Cancelling a red e-deal and credit vouchers

[brucebrad]

I have a domestic red e-deal return ticket that I might have to cancel. (Class O one way, Q the other, booked via the Qantas website). I gather that I can cancel this and get credit for a future flight (with a fee of $88?). Is that correct? Can I just click cancel on the manage your flight page and the credit voucher will be created, or do I need to use the phone booking (for a fee) and/or actually book the next flight? Can the credit voucher be used for more than one flight (ie book one flight less than the voucher and use the residual for another flight)?

 

[kermatu]

Clicking cancel should automatically create the voucher for the full amount of your fare (I believe the $88 is charged when you use the voucher, but I could be wrong). It will take a short period of time to show up in your bookings. You don't need to book an alternative flight straight-away. I'm not sure about multiple uses / residual amounts on the voucher.

 

[tomo69]

Do research before booking using a voucher. Quite often a flight is on sale and you want to use the voucher, that same flight is now full price. Happened to me a few times and it's so frustrating and unfair.

 

[mannej]

Do research before booking using a voucher. Quite often a flight is on sale and you want to use the voucher, that same flight is now full price. Happened to me a few times and it's so frustrating and unfair.

But this information is available to you when purchasing the fare type (i.e the equal or higher fare type condition).

 

[tomo69]

I may have been unclear in my post mannej , I have done this many times including only a few days ago and I have complained to Qantas, without reply of course.

If you just have a look at airfares as if you are just doing a normal booking, take note of prices.
Then go into your booking and select your voucher and go through the process of booking a fare on that same day and lo and behold, instant inflation.

 

[mannej]

I may have been unclear in my post mannej , I have done this many times including only a few days ago and I have complained to Qantas, without reply of course.

If you just have a look at airfares as if you are just doing a normal booking, take note of prices.
Then go into your booking and select your voucher and go through the process of booking a fare on that same day and lo and behold, instant inflation.

Isn't that a result of the fact that the fare condition you have agreed to is that the new flights must be of an equal or higher value, so I don't get why you are surprised?

 

[CaptJCool]

I've done this before as well.... Can't remember if it's "your new fare must be equal or higher value" or "as long as your new fare and the change fee together are of equal or higher value".
moral of the story - only cancel cheap tickets. They are easier to re-use...

 

[RichardMEL]

I believe it's not just the total fare, but the booking class, eg the OP can't book into O/Q again but must go higher booking class.

It's a gotchya but as pointed out the conditions are pretty clear.

 

[brucebrad]

Doesn't sound clear to me! Which is it: "fare equal or higher value", "fare plus $88 equal or higher" or "booking class equal or higher"?

(And, of theoretical interest, what happens if you use the voucher for a fully refundable fare and then cancel that? Do you get it all back as cash - less two lots of $88? )

 

[equus]

Can the credit voucher be used for more than one flight (ie book one flight less than the voucher and use the residual for another flight)?

See the condition about new flight must be equal or higher in value - there cannot ever be a residual.

(And, of theoretical interest, what happens if you use the voucher for a fully refundable fare and then cancel that? Do you get it all back as cash - less two lots of $88? )

The most restrictive conditions of the new or old fare apply - you can't churn a non-refundable into something refundable (many people have hoped that they have "discovered" that one).