Cancel award online - how long until points back in account

[rock86]

As per the thread subject, if I cancel an award online, how long will it take for points to come back in my account so I can book another one?

 

[serfty]

If you cancel online you get a confirmation page stating 10 business days. Print it & screen shot it and even save to .PDF .

14 days later if it hasn't been processed, call up and request immediate processing of the cancelation; point out the 10 business days if they try to fob you off

 

[TomVexille]

Cancelled one the other day. Points were pretty much instant and refund was on the cc in two days. Although I was fully expecting it to take the 10 business days.

 

[serfty]

I cancelled a QF95 in U a little over a week ago. (I called as the cancel button on MYB was disabled.) No refund as yet. (~$500 & 90k).

 

[Pushka]

Can we do a check on the manner in which flights are cancelled and on the day. I was told recently that my cancelled award flight had gone into a queue to be cancelled and refunded. It was cancelled online and involved a CX flight and nothing would be done about points and cash until QFF returned on the next business day. In the end it was amended to a change flight once I rang and enquire about the points. The Qantas system showed it as not having been actioned as cancelled until the next business day.

 

[cjd600]

So how flexible is this change option. Can you do a completely new route? Well, start point and end point the same but the middle sectors very different.

Yes, you can do whatever you like.
I have changed complete routing thru USA to Europe instead of via Asia on a 280k. As long as you’re still flying, any change is ok

 

[Pushka]

Yes, you can do whatever you like.
I have changed complete routing thru USA to Europe instead of via Asia on a 280k. As long as you’re still flying, any change is ok

I guess maybe It’s easier to change things than do all the refunds etc.

 

[Pushka]

So in the end as I want to do a final tweak on a booking I made today, in a couple of days time, I cancelled the original booking I had and wore the extra 1000 points fee. So almost immediately the points (for a booking of 2 people) for 1 person are already in the account but still to be received are the points for the second person and as yet there is no cancellation point deduction. So that suggests it is all still in processing phase?

I know there can also be issues with getting both lots of taxes etc refunded and that does require a phone call.

And yes @serfty I took a screenshot.

 

[serfty]

almost immediately the points (for a booking of 2 people) for 1 person are already in the account but still to be received are the points for the second person and as yet there is no cancellation point deduction. So that suggests it is all still in processing phase?

That's a known issue for bookings with more than one passenger. i.e. The auto refund only occurs for one person.

If you don't contact Qantas to get this rectified you may never see the points/$$$ again.

 

[Pushka]

That's a known issue for bookings with more than one passenger. i.e. The auto refund only occurs for one person.

If you don't contact Qantas to get this fixed you will never see the points/$$$ again.

Okey dokey. I’ll get on to that then. I did have the refund issue once before but not the solo points one.

 

[rock86]

Okey dokey. I’ll get on to that then. I did have the refund issue once before but not the solo points one.

I must have been super lucky.

I called approx a fortnight ago to change an award, however the agent couldn't see the same availability I could (I even went to the payment page with some of the awards I wanted to change to). I was willing to take the punt that they would still ticket online so I asked the agent to cancel the original award and stressed that I was wanting to book another award immediately, they asked me to stay on the phone and the points were back in my account immediately and the refund for 2pax the next day - I couldn't believe it!!

 

[Pushka]

I must have been super lucky.

I called approx a fortnight ago to change an award, however the agent couldn't see the same availability I could (I even went to the payment page with some of the awards I wanted to change to). I was willing to take the punt that they would still ticket online so I asked the agent to cancel the original award and stressed that I was wanting to book another award immediately, they asked me to stay on the phone and the points were back in my account immediately and the refund for 2pax the next day - I couldn't believe it!!

Yes, it’s all so random isn’t it. Which makes it more frustrating. Did you get the awards you wanted we were discussing on the other EK - I think - thread?

 

[rock86]

Yes, it’s all so random isn’t it. Which makes it more frustrating. Did you get the awards you wanted we were discussing on the other EK - I think - thread?

It certainly is random, seems that's a common occurance with QF IT

No more EK flights out of JFK or to BNE have been released, so we decided just to book the EWR-DXB-MEL, which is fine with chaffeur drive to EWR anyhow.

Did you get your EK flights out of ADL?

 

[Pushka]

It certainly is random, seems that's a common occurance with QF IT

No more EK flights out of JFK or to BNE have been released, so we decided just to book the EWR-DXB-MEL, which is fine with chaffeur drive to EWR anyhow.

Did you get your EK flights out of ADL?

I DID! Checked at 9.30 am yesterday and not available. Checked at 10.35am about something else - bingo! I do want to tweak one of the flights out of Dubai which is currently on RJ but with an 8 hour gap I’d like to get in the EK lounge but currently can’t on the booking. But those flights aren’t out yet.

So I just called and it will be sorted. That’s the plan. Qantas rep seemed to know the issue, in fact he kind of groaned a little when I said one lot had come through but not the other. Known issue.

Slightly OT. I booked the chauffeur service which is about to cut out, it’s likely we will be moving before next Christmas but I will keep the old address and just tell the person who calls the day before about the new address. It will be closer to the airport anyway. If I change the address I have to cancel and it might disappear.

 

[rock86]

I DID! Checked at 9.30 am yesterday and not available. Checked at 10.35am about something else - bingo! I do want to tweak one of the flights out of Dubai which is currently on RJ but with an 8 hour gap I’d like to get in the EK lounge but currently can’t on the booking. But those flights aren’t out yet.

So I just called and it will be sorted. That’s the plan. Qantas rep seemed to know the issue, in fact he kind of groaned a little when I said one lot had come through but not the other. Known issue.

Nice!!

I'm going to keep looking like you as well. If direct flights pop up I'll just change it and cop the 5k fee, if not we're still in EK F for the whole way back to AUS anyhow!!

 

[serfty]

I called approx a fortnight ago to change an award, however the agent couldn't see the same availability I could (I even went to the payment page with some of the awards I wanted to change to). I was willing to take the punt that they would still ticket online so I asked the agent to cancel the original award and stressed that I was wanting to book another award immediately, they asked me to stay on the phone and the points were back in my account immediately and the refund for 2pax the next day - I couldn't believe it!!

Of course, this does not represent an 'auto cancel'. The agent pushed it through immediately for a specific purpose.

Unless there is such a purpose, agents are supposed to place the booking in a queue for cancellation at a later time.

 

[Pushka]

Of course, this does not represent an 'auto cancel'. The agent pushed it through immediately for a specific purpose.

Unless there is such a purpose, agents are supposed to place the booking in a queue for cancellation at a later time.

Which really means this is our strategy in future. Call, and ask for immediate cancel so we can rebook another award.

 

[Pushka]

So I’m after advice. Online on the weekend I cancelled an award booking for 2 people. Within a minute or so the points for one person had been returned. No penalty fee deducted and too early to see what is happening with $ refund.

So I called today and the operator said they needed to make a call to fix it and it would be done by end of day. Then he called me back and said he had to create another booking for one person in order to get the full refund of original awards and $. A new PNR generated that was linked to original PNR. Okaay. So then those points originally refunded disappeared into the new booking. He also said there would be another credit card charge for that booking and which I can see as a pending charge. He then sent all the new booking emails. I asked - so you needed to create another booking so that you could get the original one refunded - and he said Yes.

Does any of this make sense? All PNRs appear in My Bookings but these two PNRs don’t go anywhere. And currently the effect is an additional (ie 3 ) credit charges.

 

[Pushka]

So no advice given so I rang again. Twice now. Trying to explain what has happened. One award booking with 2 people. Flights tweaked before ticketing then ticketed. A couple of weeks later preferred EK flights loaded so instead of changing I booked new flights then cancelled original booking. Half the FF points returned immediately. No sign of refund.

First call. Can see the cancellation and instead of cancelling the rest of the booking the operator created a new PNR with same flights, they refunded points disappeared into that booking. Plus charged the same $ amount in GST and taxes. I said - you needed to do that in order to get all the points back? He said yes. I could now see two separate PNRs for the same booking but now the two people split into separate booking.

With no sign of the original cash refund yet (that’s probably still in process) I’ve now been charged for 3 lots of GST and taxes.

Next day tried again after waiting for a day when he said points would be back. FF centre had closed but consultant said after lengthy reading she had no idea what original person had done but she cancelled everything. PNRs disappeared.

Another day, still no sign of points refunded. Decided to call back. This phone call took over 50 minutes mostly on hold.

Outcome, I have the points refunded and because of stupid actions by consultant in rebooking there was no penalty deduction. If all goes to plan I expect to have one lot of GST/taxes refunded in next couple of days and then the other two a few days later.

 

[cjd600]

I cancelled one PNR with 4 pax.
3 lots of $$$ came back in a couple of days, along with all points. The mysterious 4th lot of $$ took another 3 follow ups.
“Wait 10-14 business days”
“I have... and it was one booking and 3 out of 4 came straight back, I think there’s an issue”

Zzzz...it’s a lottery.

 

[serfty]

So no advice given so I rang again. Twice now. Trying to explain what has happened. One award booking with 2 people. Flights tweaked before ticketing then ticketed. A couple of weeks later preferred EK flights loaded so instead of changing I booked new flights then cancelled original booking. Half the FF points returned immediately. No sign of refund.

As mentioned upthread is a common issue with QFF that cancelling online a two PAX award booking will generally result in only the points less fee and $$$ for one PAX being refunded. Further intervention is needed.