China Eastern flight booked on Qantas Classic Rewards cancelled

[ragingsheep]

Putting aside the whole coronavirus issue for a moment...

I had a flight booked for 3 people from early April for 2 and half weeks to Shanghai on China Eastern booked via Classic Rewards. Unfortunately, it looks like China Eastern has cut the departure and return flights entirely from their schedule. There are still other China Eastern flights available but no award seats on those flights.

I spoke to a Qantas agent via the mobile app's chat last night and according to them, my current options are either wait to see if more award seats open up on China Eastern. I asked about a Qantas flight which does seem to be open but the Qantas agent is saying that I'd have to pay difference in the additional fees and charges in cash. Is that right or should it be on them?

Ideally I'd rather fly on China Eastern because it'd suit my Chinese parents more, and it's a newer aircraft (A350 vs A330). Actually, I'd rather not go entirely but due we have some important family issues to attend to and at this point, we're not sure if that can be delayed or not.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I asked about a Qantas flight which does seem to be open but the Qantas agent is saying that I'd have to pay difference in the additional fees and charges in cash. Is that right or should it be on them?

If you initiate the change I believe it is on you.




I have a China Eastern reward booking to the US scheduled for June.

I wasn't prepared to risk the situation that you have described happening to me at the last possible moment, so after calling Qantas to discuss, I decided to cancel the original booking and make a new award booking.

My options for the new booking were limited. But I know if I had waited those options would have drastically reduced and may have become non existent.

 

[ragingsheep]

If you initiate the change I believe it is on you.

But the initial cancellation wasn't initiated by me? The original options given to me were a full refund or wait and see. I did however see that Classic Reward flights on Qantas was still available to me on the same days. Or are you saying because I asked, it counts as me initiating the change?

 

[Dr Ralph]

Or are you saying because I asked, it counts as me initiating the change?

It's not clear to me. I admit I don't have a lot of experience with this, but my thinking is yes.

But, to be clear, if they initiate the change I believe it is on them.

I'd also suggest calling them directly, as painful and time consuming as that will be. (When I did call them yesterday the recorded message indicated that because of the China situation there were long waiting times and if my call wasn't urgent to call them back in 2 days time).

 

[DAC1]

Give them a call and if that doesn’t work hang up and call back. They need raise a request to China Eastern to move you onto the other China Eastern flight.

 

[Pushka]

But the initial cancellation wasn't initiated by me? The original options given to me were a full refund or wait and see. I did however see that Classic Reward flights on Qantas was still available to me on the same days. Or are you saying because I asked, it counts as me initiating the change?

I would call again. Qantas can only request the carrier to open up seats, they cant force them to do so. When CX did this to us recently Qantas requested that the flight be changed and I think that another flight was released for me but in the end I decided CX were too flaky so I cancelled anyway and paid for a QR flight.

As you would have paid additional fees had you booked the Qantas flight in the first place then I'd suggest that is still the case now.

 

[moa999]

They need raise a request to China Eastern to move you onto the other China Eastern flight.

Question at the moment is will there be another flight. Other Chinese carriers are cancelling the majority of Aus services given we aren't allowing most Chinese residents in.

 

[Philjacc]

I had a similar situation happen to me just before Xmas. I initiated a change which resulted the entire QFF booking with China Eastern being inadvertently cancelled. QFF made me wait for them to get China Eastern to resolve the issue, but after 2 weeks it went nowhere. Eventually I managed to speak to 1 reasonable QFF agent based in Auckland and was able to be involuntarily rebooked/rerouted onto a QF service, which they had to manually open up an award seat for me.

My tip for you is to call early in the morning so you get connected to the Auckland call centre rather than Johannesburg which has lower authorities. Be clear that your confirmed and paid-for ticket was cancelled and you are requesting an involuntary reaccomodation. You should not have to pay anything to get this although you might have to waste hours on getting through to them and might have to go through a few agents to find a reasonable one.

Another thought, as China Eastern cancelled the flight, your ticket might already show up in their system as an "open" ticket. You might be able to contact them directly for remedy. They have offices in Australia which you can visit physically to sort things out if getting them on the phone proves too difficult.

 

[Philjacc]

And don't bother with the texting option to contact Qantas. They are staffed by the lowest employees both in skills and authority. The only thing I got successful done by the texting/chat team was to resend my ticket, which they did, 5 times in 1 night.

 

[Pushka]

And don't bother with the texting option to contact Qantas. They are staffed by the lowest employees both in skills and authority. The only thing I got successful done by the texting/chat team was to resend my ticket, which they did, 5 times in 1 night.

They are soooo bad.

 

[ragingsheep]

Another thought, as China Eastern cancelled the flight, your ticket might already show up in their system as an "open" ticket. You might be able to contact them directly for remedy. They have offices in Australia which you can visit physically to sort things out if getting them on the phone proves too difficult.

Thanks. Still confirming if we need to go in the first place and hopefully not at this time.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If China Eastern cancels and you request reaccommodation on a Qantas flight, this is not a voluntary change by you. You purchased your itinerary through QFFF, and they should be doing what they can to get you alternative flights. If China Eastern cancels the PVG flight, but you ask for Qantas to release seats in on of their services via HKG, that should be free of charge to you.

In theory.

 

[DC3]

I’m not sure how the Coronavirus thing can be put aside too easily. Isn’t this the reason that flights are being cancelled, left, right and centre? In any case, demand has plummeted, so many flights will be scrapped anyway. No airline wants to fly near-empty, loss-making flights, if it comes to that.

Not the best time to be trying to get into China, but we all have our priorities. Hope it works out for you.

 

[justinbrett]

A full refund a couple of months before probably is the limit of their legal obligation.

 

[cvmceg]

I also have an 081 Qantas Award ticket with MU. SYD-PVG (in Y) PVG-LGW (in J) for June. PVG-LGW has been cancelled.
Wish me luck speaking to QF about a re-route!

 

[serfty]

Look here for Qantas' Policy: (Other Airline Schedule Change Policy and read Process for Qantas Tickets (081))

Qantas and Other Airline Schedule Change Policy

A schedule change is an involuntary change to a flight more than 72 hours prior to flight departure. A disruption is an involuntary change inside 72 hours. This policy outlines options for managing and servicing your customer’s booking for Qantas and other airline tickets.

www.qantas.com