Didn't expect this to be my breaking point, but it finally came!

[serfty]

I agree MEL should have have been offered for either schedule change or disruption. But there is no mention of hotels for schedule changes.

Yes, the policies vary on that. My main point was the indirect same day route was within the policy guidelines.

Given that if it were not for the Qantas Agent being incorrect, the Qantas Agent denying the OP the opportunity to travel Qantas the same day, then no additional hotel would have been required.

With said Qantas Agent's Error then Qantas needs to compensate the OP.

This isn't a policy issue, it is tort.

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

if this was a J/C/D/I flight it should have been possible to re-route via MEL as per they own rules.

The only exception would be U class

 

[justinbrett]

It’s not clear to me either what policy the agent thought was relevant to my situation.

Regardless it’s not relevant: a business cannot hide behind any policy after one of its agents or employees has subsequently misrepresented that policy to a consumer. This is a core feature of the ACL.

Do you have any proof? I'm guessing it was a voice call.

I'd imagine if it was a chat transcript or email they wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Otherwise it's he said / she said (not saying I don't believe you, I do). Of course QF probably has access to the audio recordings but wouldn't release that unless it benefits them.

This is a pretty widespread issue across any company with a contracted call centre (not excusing it, just calling it how it is). The amount of BS I'm told by agents that I know unequivocally to be incorrect is astonishing. I was on the phone to Avis this afternoon and it was an absolute disaster.

if this was a J/C/D/I flight it should have been possible to re-route via MEL as per they own rules.

The only exception would be U class

Even then QF will usually reaccommodate on revenue QF metal when there is no U class. I doubt there was U available on the following day LAX either.

 

[ShrinkWrapped]

The rules seem to be applied inconsistently across the board.

For example, I just got whacked with QF11/12 schedule changes causing a misconnect in SYD.

The outbound QF11 budged by 30 min and I tried to weasel my way in changing my AKL-SYD-LAX-JFK to AKL-JFK direct which was in the original fare rules. Not allowed to do that as it is a re-route and would result in fare difference.

The inbound QF12 moved 75 minutes and caused me to misconnect in SYD on the return. Rather than moving to a later SYD-AKL, the Fiji agent allowed me to shift to JFK-LAX-MEL-AKL ... which incidentally is also a re-route so I have no idea how the rules work anymore

 

[BAM1748]

I’m a solicitor -

I see a niche business here supporting AFF members in their NCAT efforts......

 

[CaptJCool]

Given the massive profit of 2022-23 and the continuing high priced airfares and in light of their own policy changes announced in Sept quarter update

https://investor.qantas.com/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/doLLG5ufYkCyEPjF1tpgyw/file/2023FY/QANTAS_GROUP_MARKET_UPDATE_SEPTEMBER_2023.pdf

This failure is just BS Bureaucracy

 

[djkelly69]

The inbound QF12 moved 75 minutes and caused me to misconnect in SYD

I copped the exact same thing today with QF12 - my (alleged) connecting flight now leaves 5 mins before I am due to arrive from LA. Don't even have an option to accept the change.

 

[BAM1748]

Given the massive profit of 2022-23 and the continuing high priced airfares and in light of their own policy changes announced in Sept quarter update
View attachment 370063

https://investor.qantas.com/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/doLLG5ufYkCyEPjF1tpgyw/file/2023FY/QANTAS_GROUP_MARKET_UPDATE_SEPTEMBER_2023.pdf

This failure is just BS Bureaucracy

Yes, important to read and refer to ones own document.

 

[justinbrett]

I copped the exact same thing today with QF12 - my (alleged) connecting flight now leaves 5 mins before I am due to arrive from LA. Don't even have an option to accept the change.

Copped changes to both QF11 & QF12 today. Fortunately QF11 change was trivial and I had a long connection. QF12 was a fair bit earlier and I had a separate cash booking on AS which fortunately also had a schedule change, meaning I could change to a new AS flight for free to meet a healthy connection to QF. It's now 8 hours in LAX, so I plan to drink them out of Champagne.

 

[Danger]

FlyingKangaroo, I hope you file with NCAT.

Do you have any proof? I'm guessing it was a voice call.

I'd imagine if it was a chat transcript or email they wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Otherwise it's he said / she said (not saying I don't believe you, I do). Of course QF probably has access to the audio recordings but wouldn't release that unless it benefits them.
...

Qantas has essentially acknowledged the information given. There's apparently no dispute, no he said/she said.

...
Long story short: Qantas conceded in writing that their agent had given me "confusing" (read: inaccurate at best, false and misleading at worst) information that they acknowledged "may" have resulted in a "discrepancy" (read: misrepresentation) regarding their policy, but steadfastly refused the claim ...

 

[justinbrett]

Qantas has essentially acknowledged the information given. There's apparently no dispute, no he said/she said.

Sounds like non-committal weasel words to me. Obviously haven't read the full thing but I'm sure Qantas knows how to throw in a few "according to the customer", "alleged", "assuming that was to be the case" and so on to absolve them from any responsibility; this isn't their first rodeo.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Sounds like non-committal weasel words to me. Obviously haven't read the full thing but I'm sure Qantas knows how to throw in a few "according to the customer", "alleged", "assuming that was to be the case" and so on to absolve them from any responsibility; this isn't their first rodeo.

It is not, though in this case, no legalese weasel wording from Qantas; just a refusal to take responsibility. That it takes a formal legal action to cajole them into accountability is a lovely indictment on how Qantas operates; a callous calculation many businesses are happy to make, given most people do give up no matter how much noise they threaten to make.

I’ll pick this up as a personal pet project later this week. For now, I’m off to SYD to fly Rex to Adelaide in J for less than QF in Y thanks to a cheap and successful bid upgrade, and back tomorrow on VA in J, also for less than QF in Y thanks to both a cheaper fare and using one of my WP upgrade certificates.

So far so good with this free agent thing.

(Now the question is do I change my handle…? )

 

[AIRwin]

Now the question is do I change my handle…?

LyingKangaroo or F*ingKangaroo?

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

LyingKangaroo or F*ingKangaroo?

Respectfully, I have concerns this might reflect poorly on me by association, but I’m with you in principle.

 

[RealtimeY]

and am genuinely considering a NCAT claim simply on principle. If I don't, who will?

Exactly right. Qantas has apparently deemed it appropriate not to have proper escalation channels. It seems that when problems deviate from the most common ones the only solutions are to spam execs with emails or to go to NCAT.

If it isn't raised, then the problems simply don't exist.

 

[drron]

The VirginKing seems appropriate.

 

[RooFlyer]

(Now the question is do I change my handle…? )

I didn't - highlights a bit, my change.

 

[fatdude]

lodge a case against NCAT immediately - this unfortunately has become the only way to held Qantas responsible for their appalling customer service standard.

Qantas screwed me over on my reward ticket with a partner airline and I had to buy it the last minute and when I requested reimbursement, the customer service agent literally blamed it on me for “ticket not being issued”.

I went back several times and tried different agent, the first agent decided to ghost me and the other agent didn’t even read my appeal and said the case seems solved already so nothing to do here.

Sick of talking to these incompetent and arrogant assholes, I lodged a case against Qantas to NCAT and a week later got a call from a lady in Qantas apologising for the all the coughs and this shouldn’t happen and she will reimburse the full amount back to me.

 

[Virgin Bart]

lodge a case against NCAT immediately - this unfortunately has become the only way to held Qantas responsible for their appalling customer service standard.

Qantas screwed me over on my reward ticket with a partner airline and I had to buy it the last minute and when I requested reimbursement, the customer service agent literally blamed it on me for “ticket not being issued”.

I went back several times and tried different agent, the first agent decided to ghost me and the other agent didn’t even read my appeal and said the case seems solved already so nothing to do here.

Sick of talking to these incompetent and arrogant assholes, I lodged a case against Qantas to NCAT and a week later got a call from a lady in Qantas apologising for the all the coughs and this shouldn’t happen and she will reimburse the full amount back to me.

This makes me so angry.

 

[DejaBrew]

Welcome aboard @fatdude and sorry to hear what happened to you. Glad you got some results via NCAT.

@FlyingKangaroo - certainly sounds like poor form and an exceedingly frustrating situation. Hope it can be resolved for you without too much further hassle.