Denied Frequent Flyer Claim

[roby]

Just received a response from QF for a recent claim on MH. QF denied accrual citing flight number under zero point table. Are they now making up BS excuses to deny points? Flights were booked in full fare. Booking class is Y. What the hell is zero point table? Does anyone know if these emails were sent from Fiji or Manila? These guys have zero airline knowledge! Should I continue to fight them and how?

Dear Mr xx_

Thank you for contacting Qantas Frequent Flyer Service Centre.

We apologise for the delayed response as we are currently working through an unprecedented volume of cases.

Mr xx_, we have received your email about your missing Qantas Points, and as we've reviewed your flight details; unfortunately, we are unable to credit your account with Qantas Points for your travel from MYY-MZV-BKI as the flight number you're on is under our zero-point table, which means that Qantas points and/or status credits cannot be earned.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Where did you fly from and to ?
Where did you see your booking class.

The following do not earn anything on MH
S, N, Q, O, E, G

 

[AIRwin]

Flights were booked in full fare. Booking class is Y.

MH domestic in Y class should earn at the Flexible Economy rate:

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/earn-points/airline-earning-tables/earn-category-tables.html?int_cam=au%3Aairline-earning-tables%3Aarticle%3Afrequent-flyer-earn-categories%3Aen%3Ann#malaysia-airlines

 

[roby]

Where did you fly from and to ?
Where did you see your booking class.

The following do not earn anything on MH
S, N, Q, O, E, G

They were a couple MH turboprop domestic flights (MYY-MZV and MZV-BKI). Booking class is Y as indicated on the e-ticket.

 

[roby]

MH domestic in Y class should earn at the Flexible Economy rate:

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/earn-points/airline-earning-tables/earn-category-tables.html?int_cam=au%3Aairline-earning-tables%3Aarticle%3Afrequent-flyer-earn-categories%3Aen%3Ann#malaysia-airlines

Absolutely. I am more concerned about the term "flight number under zero earn table" which is not a thing that they used in the email. How did QF become so low as this!

 

[snabbu]

Absolutely. I am more concerned about the term "flight number under zero earn table" which is not a thing that they used in the email. How did QF become so low as this!

I believe they are referring to the zero earn economy fare classes mentioned above.

 

[justinbrett]

They were a couple MH turboprop domestic flights (MYY-MZV and MZV-BKI). Booking class is Y as indicated on the e-ticket.

MAS don't operate turboprops.

Is MASWings (which has a different IATA code - MY) a QF partner?

 

[roby]

MAS don't operate turboprops.

Is MASWings (which has a different IATA code - MY) a QF partner?

Believe these flights are operated by MASWings under MH flight numbers similar to how Qantas Link operates for QF? They don't carry the MY flight number only MH. oneworld benefits did apply when I flew such as extra bag allowance and lounge access.

 

[justinbrett]

Believe these flights are operated by MASWings under MH flight numbers similar to how Qantas Link operates for QF? They don't carry the MY flight number only MH. oneworld benefits did apply when I flew such as extra bag allowance and lounge access.

The difference is QLink only operate with QF codes. There is no other code.

If MH codeshare on the MY flights, and MY is not a partner, they wouldn’t count. That would be the equivalent of flying on QF coded JQ flight for a program that doesn’t partner with JQ.

MASwing flights can be booked directly, they have their own website. I don’t think they’re a QF partner.

 

[roby]

The difference is QLink only operate with QF codes. There is no other code.

If MH codeshare on the MY flights, and MY is not a partner, they wouldn’t count. That would be the equivalent of flying on QF coded JQ flight for a program that doesn’t partner with JQ.

MASwing flights can be booked directly, they have their own website. I don’t think they’re a QF partner.

If you try to book on MY's own website it will re-direct you to MH website with only MH flight numbers. MY code is not used anywhere. It's not a codeshare situation.

 

[nancypants]

I don’t think maswings earns, although I don’t have a reference for that. Other oneworld airlines make it more clear

 

[justinbrett]

If you try to book on MY's own website it will re-direct you to MH website with only MH flight numbers. MY code is not used anywhere. It's not a codeshare situation.

Either way that’s your answer why your claim was rejected. The MASwing series of flight numbers (which looks to be 3xx_) seem to be excluded from QF earn.

Technically speaking MASwings isn’t a oneworld affiliate airline so even on a MH code it doesn’t qualify for earn.

 

[serfty]

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/earn-points/airline-earning-tables/earn-category-tables.html?int_cam=au%3Aairline-earning-tables%3Aarticle%3Afrequent-flyer-earn-categories%3Aen%3Ann#malaysia-airlines

Qantas Points and Status Credits are earned on all eligible booking classes, except on Malaysia Airlines codeshare flights operated by an airline other than Qantas or a oneworld member airline.

 

[http_x92]

The only OW partner in which all codeshares are allowed is AA I think. Thus earn is allowed on JetBlue flights for example, if you book under an AA flight number. Maswings unfortunately is not a OW partner.

 

[kpro]

Ignoring the flight operator for a second.

Booking class is Y as indicated on the e-ticket.

On the e-ticket or on the boarding pass? How did you book this?

MH always print "Y" or "J" on boarding passes to denote Business and Economy class regardless of the actual fare basis.
It's almost impossible to book a flight ticketed in Y on the MH website, even when choosing the flex option.

 

[roby]

Ignoring the flight operator for a second.


On the e-ticket or on the boarding pass? How did you book this?

MH always print "Y" or "J" on boarding passes to denote Business and Economy class regardless of the actual fare basis.
It's almost impossible to book a flight ticketed in Y on the MH website, even when choosing the flex option.

Apart from the booking class, fare basis is YAWING. Apparently they only sell full Y fare on these domestic flights.

 

[justinbrett]

Apart from the booking class, fare basis is YAWING. Apparently they only sell full Y fare on these domestic flights.

There are several fare classes on expert flyer for these flights, and even booking on their website there are different fares.

I did look into your claim about MASwings redirecting to the main site for booking - that is not the case. The booking engine does use a url with the malaysiaairlines.com domain but it still is very much MASwing specific, with different branding and options to the main site.

I also saw that AAdvantage explicitly exclude MASwings from their airline earning table. It would be the same for QF but as it’s covered by the Oneworld rule they obviously didn’t feel the need to list it separately.

 

[serfty]

Apart from the booking class, fare basis is YAWING. Apparently they only sell full Y fare on these domestic flights.

Sadly, that's moot as MY 'metal' means no QFF earn.

As per @justinbrett's posts #9 & #17, MH*MY won't earn, just like a Jetstar operated QF flight number (QF*JQ) generally won't earn with most other oneworld frequent flyer programs, Enrich included.

 

[roby]

Sadly, that's moot as MY 'metal' means no QFF earn.

As per @justinbrett's posts #9 & #17, MH*MY won't earn, just like a Jetstar operated QF flight number (QF*JQ) generally won't earn with most other oneworld frequent flyer programs, Enrich included.

The difference is these flights only carry the MH flight number. It's pretty much an MH flight operated by MY situation. You simply cannot buy these flights with an MY flight number. At the airport, there is only MH branding including regular oneworld signage. You also do get additional baggage allowance and lounge access with QF Gold and your oneworld status does appear on the boarding pass so you can see how that's not the same as your QF-JQ example.

I did have a look at BA and AA and they do specifically exclude these flights. I guess I will probably just bite the bullet. That said, I am not sure if MY used to sell their own tickets and then this became a legacy issue.

I don't fly oneworld that often but if this was Star Alliance, chances were they would have been eligible, eg., LH flights operated by Air Dolomiti, or A3 flights operated by OA, etc.

 

[serfty]

@roby I have avoided FireFly like the plague. For a start, as a oneworld Emerald I would not get lounge access before these flights - for me that overrides any meagre QFF points I'd earn or not earn with such segments..