sunday evening. It's now Wednesday, no sign of points from either cancellation yet.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I cancelled an award on Thursday night. Email saying they had processed the points refund came on Friday. Email advising they had processed the $$ back to my card today!

 

[dajop]

I cancelled an award on Thursday night. Email saying they had processed the points refund came on Friday. Email advising they had processed the $$ back to my card today!

Was it international or domestic? I’m wondering if there’s a difference in the treatment of the two.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Was it international or domestic? I’m wondering if there’s a difference in the treatment of the two.

International (AU->SIN)

 

[dajop]

International (AU->SIN)

Well there goes that theory.

My bookings were MEL-SIN (cancel #1) and separate booking SIN-MEL (cancel #2, a day or so later). Didn't even get a confirmation email to say they were cancelled - although bookings have disappeared.

 

[Guvner]

At 9:30am this morning I cancelled a return Intl biz flight (QF metal) booked with points. At 10:50am the points were back in my account and I received an email stating the $ refund had already been processed.
I'm pleasantly shocked.