If my Business Class Classic Rewards Flight is cancelled do Qantas have to put me on another Business class flight?

[TheInsider]

I don't want to be negative but Malaysian does have a few question marks over its safety eg see most recent investigation over inadequate inspection of pressure vents.

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2018/aair/ao-2018-053/

Not really relevant.

 

[ozflier]

Have you read the report - pretty damming !

 

[boxjelly5]

“”As Pushka said, be careful that a problem with the first leg doesn't put the entire itinerary in jeopardy. That is, say if you decide to cancel that leg and go on a paid flight, the entire itinerary might fall away.””
My understanding is that you can cancel any individual leg as long as it’s done before the first flight departs. You could fly cheaply to first stop at own cost and make that your departure city and then you have 12 months to fly back there under the mileage rules for free or technically you don’t have to return to finish there but the award points would be calculated as if finishing there. Maybe better than cancelling an entire itinerary.

 

[jxv]

This discussion has addressed what happens when cancellations or changes occur before departure of the first flight.

May I go further and ask what happens if you are enjoying yourself at one of your stopovers and a future flight is cancelled? Does the airline concerned and/or QF have the responsibility to get you back on track, or could you be left stranded?

 

[Pushka]

This discussion has addressed what happens when cancellations or changes occur before departure of the first flight.

May I go further and ask what happens if you are enjoying yourself at one of your stopovers and a future flight is cancelled? Does the airline concerned and/or QF have the responsibility to get you back on track, or could you be left stranded?

Similar to us just as we were about to board in Adelaide on Qatar on an award J flight. We had already been through border control. Qantas made the new arrangements on our behalf and liased with Qatar in the process. Qatar even put us up in a city Hotel for the night and we then were booked on a flight to Melbourne on Qantas and Qatar across to Europe. So first port of call would be to Qantas if that's who you booked through.

 

[antycbr]

Similar to us just as we were about to board in Adelaide on Qatar on an award J flight. We had already been through border control. Qantas made the new arrangements on our behalf and liased with Qatar in the process. Qatar even put us up in a city Hotel for the night and we then were booked on a flight to Melbourne on Qantas and Qatar across to Europe. So first port of call would be to Qantas if that's who you booked through.

That’s a bit different though as you were checked in. The issue is people book oneworld awards that can have weeks or months of stopovers in them, and meanwhile QF and partners are busy gnawing away at your carefully crafted itinerary and breaking all of your forthcoming sectors.

 

[encryptededdy]

That’s a bit different though as you were checked in. The issue is people book oneworld awards that can have weeks or months of stopovers in them, and meanwhile QF and partners are busy gnawing away at your carefully crafted itinerary and breaking all of your forthcoming sectors.

Yeah, this. My understanding is once the flight is under airport control they have a lot more power to fix these issues for you.

 

[AFF Editor]

The issue of Qantas Classic Flight Rewards on partner airlines being cancelled and no suitable alternatives being offered has come up a lot this year, so I've put together this article which explains what is supposed to happen.

Qantas Partner Awards: What If The Airline Cancels Your Flight?

When redeeming Qantas points to fly overseas, you'll often end up on a partner airline as it can be difficult to find award availability on

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[djkelly69]

I had this happen recently for my J OWA at the end of the year when JAL made a schedule change.

The main problem as I see it is the competing timings you are dealing with in these situations. While in theory at least you should be able to put in a request to OW award desk to have a flight opened up or whatever, the issue is how long it might take to get a resolution. I believe people have mentioned having to wait weeks for an answer, if it ever comes (or even gets requested in the first place).

Because you are also faced with needing the rest of your itinerary to be reticketed within ~24 hours to avoid losing other partner award flights (as noted in the article), you obviously cannot wait weeks or even days for that answer.

I ended up accepting an earlier PE flight leaving me with a less than ideal 12hr layover in HND (as well as losing a night at the preceding stop) as that was all QF could offer me at the time, and I needed my itinerary reticketed ASAP to avoid losing QR flights.

The other problem I see is that once I have accepted the only feasible option offered to me, any future change is considered voluntary and I have lost any leverage/options I may have had due to it being an involuntary change. Such a future change would also then be at my cost (if applicable).

 

[Pinkysunkiss]

This happened to me recently as my business classic reward flight got cancelled by China airline (BNE-TPE). Qantas offshore call centre was unhelpful. Back and forth a few times and eventually I called China airline and requested their help. Although they didn’t have the power to help me, they did suggest me to request a waitlisted seat to be issued by Qantas and then eventually China airline opened up a reward seat after one week.
I was lucky I called Qantas during business hours and was connected to call centre in Hobart and the agent was able to action and got me a waitlisted seat after she contacted China airline and the ticket with the waitlisted seat was issued after 48 hours (after another phone call to Qantas to their offshore call centre in Fiji).

 

[Hazelsmum]

It seems I am not alone. I booked a Classic Rewards Itinerary that included flights to Sapporo from Perth, which was by far the hardest leg to find Business seats in (limited flight availability and lots of ineligible Jetstar Asia options), and then was dismayed to discover Cathay had rescheduled Perth to HK leg to the following day. Like everyone else I ran the gauntlet of the offshore call centres and after 3-4 calls I still didn’t have resolution. In the end I cancelled the entire itinerary due to a major accident meaning I wouldn’t be well enough for the trip.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This happened to me recently as my business classic reward flight got cancelled by China airline (BNE-TPE). Qantas offshore call centre was unhelpful. Back and forth a few times and eventually I called China airline and requested their help. Although they didn’t have the power to help me, they did suggest me to request a waitlisted seat to be issued by Qantas and then eventually China airline opened up a reward seat after one week.
I was lucky I called Qantas during business hours and was connected to call centre in Hobart and the agent was able to action and got me a waitlisted seat after she contacted China airline and the ticket with the waitlisted seat was issued after 48 hours (after another phone call to Qantas to their offshore call centre in Fiji).

Unfortunately these types of shenanigans stem from archaic practices and principles dating back to the times when travel agents would have sold most of the tickets. Travel agents were free to sell prices lower than the airlines might be offering (basically reducing their commission), or may have had special deals such as charter flights or access to consolidator seats.

This meant the price on the ticket might not have reflected the true price, and tickets may have been subject to specific agent terms and conditions.

In 2022 this is used as a poor excuse to shaft the passenger.

It is absolutely possible for China Airlines… or indeed any other airline… to go into a booking and add a new flight if they cancel one. It already happens when the insert a replacement flight [at the wrong time, or that results in a misconnect].

As passengers all we are asking is that instead of the current flight, change it to something else that is viable. But those airlines come back and say ‘no’, speak to the issuing airline. And we know where that gets us.

Some airlines will be proactive, Cathay is very good, but surprisingly Air China was also the same… they were happy to change the flight to a new one, then tell me to go back to AA or AV to get them to reissue the ticket with the new flight.

Very simple.

The way we buy tickets has changed. Sure, if the passenger wants a refund, send them back to the agent as the agent may have specific cancellation fees, etc.

But for things like schedule changes or cancellations it’s about time pax we’re given the ability to control outcomes!

 

[Seat0B]

There was a session about this type of problem and also cancellation of paid tickets at short notice on ABC Radio Life Matters yesterday morning. The problem seems to be extremely widespread, across many airlines (Qantasm Jetstar and Virgin all mentioned despite the host’s best efforts to avoid brand names on the ABC ), and escalating. Many people mentioning the need for proper consumer protection here in Australia. I totally agree.

 

[dektora]

I am currently having the same issue as described in the article. JAL rescheduled HEL/HND but not the connecting flight HND/SYD. After many calls and many hours (where more than one off-shore operator tried to convince me that the “system shows you can make the connection” as the HEL/HND flight arrives on the sam day!) and being promised call backs that never came each time, I got nowhere. In desperation, I emailed JAL directly, who of course told me to go back to Qantas. At some stage, the whole itinerary HEL/HND/SYD in J with the correct connecting flight showed up in the booking, but the flights booked in U (with the HND/SYD flight on the wrong date) are still there too. Shortly thereafter, I left to Europe (flights to Europe on a separate booking), hoping the issue will resolve. After seeing the AFF article, I checked to see if the tickets have been reissued - they have not. I then tried to call Qantas yet again, and after another hour and 2 operators (got hang up on by the first operator after 20mins), was told that they can’t re-ticket because the flights are in J and not in U, and they have to ask JAL to convert the seats. While on hold, the call dropped again.

If this is not re-ticketed, what will happen when I turn up at the airport in Helsinki? I am a bit worried that Qantas will just cancel the flights. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[exLXCXFF]

I am currently having the same issue as described in the article. JAL rescheduled HEL/HND but not the connecting flight HND/SYD. After many calls and many hours (where more than one off-shore operator tried to convince me that the “system shows you can make the connection” as the HEL/HND flight arrives on the sam day!) and being promised call backs that never came each time, I got nowhere. In desperation, I emailed JAL directly, who of course told me to go back to Qantas. At some stage, the whole itinerary HEL/HND/SYD in J with the correct connecting flight showed up in the booking, but the flights booked in U (with the HND/SYD flight on the wrong date) are still there too. Shortly thereafter, I left to Europe (flights to Europe on a separate booking), hoping the issue will resolve. After seeing the AFF article, I checked to see if the tickets have been reissued - they have not. I then tried to call Qantas yet again, and after another hour and 2 operators (got hang up on by the first operator after 20mins), was told that they can’t re-ticket because the flights are in J and not in U, and they have to ask JAL to convert the seats. While on hold, the call dropped again.

If this is not re-ticketed, what will happen when I turn up at the airport in Helsinki? I am a bit worried that Qantas will just cancel the flights. Any advice would be appreciated!

I am sorry to disappoint you but my best guess: The check-in staff will tell you that they can’t locate a ticket and hence can’t check you in. They will tell you to contact Qantas or to buy a ridiculous expensive upfront ticket for this or a later flight.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am sorry to disappoint you but my best guess: The check-in staff will tell you that they can’t locate a ticket and hence can’t check you in. They will tell you to contact Qantas or to buy a ridiculous expensive upfront ticket for this or a later flight.

agree. this is the most likely outcome.

Better to - actually ‘must’ - get it resolved in advance of the airport.

 

[Pinkysunkiss]

I wonder if travel insurance covered those kind of ticket change if we need to purchase a ridiculously expensive replacement flight due to cancellation of the airline and no replacement reward seat is booked.

 

[dajop]

I wonder if travel insurance covered those kind of ticket change if we need to purchase a ridiculously expensive replacement flight due to cancellation of the airline and no replacement reward seat is booked.

A lot of policies exclude anything that is the "fault of the airline". I suspect unilateral booking change by airline due to airline incomptency is not something travel insurance will (or indeed should) insure for.

 

[dektora]

I am sorry to disappoint you but my best guess: The check-in staff will tell you that they can’t locate a ticket and hence can’t check you in. They will tell you to contact Qantas or to buy a ridiculous expensive upfront ticket for this or a later flight.

Thanks for the advice! I called Qantas at 7am AEST and managed to get through straightaway, only to get disconnected while on hold by the operator after 25mins explaining the situation. The second call went much the same way (disconnected while on hold). This has happened a number of times before and I am starting to suspect the operators are dropping the call on purpose because they don’t want to deal with the problem. Anyway, what I was told (before I got put on hold) was that the flights with the correct connection needs to be concerted from J to U by JAL before Qantas can re-ticket. Instead of calling again, I have emailed the QFF email address and got an automated message that said a response may take a few days. Will I get a response or should I persist with calling? Is there a better way to contact them?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for the advice! I called Qantas at 7am AEST and managed to get through straightaway, only to get disconnected while on hold by the operator after 25mins explaining the situation. The second call went much the same way (disconnected while on hold). This has happened a number of times before and I am starting to suspect the operators are dropping the call on purpose because they don’t want to deal with the problem. Anyway, what I was told (before I got put on hold) was that the flights with the correct connection needs to be concerted from J to U by JAL before Qantas can re-ticket. Instead of calling again, I have emailed the QFF email address and got an automated message that said a response may take a few days. Will I get a response or should I persist with calling? Is there a better way to contact them?

It took three weeks for me to get a response from the QF email, to say it had now progressed from the queue to a ‘real’ person. And that person will get back to me within a month.

So I think you need to keep calling… but the J->U conversion isn’t going to magically happen by itself… while JAL has to do it, someone needs to tell them. You might ask the operator to send a message to the oneworld disruption desk to follow this up.