Re booking a cancelled flight

[57chav]

Is this for real - My husband and I had to cancel our flights to Singapore earlier in the year. We are now ready to rebook. I can get a ‘sale’ business class
Fare for around $8100 for two return, BUT if I book the same fare with my credit it is going to cost me $11,000 plus.
I would have thought if it was my credit I could use it my way, but not.
I guess I would be directed to read the fine print!!!
Any thoughts.

 

[Mattg]

What airline is this with?

 

[Seat0B]

A lot of airlines have sneaky small print on credits requiring that you use it for the same or better fare class as originally booked when you rebook. So maybe your original fate was not a sale business but a “better” ticket and so they require you to now rebook that “better” ticket.

Yes it’s all but a scam. Yes most people learn this the hard way (me included). And nope, there’s probably nothing you can do about it if that is in fact what’s happened.

Welcome to posting of AFF and sorry to break this bad news.

 

[SOPOOR]

A lot of airlines have sneaky small print on credits requiring that you use it for the same or better fare class as originally booked when you rebook. So maybe your original fate was not a sale business but a “better” ticket and so they require you to now rebook that “better” ticket.

Yes it’s all but a scam. Yes most people learn this the hard way (me included). And nope, there’s probably nothing you can do about it if that is in fact what’s happened.

Welcome to posting of AFF and sorry to break this bad news.

that is frigging horrible, and is unethical as you can get

 

[Seat0B]

that is frigging horrible, and is unethical as you can get

I totally agree with you. They rely on small print conditions of carriage to enforce this.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Be interesting to know which airline this is!

I’ve just checked a couple of sets of fare rules for Qantas and for both economy sale and business sale fares they allow you to use your credit towards a lower fare, with the balance retained for future use!

Here’s the text for a business sale to the UK:

Cancellation (including no show)​

Cancel for a Flight Credit
Permittedbefore and after departure of the first flight in your booking.

• A change fee of $450 AUD per person will be charged once when first redeeming your Flight Credit.
• Flight Credits can be used to book fares lower than your original ticket price and can be used towards multiple bookings.
• There may be a fare difference between the fare for your new booking and the original fare.
• You must book and travel within 12 months of the original booking date.

I totally agree with you. They rely on small print conditions of carriage to enforce this.

Usually the fare rules, rather than the contract of carriage, and the OP may have rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

 

[Seat0B]

Be interesting to know which airline this is!

Well in my case it was QF. Around later 2019 and early 2020 when we had a run of family bereavements And when I expressed outrage on a different forum, other posters shared experience of similar conditions on other airlines.

And I am delighted +++ if QF have changed their position as per the T&C you found. That might be a good additional bonus from their COVID cancellation/credit debacles.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well in my case it was QF. Around later 2019 and early 2020 when we had a run of family bereavements And when I expressed outrage on a different forum, other posters shared experience of similar conditions on other airlines.

And I am delighted +++ if QF have changed their position as per the T&C you found. That might be a good additional bonus from their COVID cancellation/credit debacles.

I think you’re right… it used to be the case that credits had to be applied to a fare of equal or greater value, and surprise surprise… there was never a fare of ‘equal’ value. The sale fare wouod be a dollar less, and so you’d have to go to the more expensive saver or flex fares.

I think partly the aftermath of covid, maybe also looking at potentially unfair terms? But it’s a positive outcome!

When I started flying VA one of the reasons I chose them was that their travel bank could be used as part payment, didn’t need a higher fare, or to use the whole credit.

 

[CaptJCool]

Yes
This got changed once Hudson became CEO
it’s all over the fare rules and Flight credit webpages

So sounds like this cancellation is another airline not QF