Flight Centre issue....

[qiktune]

Hello collective genius,I'd like to ask a question as relates a Flight Centre experience last Friday and pick your brains as to what I should do.

I had a $75 Flight Centre gift voucher which I received last Christmas and after a quick check found it could only be redeemed instore. I decided to do my first ever mini points run, which would also give me opportunity to do some aviation photography. I made an appointment and preempted the appointment with an email outlining my requirements...."airports I'd never photographed at before as well as points accumulation". I also included in the email a current Jetstar promo including the cost of upgrades in order to gain some points. The consultant replied with an affirmative.

I went along to the appointment and discussed further what I was after. We sorted out a route which would go Sydney>Melbourne>Christchurch>Brisbane>Sydney in just under 32 hours (be nice, it's my first so it looked like fun). I was given the price, I paid, handed over my FF cards (Qantas and Virgin - 2 sectors each) and just as I was saying goodbye I asked her to give me a quick tally of points for the trip. The response was "you won't actually earn any points on the first 2 sectors" - WTF!!??

She did a check and offered an upgrade on both Jetstar flights at a cost of $230. Needless to say I refused and have since been emailing back and forth as to how to resolve it.

Sundays email stated that Jetstar couldn't really budge. My question to her was "how is this a Jetstar issue? And I refuse to pay a cent more since at the time of payment you knew what I wanted and I was under the impression that that was what I was paying for."

I'm waiting on a response as to what resolution can be offered.....what do you guys and girls think?

 

[Moopere]

Verbal contracts are always difficult. If you have something more concrete in the back and forth emails, particularly those _before_ you booked, then you might be able to get somewhere as far as no-fee cancellation with Flightcentre wearing the costs - though without doubt they will fight you on this. The problem may be that their stance is likely to be one that you verbally 'agreed' to the flights offered, even given lack of points earn, and then payment sealed the deal and the contract - its the reason why most shops will want some sort of deposit, even $1 will do, it seals a contract in a legal sense.

So, and I'm no lawyer, but my understanding of these things is that once you have paid, assuming that you had the opportunity to review the product offered before you paid, its then a contract. This would be different from booking on a website for example and being shown and paying for a flight which included points but then, at check-in, receiving a boarding pass for a seat/fare that _didn't_ include points.

I understand whats happened here and your frustration, its one of the reasons I don't use agents now as I need time to look at and digest all the little nuances of the ticket I'm about to book and this is usually quite difficult when sitting at an agents sales desk (you'd need time and your own PC for research for example). I know you didn't have any choice in this instance.

The general public, and this includes a lot of agents, can't really get their head around the whole flying for points and fun caper - they are totally focused on getting you to somewhere and coming home again in the most economical way possible. Your agent probably thought they were doing you a favour despite your directions.

How many potential points are we talking about here? Is it worth cutting to the chase and just eating the $230? Sometimes you just have to put these things down to life/points game experience, unless the points return/money paid would insult your points earning intelligence

 

[qiktune]

Thanks for the informative reply Moopere but as a total newbie to this game I don't yet have any "points earning intelligence" lol

Here's part of the email I sent before going into the store.....

Wherever this trip takes me it'll be solely for the purpose of going to an airport I've not yet visited *(I enjoy taking aircraft photos) as well as accumulating frequent flyer points.*


I was just going to leg it up to Brisbane for a day in the coming weeks but now see that Jetstar are doing Sydney>Christchurch return for under $200 and it's worth around 2400 points if I upgrade to the "Plus" bundle. Obviously Christchurch will be an overnight trip.....unless I can spend a few hours taking photos before jumping onto another plane to Mel or Bris etc on my way back to Syd (for approx the same money).

 

[muppet]

Australian consumer law is quite clear. If you specified to the agent your specific purpose and the product does not meet that purpose, you're entitled to a refund.

"be fit for the purpose the business told you it would be fit for and for any purpose that you made known to the business before purchasing"

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees

I think you have a good case to get a refund or Flight Centre remedy the product to ensure it meets your purpose.

 

[Cynicor]

Australian consumer law is quite clear. If you specified to the agent your specific purpose and the product does not meet that purpose, you're entitled to a refund.

"be fit for the purpose the business told you it would be fit for and for any purpose that you made known to the business before purchasing"

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/consumer-guarantees

I think you have a good case to get a refund or Flight Centre remedy the product to ensure it meets your purpose.

I think you should be ok, just make a public fuss- facebook, twitter etc.

I understand you had a voucher and your hands were tied, but never use flight centre. They are shocking, on the whole, with occasional good agents who leave rapidly. If you need to do similar again, ask for help on the forum and go armed witht he exact flights and classes you want.

Good Luck!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You stated the purpose of the trip was to visit airports you hadn't photographed before (how would the FC agent know that?) and secondly, for points accumulation.

Indeed you ARE accumulating points, just not as many as you thought you were. You did not make clear to the agent that you will only fly on a particular flight if it accrues points right? And it doesn't sound like you checked with the agent while they were in the process of booking. You were relying on an email sent some time in advance (of which the agent may has forgotten the exact details).

Secondly, is your argument perhaps a bit of a moot point anyway? If the agent had only included flights that can earn points, wouldn't the cost still have been an extra $230? Would you have accepted or cancelled the trip? $230 sounds about right for bundles, depending how many you needed to buy (a friend is paying $80 each way to NZ next week).

 

[qiktune]

Cynicor, funny because as we were discussing the flights I mentioned to her my two previous "nightmares" with Flight Centre and the only reason I was there was because she came highly recommended as well as me not being able to redeem the voucher online.

MEL_Traveller, I think you need to reread my original post. Also, the upgrade on Jetstar to a "Plus bundle" was only $57 for each sector. All that aside, the email was sent the day before I went into store.....

 

[qiktune]

Thanks muppet!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

MEL_Traveller, I think you need to reread my original post. That aside, the email was sent the day before I went into store.....

Yes - I read your original post - but as you say:

"airports I'd never photographed at before as well as points accumulation"

This makes it confusing because the FC agent has no idea which airports you've never visited before (unless you have an ongoing friendship or business relationship with that agent?), and 'points accumulation' doesn't specify 'every flight'.

You are indeed earning points.

Did you check with the agent every step of the way that they were pricing the bundle addition for you?

The consumer guarantees have an exception in them to the extent the consumer may have been unclear about what they wanted. It's the clarity that's important.

 

[mooingchicken]

If you have brought bundles on jetstar then why are u not able to earn the points? I thought if you buy the bundle you always earnt points?

 

[qiktune]

We discussed various destinations prior to locking in the final choices....I didn't go in there saying "gimme whatever".
Did I discuss it every step of the way? No, who knew I had to. I emailed with my requirements, before looking at flights whilst sitting across the desk from her we discussed my requirements, when I opened my wallet to give her my Qantas and Velocity cards it was because we were using each card on two sectors. Why would I think the agent didn't understand what I wanted?

 

[qiktune]

If you have brought bundles on jetstar then why are u not able to earn the points? I thought if you buy the bundle you always earnt points?

Because that's what was overlooked apparently, she put it through under a "cheap fare" so no bundle attached.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We discussed various destinations prior to locking in the final choices....I didn't go in there saying "gimme whatever".
Did I discuss it every step of the way? No, who knew I had to. I emailed with my requirements, before looking at flights whilst sitting across the desk from her we discussed my requirements, when I opened my wallet to give her my Qantas and Velocity cards it was because we were using each card on two sectors. Why would I think the agent didn't understand what I wanted?

A frequent flyer card on its own isn't necessarily conclusive proof you are seeking points. You could have been handing it over as proof of name spelling. You may have wanted the card in the booking to get status benefits such as lounge access or priority seating. There are plenty of airlines and fares where you might not earn any points, but the FF card will still get you lots of benefits.

You may have a case... but the story is coming out in bits and pieces, so it's hard to know what exactly happened. If I was making a booking and needed the bundle, I would have specifically made sure of that at the time the booking was being made. Did you reiterate, as part of the face-to-face discussion on the day the agent was making the booking, that you must earn points on all flights?

If you did, your case is somewhat stronger.

 

[qiktune]

A frequent flyer card on its own isn't necessarily conclusive proof you are seeking points. You could have been handing it over as proof of name spelling. You may have wanted the card in the booking to get status benefits such as lounge access or priority seating. There are plenty of airlines and fares where you might not earn any points, but the FF card will still get you lots of benefits.

You may have a case... but the story is coming out in bits and pieces, so it's hard to know what exactly happened. If I was making a booking and needed the bundle, I would have specifically made sure of that at the time the booking was being made. Did you reiterate, as part of the face-to-face discussion on the day the agent was making the booking, that you must earn points on all flights?

If you did, your case is somewhat stronger.

It only comes out in bits and pieces because I thought I'd get to the point at the beginning. If there's anything that requires elaboration I can do that.
As I said, I didn't think it necessary to keep checking whether each flight she was booking had points attached because she came highly recommended and foolishly I assumed she knew what she was doing after our discussion. Is it not the job to ask qualifying questions if unsure about anything the client may require?

 

[mooingchicken]

ok so
1. you haven't paid for any bundles so far?
2. This $230 is this flight center fees or her quoting minimum fare to be eligible for bundle + bundle prices or just outright bundle prices? aren't all fare able to be bundled? (I don't fly JQ bundles so don't know)
3. If this is the bundle prices then you would of had to pay then anyway??
4. If the book is already made, can you access it online and add the bundle (or not possible because of TA booking?)

 

[PLANT]

First rule of points chase... NEVER ASSUME!
Second rule of points chase.... Refer to rule one!

 

[qiktune]

ok so
1. you haven't paid for any bundles so far?
2. This $230 is this flight center fees or her quoting minimum fare to be eligible for bundle + bundle prices or just outright bundle prices? aren't all fare able to be bundled? (I don't fly JQ bundles so don't know)
3. If this is the bundle prices then you would of had to pay then anyway??
4. If the book is already made, can you access it online and add the bundle (or not possible because of TA booking?)

The $230 is the price for an upgrade bundle only (the cost of the flights are not part of it) which would entitle me to collecting points on the 2 Jetstar sectors. She didn't mention anything about fees. When she told me that I'd need to now pay this additional sum I asked "why wasn't it included?" she said she wasn't sure and then asked if I'd like to go ahead and pay the extra. I said "that's a lot extra for something which I thought was included in the price I just paid" and she replied with "that IS a lot, you don't have to decide today we can add it later".
I told her I wasn't happy and needed it rectified as it wasn't what we discussed....what I paid should have included those upgrades to begin with. She said she'd follow it up and get back to me.

I'm waiting......

 

[qiktune]

First rule of points chase... NEVER ASSUME!
Second rule of points chase.... Refer to rule one!

Learning :-(

 

[mooingchicken]

Ok so the issue is just you though it was all included, its just the bundles which you now know is extra. Honestly I would never pay $280 for a few thousand points which is all this will be. only if you needed the status credits.
There is much more worth getting these amount of points alot cheaper through credit cards, sign up offers. bonus point offers (digital mail box for VA for example) most of these can be free. Using a amex referral link can get you 15,000 points for $0. other cards upto 80,000 for $299 or some thing a year free aswell (ANZ).

 

[Mattg]

Jetstar won't allow bundles to be added retrospectively at the same price as you would pay if they are added at the time of booking. It appears to me that Flight Centre want to pass Jetstar's fees onto you.

I do not consider this acceptable on the part of Flight Centre. Their responsibility is to book what you, the customer, asks for. If you specifically told them you wanted to earn maximum frequent flyer points, they should have taken this into account at the time of booking. They can't turn around and blame you for their mistake.

It's stories like these that remind me why I will never set foot in a Flight Centre store.