The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread

[Captain Halliday]

I have an upcoming award flight on QF which was booked using BA Avios.

I’d like to change my FF number in the booking to QF.

Can I this be done online and if so, how?

I can do it at checkin but would rather do it sooner so I don’t forget. The last time I forgot cost me >200SC

 

[SYD]

I have an upcoming award flight on QF which was booked using BA Avios.

I’d like to change my FF number in the booking to QF.

Can I this be done online and if so, how?

I can do it at checkin but would rather do it sooner so I don’t forget. The last time I forgot cost me >200SC

What happens if you try and add to your QF Trips? (via the QF app or website)?

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm the opposite from @Captain Halliday . I have some Qantas bookings and the earn would be surplus to requirements. Can I change it to QR on-line, or do I have to do it at check-in?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have an upcoming award flight on QF which was booked using BA Avios.

I’d like to change my FF number in the booking to QF.

Can I this be done online and if so, how?

I can do it at checkin but would rather do it sooner so I don’t forget. The last time I forgot cost me >200SC

I did it during the booking process… even if you’re logged in to BA, you get to select your preferred FF program against the booking.

 

[SYD]

I'm the opposite from @Captain Halliday . I have some Qantas bookings and the earn would be surplus to requirements. Can I change it to QR on-line, or do I have to do it at check-in?

If you book QF online without logging into your QFF account you ought to be able to add a partner FF number at time of booking. Pretty standard across all airlines.

Failing that, there might still be one or more OW carrier websites that let you change. A LOT have locked down their MMBs and won’t open a booking if it doesn’t have their metal on the itinerary…

 

[RooFlyer]

If you book QF online without logging into your QFF account you ought to be able to add a partner FF number at time of booking. Pretty standard across all airlines.

Sorry, should’ve made clearer that they are existing bookings.

Yes I was hoping someone might know of one of the other sites that will still work. Looks like I’ll have to do it at check-in - if I remember.

 

[SYD]

Sorry, should’ve made clearer that they are existing bookings.

No, that was clear. But deliberately wanting to add a non-QFF#, stay logged out.

That’s a universal thing for all airlines.

Yes I was hoping someone might know of one of the other sites that will still work. Looks like I’ll have to do it at check-in - if I remember.

Or call up. Unless you have better QF status and change it as late as possible!

 

[Captain Halliday]

What happens if you try and add to your QF Trips? (via the QF app or website)?

Throws up an error.

I'm the opposite from @Captain Halliday . I have some Qantas bookings and the earn would be surplus to requirements. Can I change it to QR on-line, or do I have to do it at check-in?

Sure but these are redemptions so only QF will earn status. Unless you have a hack I don’t know about. In which case DMs are open.

I did it during the booking process… even if you’re logged in to BA, you get to select your preferred FF program against the booking.

Allowed it for Mrs H and Miss H, however because it was my Avios acct I was using, the option to select another program was greyed out.

 

[SYD]

Throws up an error.

Sure but these are redemptions so only QF will earn status. Unless you have a hack I don’t know about. In which case DMs are open.

Paid flights.

Allowed it for Mrs H and Miss H, however because it was my Avios acct I was using, the option to select another program was greyed out.

I recall that there was a way / hack to list PAX B first and then you 2nd?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Yep, I also recall a specific posts about there being two or more fields in the GDS for adding FF numbers in redemption bookings.

May have been a @madrooster hack, but I can’t find the post.

 

[SYD]

Yep, I also recall a specific posts about there being two or more fields in the GDS for adding FF numbers in redemption bookings.

May have been a @madrooster hack, but I can’t find the post.

That’s different and a little more complicated. Earning to one FF account but using status from another. There’s an article / thread on that.

Using Status Benefits & Earning Points with Different Programs

If you have status with a given airline, you'll often feel obliged to continue crediting points to that airline's frequent flyer program.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

But for a simple replace BA with QF, that can be done at checkin.

OT, but SQ is notorious for NOT allowing you to charge FF details until at the airport.

 

[Captain Halliday]

That’s different and a little more complicated. Earning to one FF account but using status from another. There’s an article / thread on that.

Using Status Benefits & Earning Points with Different Programs

If you have status with a given airline, you'll often feel obliged to continue crediting points to that airline's frequent flyer program.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

But for a simple replace BA with QF, that can be done at checkin.

OT, but SQ is notorious for NOT allowing you to charge FF details until at the airport.

Thanks for the link… those GDS fields are what I was looking for.

If they can’t be changed until check in, I suppose I’ll just have to set multiple alarms.

 

[SYD]

Thanks for the link… those GDS fields are what I was looking for.

If they can’t be changed until check in, I suppose I’ll just have to set multiple alarms.

If you’re no worse off status wise, you should be able to call BA and change the FF details?

 

[_TheTraveller_]

I had a economy flex fare with a $110 cancellation fee but $0 change fee. I made the decision to pay to change it to Business to have the flexibility for a full refund down the road.

Now I'm checking online and I've called, and despite being a Business fare with no cancellation fee, I'm still being charged a cancellation fee because it was originally a flex fare. I can't quite get my head around it because it defeats the purpose of paying more for the flexibility?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I had a economy flex fare with a $110 cancellation fee but $0 change fee. I made the decision to pay to change it to Business to have the flexibility for a full refund down the road.

Now I'm checking online and I've called, and despite being a Business fare with no cancellation fee, I'm still being charged a cancellation fee because it was originally a flex fare. I can't quite get my head around it because it defeats the purpose of paying more for the flexibility?

Generally ‘upgrading’ a ticket comes with the restriction of the original fare.

Otherwise you’d have people buying cheap non-refundable tickets, upgrading them, and getting a full refund.

The airlines have wised up to that so they almost always include the original - most restrictive - conditions.

You’re paying for flexibility, which was the $0 change fee. If you wanted fully refundable that would probably have cost more still.

This is not particular to Qantas, most airlines do it.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

Generally ‘upgrading’ a ticket comes with the restriction of the original fare.

Otherwise you’d have people buying cheap non-refundable tickets, upgrading them, and getting a full refund.

The airlines have wised up to that so they almost always include the original - most restrictive - conditions.

You’re paying for flexibility, which was the $0 change fee. If you wanted fully refundable that would probably have cost more still.

This is not particular to Qantas, most airlines do it.

Thank you for explaining that to me.

So that would imply that flight credits have the same limitation in that you can never really spend the value of your ticket for a fare that is fit for purpose?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you for explaining that to me.

So that would imply that flight credits have the same limitation in that you can never really spend the value of your ticket for a fare that is fit for purpose?

Flight credits have changed as of a few years ago. They can now be used as part payment for airfares. You can use as much of your credit as you want at a time and the rest is held for you, sort of like a debit card.

Because you have already paid any cancellation penalty, the credit is exactly that, $$ sitting in your qantas bank. You can the. use that credit - or part of it - to buy a fully flexible, zero cancellation fee fare if you wanted to.

But you’ll pay handsomely for the benefits of a fare with that flexibility.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

I'm currently looking at booking QF149 connecting to QF152 on an exNZ fare.

I recall reading earlier this year that QF-QF is protected even on separate tickets but I couldn't see anything in the CoC regarding this specific situation. Can any one point me in the right direction? Should I avoid booking QF149 and maybe take an earlier flight?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm currently looking at booking QF149 connecting to QF152 on an exNZ fare.

I recall reading earlier this year that QF-QF is protected even on separate tickets but I couldn't see anything in the CoC regarding this specific situation. Can any one point me in the right direction? Should I avoid booking QF149 and maybe take an earlier flight?

I remember the discussion but i think it was a slightly different scenario.

7.3 of the conditions of carriage states:

7.3 Extending Validity Period​

(a) If you are unable to travel while your Ticket is valid because we:

(i) cancel your flight;

(ii) delay your flight to the extent that you have to cancel your travel;

(iii) omit a scheduled stop, being your place of departure, place of destination or Stopover;

(iv) cause you to miss a connection on another Qantas flight; or

(v) are unable to supply you with a confirmed seat,

we will extend the validity of your Ticket to enable you to travel on the next available flight. Alternatively, you may request a refund in accordance with 14 (Refunds).

That talks about a flight ‘connection’. I’m quite liberal in my interpretation of that because flight connection isn’t defined in the conditions.

Others argue a ‘connection’ only exists where the two flights are on the same booking, OR, the bookings have been linked during check-in and Qantas has accepted (and therefore created) a ‘connection’ covered by 7.3.

However, is a completely separate ‘return’ leg/ticket a connection? It’s not quite the same as having a SIN-SYD award and having purchased a ‘connecting’ flight back home to BNE because you couldn’t get it all on the one ticket.

 

[_TheTraveller_]

I remember the discussion but i think it was a slightly different scenario.

7.3 of the conditions of carriage states:

That's a fair. I guess this is more akin to if QF149 is cancelled then it makes QF152 obsolete. from a pax perspective. I just wondered if QF would have any leeway on that specific matter. I was previously burned by QF149 when connecting to CX AKL-HKG due to a cancellation.

Having had a look at QF149, there hasn't been any cancellations over the past 4 months but you never know how weather might turn out. Would QF157 be safer due to the lack of a curfew?