cancellation or date change - sale fares to HNL

[enemsea]

I paid cash for 4 x economy flights on QF (MEL to HNL via SYD) for $900 during the September 2022 school holidays. My DD is now in a cast so we don't want to go in that situation.

I've looked at the "fee free" flight change option but I can't book for Sept 2023 school hols yet, and the Jan/April/July school holidays will all require a fare difference per person of about the same amount that I've already paid (ie doubling the cost of the flights).

My other option is to cancel the flights, which incurs a $500 fee per person (ie more than half of the cost of each ticket). I would ask for a refund but expect I would get a flight credit for the amount left.

I think I can change the destination (ie to go somewhere cheaper eg Gold Coast?) but that seems to incur a fee of $225 plus I think I'd have to do it by phone so another $77 per person.

Am I missing anything? On the bright side I should be getting my hotel deposits back minus the international transfer fee.

For completeness, as you might expect I can't find any classic rewards for even some of us to such a location and in school holidays.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[henrus]

I've looked at the "fee free" flight change option but I can't book for Sept 2023 school hols yet

Even though it's fee free you still always pay the fare difference so it's possible that SEP 2023 will be double as well.

plus I think I'd have to do it by phone so another $77 per person.

You should be able to cancel for a credit online and then rebook using that credit. It'll still charge the change fee when rebooking.

For completeness, as you might expect I can't find any classic rewards for even some of us to such a location and in school holidays

If you're after a beach/island destination then perhaps look at some other places covered by the QF group/partner airlines. These include Noumea (Qantas/Air Calin flights), Nadi (Qantas/Jetstar/Fiji Airways flights), Vanuatu (Air Vanautu) and Cook Islands (Jetstar via Auckland).

All of the above options mentioned can be booked via Qantas.

 

[Anna]

You could look into what if anything your travel insurance might cover for cancellation due to a member of the travelling party being unable to travel due to a medical issue. (Note insurers would see a difference between 'unable' and 'unwilling' to travel, and might not cover the latter even if they cover the former).

 

[enemsea]

Even though it's fee free you still always pay the fare difference so it's possible that SEP 2023 will be double as well.



You should be able to cancel for a credit online and then rebook using that credit. It'll still charge the change fee when rebooking.



If you're after a beach/island destination then perhaps look at some other places covered by the QF group/partner airlines. These include Noumea (Qantas/Air Calin flights), Nadi (Qantas/Jetstar/Fiji Airways flights), Vanuatu (Air Vanautu) and Cook Islands (Jetstar via Auckland).

All of the above options mentioned can be booked via Qantas.

Thanks - called by phone and got flight credits. Am including your suggestions in my hunt to rebook.

Post automatically merged: Aug 11, 2022

You could look into what if anything your travel insurance might cover for cancellation due to a member of the travelling party being unable to travel due to a medical issue. (Note insurers would see a difference between 'unable' and 'unwilling' to travel, and might not cover the latter even if they cover the former).

Thanks, I will give them a call and ask. I hadn't previously as I figured it was our "choice" not to fly with a kid in a cast that had just been in surgery...but it is probably worth a phone call to check.