Do I have any recourse with Qantas?

[Ric Willmot]

In late August I flew to Fiji on business with Fiji Airways even though the bookings and payments were made through Qantas and my Qantas frequent flyer account. On the Saturday evening I was due to return to Brisbane, the flight was cancelled because Fiji Airways could not find enough cabin crew to staff the flight.

This meant that I missed my flight from Brisbane at 6 AM Sunday morning to Bangkok. (To get to Bangkok in time for work, I had to buy a ticket with Thai Airlines.) The price of the ticket has been converted to a voucher. However, I have forfeited the $180 paid for over wing exit seats on that Bangkok flight. I also incurred a significant mobile call cost to telephone Qantas in Melbourne from Fiji seeking assistance because I was unable to get any help from the Fiji Airways staff.

Do I have any recourse from Qantas for my $180; my telephone call to Qantas (which was over $100); and the fee I will incur when I reuse the voucher with Qantas?

Thank you.

Ric

 

[Ansett]

In late August I flew to Fiji on business with Fiji Airways even though the bookings and payments were made through Qantas and my Qantas frequent flyer account. On the Saturday evening I was due to return to Brisbane, the flight was cancelled because Fiji Airways could not find enough cabin crew to staff the flight.

This meant that I missed my flight from Brisbane at 6 AM Sunday morning to Bangkok. (To get to Bangkok in time for work, I had to buy a ticket with Thai Airlines.) The price of the ticket has been converted to a voucher. However, I have forfeited the $180 paid for over wing exit seats on that Bangkok flight. I also incurred a significant mobile call cost to telephone Qantas in Melbourne from Fiji seeking assistance because I was unable to get any help from the Fiji Airways staff.

Do I have any recourse from Qantas for my $180; my telephone call to Qantas (which was over $100); and the fee I will incur when I reuse the voucher with Qantas?

Thank you.

Ric

Its worth a try however surely your Travel Insurance or work would cover you for any out of pocket expenses not recovered from the airline?????

 

[Ric Willmot]

Thank you, Ansett.
I have asked for the paperwork from Amex Platinum Card for the travel insurance claim.
But I considered it more appropriate to approach Qantas before the insurance company gets hit with it.
To me, it's a simple customer relationship decision by Qantas:
* The partner airline caused the issue, as the passenger (me) was at the airport and ready to board.
* Let's waive the voucher fee and refund your $180 for over wing exit seat.

All done and dusted and everyone plays nice in the sandpit. Building relationships with customers and essentially zero cost to Qantas.

To me as a business owner it's an easy decision. For the woman at Qantas who answered my call, I apparently was asking for something that was unreasonable and not within the "rules".

I explained to her that last year I was Platinum and this year I am Gold, because I've reduced my flying with Qantas in preference to other airlines due to what I perceive as poor management, and poor "on-the-ground" customer service. (Customer service by check-in staff and cabin crew, I believe, is excellent.) She replied that I was asking for something that clearly is not allowed under the "rules" as if I hadn't heard her the first time.

I was wondering if any other forum members had negotiated this maze of "rules" successfully before rather than the pain of insurance claim forms and policy excesses.

Rgds,
Ric

 

[mannej]

I don't know if you would have any luck trying to chase QF, as they will blame FJ and fob you off to them.

The other thing, no QF flights go between BNE and BKK. Did you have to fly to Sydney first? Surely if FJ had the room, they should have rerouted you if the times did fit.

Your exit row money is non-refundable, which is clearly stated when you book it.

You may have luck with travel insurance, but why not try to chase FJ as they were the initial cause of the issue.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Were you on separate tickets NAN-BNE and BNE-SYD-BKK? IF so then no you have no recourse with qantas whatsoever.

 

[TheEmu]

Greetings from The Middle Kingdom, Ric.
Welcome to AFF.

 

[under the radar]

im sorry....but stuff happens during air travel...seems as soon as QF is any part the equation...it's up to QF to foot the bill..

 

[Ric Willmot]

Is that "THE" Angry Emu?
Well, howdy-doodie!

 

[Ric Willmot]

Thank you for the intelligent response, "under the radar".
Rgds,
Ric

 

[anat0l]

I don't know if you would have any luck trying to chase QF, as they will blame FJ and fob you off to them.

The other thing, no QF flights go between BNE and BKK. Did you have to fly to Sydney first? Surely if FJ had the room, they should have rerouted you if the times did fit.

Your exit row money is non-refundable, which is clearly stated when you book it.

You may have luck with travel insurance, but why not try to chase FJ as they were the initial cause of the issue.

My guess is that the OP was booked on the last FJ flight of the day to BNE; the next flight to BNE (indeed, to Australia) isn't until about 8am the next day.

I assume then the OP had an early flight out of BNE the next day to SYD, to connect to the sole QF flight to BKK which leaves 0940h.

Unless you did a weird multi-city, you probably couldn't get a trip to NAN and then further journey to BKK in the same itinerary. In any case, the OP seemed to be confined by a work schedule which meant that even if QF rescheduled him via protection, he might have been too late to get to BKK (there is a EK codeshare flight from SYD the same day in the afternoon, as well as options of via SIN and then JQ onward, but that's besides the point).

Let's clear something - this is FJ's fault. Their air operation stuffed up. This is exactly the same as the elderly person that died on the AF flight even though he was booked on a QF codeshare number. If anyone should've been charged for manslaughter (and there wasn't, unfortunately), it should be Air France.

I'm surprised that FJ didn't have any contingency to keep the flight operating and decided to cancel it instead. Unless the flight was cancelled greater than 24 hours from scheduled departure, FJ would've had that sector under airport control, so they had full control over the ticket. That said, if they cancelled the flight the best they could do was probably put the OP on the next flight to BNE, which of course is too late (to make the SYD connection and to make the BKK flight).

Long story short: do you have any recourse? No. Anything that QF offer you (waive of a fee, etc.) is purely goodwill; they don't have to do it, they are not expected to do it, and to pin it to them that it's poor form if they don't offer it to you is rather obtuse. It was not QF's fault that FJ screwed up (an operational screw up) and you were taking an inherent risk by booking separate tickets.

I'd go to your travel insurance provider and see if they can provide you with something for your troubles. As an aside, you may want to write to FJ, though as your affected booking was on a separate ticket they are just as likely not to accept any responsibility for that (but they may offer something for your inconvenience of your delayed BNE flight; what that is, no idea, and they are likely to - incorrectly - push you back to QF since they didn't write the ticket).

 

[Ric Willmot]

Thank you anat,
I understand the points you're making.
I appreciate the time and effort of yours, and other's posts here.
Rgds,
Ric

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I suppose hindsight's always 20/20 however I would've asked FJ if they could uplift you NAN/SYD or NAN/MEL using the NAN/BNE flight coupon so you could at least have made your original SYD/BKK flight on QF.

 

[Ric Willmot]

Hi beachbabe,
The reason our NAN-BNE flight got cancelled was they took a crew member off our flight to allow the Melbourne flight to depart and arrive in MELB before curfew.
Because of industrial disputes between workers and the Fiji Air CEO nobody would come in to fill the vacant spot.
That was what we were told by the lady in the Lounge Area.

 

[anat0l]

I suppose hindsight's always 20/20 however I would've asked FJ if they could uplift you NAN/SYD or NAN/MEL using the NAN/BNE flight coupon so you could at least have made your original SYD/BKK flight on QF.

By my deduction, he wouldn't have made it in time regardless. There was no further Australian-bound flight later that night, and none early in the morning that would get him there on time.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Hi beachbabe,
The reason our NAN-BNE flight got cancelled was they took a crew member off our flight to allow the Melbourne flight to depart and arrive in MELB before curfew.
Because of industrial disputes between workers and the Fiji Air CEO nobody would come in to fill the vacant spot.
That was what we were told by the lady in the Lounge Area.

Melbourne has no curfew

 

[Mwenenzi]

Was this one ticket/PNR or seperate tickets ?
What was acutal route ?
Who were the actual carriers:- QF, FJ or ??? flight numbers
Or were QF just acting as a travel agent ?

Late August was ~ 6 weeks ago
Me thinks we only have part of full story here

As above, Melbourne has no curfew

 

[BAM1748]

For $180 I think put it down to experience and don't fly FJ, you'll feel better than if you try to do battle for that amount.

Matt

 

[Ric Willmot]

Was this one ticket/PNR or seperate tickets ?
What was acutal route ?
Who were the actual carriers:- QF, FJ or ??? flight numbers
Or were QF just acting as a travel agent ?

Late August was ~ 6 weeks ago
Me thinks we only have part of full story here

As above, Melbourne has no curfew

Separate tickets both with Qantas booked through the Qantas website.
We were told in the Executive Lounge by the Fiji staff member they needed to take a a crew member from the Brisbane flight for the Melbourne flight because of curfew. At the time I thought nothing of it and was relaxed about waiting an extra 45 mins or so while they arranged a replacement crew member. None of us in the Fiji Executive Lounge questioned her when she mentioned a curfew. I did believe that there was a curfew, and obviously I'm wrong about that. But I'm just a passenger not the pilot.

22 Aug 13: QF397 Operated By Fiji Airways. Brisbane 11:30AM to Nadi 7:40PM
24 Aug 13: QF348 Operated By Fiji Airways. Nadi 5:00PM to Brisbane 9:55PM


25 Aug 13: QF8 Brisbane 6:40AM to Sydney 8:20AM
25 Aug 13: QF23 Sydney 9:40AM to Bangkok 4:35PM
28 Aug 13: QF24 Bangkok 6:25PM to Sydney 6:45AM 29 Aug 13
29 Aug 13: QF510 Sydney 8:35AM to Brisbane 10:05AM

 

[Ric Willmot]

For $180 I think put it down to experience and don't fly FJ, you'll feel better than if you try to do battle for that amount.

Matt

Hi Matt,
I agree with you.

I am just counting the $180; plus the fee I'll get whacked with when I reuse the voucher for the Bangkok flight; the extra cost of buying the last minute ticket with Thai on the Sunday morning to get to Bangkok in time (last minute tickets are always more expensive than buying in advance); and the $160 mobile phone call to Qantas in Australia from Fiji trying to arrange a new flight, which couldn't be done with Qantas. All up I'm in the hole by about $765 - and I did everything I was required to do.

I agree with anat and you in that I'll probably just cop the whack. I was simply asking a question of the Forum as I've never had to worry about such issues in the past; and for all I knew there was a simple approach to get the $180 returned and the voucher fee waived, which would have been nice. And, by simply asking the question in here I could have learned about that.

What I have learned is that it won't happen, so now I know. Better to ask and be told no, than to not ask and find out later there was a Yes to be found.

Thanks to the community for the input and advice.
Rgds,
Ric

 

[equus]

We were told in the Executive Lounge by the Fiji staff member they needed to take a a crew member from the Brisbane flight for the Melbourne flight because of curfew.

I suspect that it was not a curfew in Melbourne that was the issue, but crew hours for the rest of the crew manning the flight.