Cancelled Award flight on Sri Lankan

[justin23]

So its finally happened to me, the dreaded award flight cancellation mostly on Sri Lankan airways. I had an award booking CBR-MEL-CMB-DEL, and the MEL-CMB leg has been cancelled. Of copurse the Qantas IT system got my hopes up with 4 alternatives, 2 via HKG, another via Japan and the last a stupid CBR-PER-MEL-DEL routing. I then discovered the IT system doesn't take into account award bookings and none of these are actually available after calling Qantas. The Call centre was very quick to want to try and cencel and refund the booking. That doesn't help me as I have a flight on Air India to Guwahati to go on a trip to Eastern Bhutan. I looked at airfare prices to just buy an alternative outright and they are all pretty expensive, so really want a resolution and not a cancellation

So i think i can maybe shift onto the flight the day before (much worse arrival time into Delhi though at 4am) on Sri Lankan as they have an award seat available. But what I'm concerned about is if it get cancelled closer to the departure date, then what? It feels like reading threads here and in opther places around the web, that awards flights being cancelled can leave you literally up S$%^ creek, as they'll refund you your points and money happily and leave you without a flight.

Is it worth me pushing Qantas to either put me on the Cathay flight flight via HK or the direct flight from Melbourne, do i have any chance of this happening? I know as a Gold i literally mean nothing to Qantas and I also know this wasn't their fault, but the handling of these award flights and flight cancellations in general I think is a huge issue and is partly Qantas' fault. The way I see it is if you ticket a flight and it gets cancelled the rules around needing equivalent seats available are there for the airlines benefit only, i could see a class action on this happening at some time in the future.

 

[aikman]

I hate to say it but realistically Qantas will not help you here. Best to find other flights with award seats available or an alternative way of getting to your destination.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So its finally happened to me, the dreaded award flight cancellation mostly on Sri Lankan airways. I had an award booking CBR-MEL-CMB-DEL, and the MEL-CMB leg has been cancelled. Of copurse the Qantas IT system got my hopes up with 4 alternatives, 2 via HKG, another via Japan and the last a stupid CBR-PER-MEL-DEL routing. I then discovered the IT system doesn't take into account award bookings and none of these are actually available after calling Qantas. The Call centre was very quick to want to try and cencel and refund the booking. That doesn't help me as I have a flight on Air India to Guwahati to go on a trip to Eastern Bhutan. I looked at airfare prices to just buy an alternative outright and they are all pretty expensive, so really want a resolution and not a cancellation

So i think i can maybe shift onto the flight the day before (much worse arrival time into Delhi though at 4am) on Sri Lankan as they have an award seat available. But what I'm concerned about is if it get cancelled closer to the departure date, then what? It feels like reading threads here and in opther places around the web, that awards flights being cancelled can leave you literally up S$%^ creek, as they'll refund you your points and money happily and leave you without a flight.

Is it worth me pushing Qantas to either put me on the Cathay flight flight via HK or the direct flight from Melbourne, do i have any chance of this happening? I know as a Gold i literally mean nothing to Qantas and I also know this wasn't their fault, but the handling of these award flights and flight cancellations in general I think is a huge issue and is partly Qantas' fault. The way I see it is if you ticket a flight and it gets cancelled the rules around needing equivalent seats available are there for the airlines benefit only, i could see a class action on this happening at some time in the future.

It’s not common for award seats/flights to be cancelled. The main time award seats are cancelled is when making changes to a booking and they’re not re-ticketed in time.

It is more common for the actual flight itself to be cancelled… but award seat or otherwise doesn’t make that much of a difference.

You are governed by Sri Lankan’s terms and conditions, They usually state that where there has been a cancellation or delay, they will provide alternative flights, free of charge to you. It might be worth exploring if they have accommodated you in another airline. It doesn’t matter if you have a paid or award seat in those circumstances.

Failing that, it might be worth approaching qantas to see if they can offer you a seat to say Bengaluru on their own metal. Or, take the flight a day earlier where there is award availability.

Either way, check Sri Lankan’s contract of carriage and see what your rights are.

 

[justin23]

I hate to say it but realistically Qantas will not help you here. Best to find other flights with award seats available or an alternative way of getting to your destination.

I have found some alternative award seats on a different time and time on Sri Lankan so its looking like i just have to switch to those. It does make me rethink the value of points in general especially when i do hit LTG in the next couple of years.

Failing that, it might be worth approaching qantas to see if they can offer you a seat to say Bengaluru on their own metal. Or, take the flight a day earlier where there is award availability.

Yeah they were willing IF there was an award seat. I can only find award seats on Sri Lankan so i'm just going to have to take one of those.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I have found some alternative award seats on a different time and time on Sri Lankan so its looking like i just have to switch to those. It does make me rethink the value of points in general especially when i do hit LTG in the next couple of years.


Yeah they were willing IF there was an award seat. I can only find award seats on Sri Lankan so i'm just going to have to take one of those.

Who was willing? Qantas or Sri Lankan?

Qantas is the agent here, you have the contract with Sri Lankan. Sri Lankan can’t ask for alternative award availability.

Directly from the Sri Lankan conditions of carriage:

9.2.2 Except as otherwise provided by the Convention, if we cancel a flight, fail to operate a flight reasonably according to the schedule, fail to stop at your destination or Stopover destination, or cause you to miss a connecting flight on which space has been reserved for you, we shall, at your option, either:

(a) carry you at the earliest opportunity on another of our scheduled services on which space is available without additional charge and, where necessary, extend the validity of your Ticket; or

(b) Within a reasonable period of time re-route you to the destination shown on your ticket by our own services or those of another carrier, or by other mutually agreed means and class of transportation without additional charge. If the fare and charges for the revised routing are lower than what you have paid, we shall refund the difference; or

(c) make a refund in accordance with the provisions of Article 10.2; or

(d) subject to you being qualified for same, provide compensation in accordance with any applicable law and/or our Denied Boarding Compensation Policy (if applicable. A copy is available upon request).

So you ask Sri Lankan for either (a) or (b). This is for UL to figure out, not QF.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Can you contact Sri Lankan and ask them to push reaccommodation flights onto your ticket (rebook you on an alternative flight automatically)? Had to do the same with a JAL booking on Emirates recently after a schedule change. JAL wouldn't reticket as the EK flights didn't meet ticketing rules and they were very keen to give up and cancel, but was able to get Emirates to push alternative flights through that did meet ticketing requirements, which JAL was able to then issue. An absolute PITA.

 

[I love to travel]

Qantas - you are on your own. Which is why I like Aeroplan - they do help

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Either contact Sri Lankan, or get Qantas to contact the Oneworld Helpdesk. They are supposed to liaise between airlines for these exact circumstances.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Qantas - you are on your own. Which is why I like Aeroplan - they do help

Agree… it would be great if QF proactively engaged the mechanisms available to them to assist… in this case by calling Sri Lankan, or escalating to the OW helpdesk.

But i think that could be an issue with the outsourced call centres… they simply don’t have the authority to do that?

 

[Dr Ralph]

It’s not common for award seats/flights to be cancelled.

Disagree. Has happened to me multiple times and I know that im not the only one.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Disagree. Has happened to me multiple times and I know that im not the only one.

Simply because you are on an award as opposed to a paid ticket, with the flight still operating?

That’s unusual, and i can recall a case of it happening?

 

[Mwenenzi]

So its finally happened to me, the dreaded award flight cancellation mostly on Sri Lankan airways. I had an award booking CBR-MEL-CMB-DEL, and the MEL-CMB leg has been cancelled. <snip>

What was the date of the flights (out bound and inbound)?

...It feels like reading threads here and in other places around the web, that awards flights being cancelled.....

Are reading that flights are operating and only award seats are being canceled? Hard data of dates & flight numbers
Depending on the country could be a breach of f consumer law - regulation.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What was the date of the flights (out bound and inbound)?


Are reading that flights are operating and only award seats are being canceled? Hard data of dates & flight numbers
Depending on the country could be a breach of f consumer law - regulation.

I think the OP is conflating two separate issues. The UL MEL-CMB flight happens to have been cancelled, and they were on an award.

While the award seat is unrelated to the cancellation, it does affect the assistance and rebooking options being offered by QF.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Keen to hear your outcome here @justin23

Though not award flights, brother in law and wife had flight cancelled and found UL very accommodating.

 

[justin23]

Keen to hear your outcome here @justin23

Due to fly in a few weeks, but there was another twist.

So i got on another UL flight that departed a few days earlier. It was annoying initially but at least i was able to find an alternative award seat. At this stage there were no other options, but UL award seats so took the next most convenient flight, albeit all arriving in Delhi at 4am.

But then my connecting flight from Canberra to Melbourne got cancelled which was also part of the award ticket. To my surprise I was then able to book onto the direct Qantas flight from Mel to Delhi. Don't know why I was able to do that after the second cancellation. But I took it as the timing was better arriving in the afternoon.

I understand the idea that you need to have a like for like booking, if I wanted to make changes. But when its a cancellation, it just feels really coughpy excuse to try and find another award flight of which there may be none available. That said the call centre were not great either, but I think we all know that. The second cancellation I was just able to choose the direct flight on the website so never had to deal with the call centre. Thats was my main complaint, the website gave me options, but i couldn't select any of them and the call centre said i couldn't due to the fact it qwas an award ticket. So the IT system needs to be fixed. I'm a Systems engineer so I know these things are just due to underfunded resourcing for their IT teams and systems. Hence why we get data breaches and hacks. Its expensive to maintain IT, but also executives love to cut the IT budget, because they don't understand why.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Due to fly in a few weeks, but there was another twist.

So i got on another UL flight that departed a few days earlier. It was annoying initially but at least i was able to find an alternative award seat. At this stage there were no other options, but UL award seats so took the next most convenient flight, albeit all arriving in Delhi at 4am.

But then my connecting flight from Canberra to Melbourne got cancelled which was also part of the award ticket. To my surprise I was then able to book onto the direct Qantas flight from Mel to Delhi. Don't know why I was able to do that after the second cancellation. But I took it as the timing was better arriving in the afternoon.

I understand the idea that you need to have a like for like booking, if I wanted to make changes. But when its a cancellation, it just feels really coughpy excuse to try and find another award flight of which there may be none available. That said the call centre were not great either, but I think we all know that. The second cancellation I was just able to choose the direct flight on the website so never had to deal with the call centre. Thats was my main complaint, the website gave me options, but i couldn't select any of them and the call centre said i couldn't due to the fact it qwas an award ticket. So the IT system needs to be fixed. I'm a Systems engineer so I know these things are just due to underfunded resourcing for their IT teams and systems. Hence why we get data breaches and hacks. Its expensive to maintain IT, but also executives love to cut the IT budget, because they don't understand why.

An award seat should have no bearing on the outcomes. When UL cancelled their flight they should have followed their contract of carriage:

9.2.2 Except as otherwise provided by the Convention, if we cancel a flight, fail to operate a flight reasonably according to the schedule, fail to stop at your destination or Stopover destination, or cause you to miss a connecting flight on which space has been reserved for you, we shall, at your option, either:

(a) carry you at the earliest opportunity on another of our scheduled services on which space is available without additional charge and, where necessary, extend the validity of your Ticket; or

(b) Within a reasonable period of time re-route you to the destination shown on your ticket by our own services or those of another carrier, or by other mutually agreed means and class of transportation without additional charge. If the fare and charges for the revised routing are lower than what you have paid, we shall refund the difference; or

(c) make a refund in accordance with the provisions of Article 10.2; or

(d) subject to you being qualified for same, provide compensation in accordance with any applicable law and/or our Denied Boarding Compensation Policy (if applicable. A copy is available upon request).

Ideally what should happen is that UL rebooks you, and Qantas as the agent tickets it. But it can be hard going to get the operating airline to agree to that… all they see is that the ticket was issued by an agent, and they expect the agent to fix the problem.

When the QF leg was cancelled that’s what happened…. QF took the entire day’s itinerary… commencing in CBR and ending in DEL. They re-routed you in their or another airline’s services, as per the contract of carriage.

When Qantas issues an award in another airline they do so as agent only, Your contract is with the operating airline, and the operating airline’s contract of carriage applies. That includes re- routing, and award availability should not be a limiting factor. UL should have just rebooked you on any carrier if they didn’t have one of their own services.