KrisFlyer redemption rates increasing [from 5/7/22]

[Pointy Bird]

The staff unfortunately have no idea. I am communicating them via chatbot live agent now in order to change a date for F flights - they are arguing with me. I have now quoted them their own FAQ - this is taking them a long time to absorb.!
They just told me that I will need more points as my date change is not to exactly 1st of September and the no extra points rule for date change only applies changes made to 1st of September ( their example date above). Amazing!

I have now given up! I just told her to take the extra points as I have plenty and like is too short!

Edit: she refused to take the extra points - a supervisor assisted and I now have a new Europe F flight with nil extra points. That was painful!

 

[Mr H]

As noted in my post number 51 above, the FAQs include this statement:
*Additional service fee of USD 25 of 2,500 KrisFlyer miles will apply for selected services rendered offline by an Singapore Airlines office or reservations hotline.

I hope you manage to convince her to waive the fee.

Yes, they agreed to make a one off exception... Half an hour and lots of patience required at both ends.

 

[Mr H]

Here you go....

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/ppsclub-krisflyer/latestnews/kfchanges22/?utm_source=OP9103_KF&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RevisiontoKrisFlyerAwardChart&utm_content=CTA

Look at point 3 under FAQ.

Can I just give personalised thanks for this post. It was enormously helpful, saved me a lot of searching and let me quote chapter and verse to the agent - that is what got me the outcome I was looking for.

 

[Jacques Vert]

Can I just give personalised thanks for this post. It was enormously helpful, saved me a lot of searching and let me quote chapter and verse to the agent - that is what got me the outcome I was looking for.

You're most welcome.

I also have to make a date change on a booking so it's good to know that persistence can win the day.

 

[RAM]

You're most welcome.

I also have to make a date change on a booking so it's good to know that persistence can win the day.

Asking to speak with a team leader also sometimes helps but often the crucial blow is asking for a full digital copy of 'this phone call which I started at X.XX with you Jane' as is my right under the Australian legislation.

Under the Federal Privacy Legislation:

1. You are entitled to request a full digital copy of any recorded call.
2. The company can refuse (do not tell them this as only a fully Australian-based health fund knew that) BUT then must provide a transcript - this process has a time limit to be completed. You can then contest the accuracy of the transcript (done it twice before the respective companies caved).
3. It is ILLEGAL to require a customer to do anything more than make the request over the phone during a recorded call. Despite this some companies (not looking at Q of course) claim you need to download a form, fill it out (with original signature) and mail it to them. A quick call to the Australian based company secretary (senior legal officer typically) works wonders - so does mentioning this at the time the request is made of you.
4. Some companies claim that the 'file is too large to send out', or 'it is insecure to mail it', or 'we don't have the ability to do that'. All reasons don't meet the requirements of the legislation btw. Response - 'That is your problem, not mine, if you don't mind the fines for breaching your requirements'.
5. Best excuse of the lot - 'We are an outsourced call centre based in South Africa (& The Phillipines & India & The UK)". Response - however the outsourcing contract states you will operate according to the requirements of the Australian legislation, I don't think your superiors would take too kindly to losing the contract' - digital copies received in days each time with these types of attempts. Curiously enough the issue I was calling about was also typically solved by the end of that call with the team leaders asking if they could cancel the request for the 'copy'. Two guesses on my response...

Always helps to make notes using the operator's own words/phrases during the call just in case you need to request a full digital copy.

Out-sourced call centres do not like a copy of a call leaving their control!

 

[MathNerd]

Can I just give personalised thanks for this post. It was enormously helpful, saved me a lot of searching and let me quote chapter and verse to the agent - that is what got me the outcome I was looking for.

Thanks @Mr H for sharing your experience with a date change.

I'm also trying to do the same - I'm guessing the "Change Flights" option in your MMB for the booking was greyed out so you had to call in for a date change (which also explains the 2,500 KF fee they were trying to get)?

 

[Mr H]

Thanks @Mr H for sharing your experience with a date change.

I'm also trying to do the same - I'm guessing the "Change Flights" option in your MMB for the booking was greyed out so you had to call in for a date change (which also explains the 2,500 KF fee they were trying to get)?

Yes. My flight was ASM-ADD on ET. Way off the radar for online edits.

 

[kamchatsky]

Reported on the SQ Tips thread that you can call and change the date without paying additional miles.

I called KF to request a date change of my ticket, and they insist that I pay the 58K additional miles for a simple date change, despite what the FAQ had stated, and I even gave them the website link address to them over the phone. I even asked them to speak with the supervisor and they said that it is the same result. Whilst I wanted to speak with the supervisor I decide to HUACA as I had to go out of the house instead. So I will try again tomorrow.

 

[mel-world]

These issues seem to be spread over two threads. Half here and half on the 'Saver Awards seeming to be disappearing' thread with even some duplication. Maybe they could be amalgamated as it seems there will be ongoing issues with date changes.

 

[AFF Editor]

The KrisFlyer award charts for other partner airlines, including Virgin Australia, will also be "upwardly adjusted" on 1 August 2022.

KrisFlyer Increases Virgin Australia Award Prices

Hot on the heels of the recent devaluation to its Singapore Airlines and Star Alliance award charts, KrisFlyer will increase the number of miles required

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[henrus]

It's really odd that they've "updated" the Virgin australia chart and it still includes rates for flights to North America, premium economy services or PNG.

 

[kamchatsky]

I called KF to request a date change of my ticket, and they insist that I pay the 58K additional miles for a simple date change, despite what the FAQ had stated, and I even gave them the website link address to them over the phone. I even asked them to speak with the supervisor and they said that it is the same result. Whilst I wanted to speak with the supervisor I decide to HUACA as I had to go out of the house instead. So I will try again tomorrow.

Update today. When I checked early this morning, the flights that I wanted on the new date were marked as Waitlist. So I thought there is no point in following up with CSR today.

However, I was pleasantly surprised today that the CSR that I dealt with yesterday called back on his shift today. He advised that after reviewing the FAQ and speaking with the supervisor, he will make a 1-time exception of revalidation (ie change the date) of the ticket free of charge. I accepted and he just changed it on the spot. I checked the itinerary and I can see that it is updated and I can select seats.

The amazing service is now back compared to 12 months ago. I am very glad that they are back to their "A-" game. It would have been an "A" game if they do not need a 1-time exception on something that is listed in their FAQs. But they are getting there.

 

[Mr H]

I am very glad that they are back to their "A-" game. It would have been an "A" game if they do not need a 1-time exception on something that is listed in their FAQs. But they are getting there.

If that's A- then I dread th think what B+ looks like. My experience was like yours - one agent refused to even engage with me, the second took 20 minutes to be persuaded that the Ts and Cs said no extra miles, and then I had an argument about paying a service fee. I was disconnected, but the agent did call back and did say she was authorised to make a one off exception...

 

[kamchatsky]

If that's A- then I dread th think what B+ looks like. My experience was like yours - one agent refused to even engage with me, the second took 20 minutes to be persuaded that the Ts and Cs said no extra miles, and then I had an argument about paying a service fee. I was disconnected, but the agent did call back and did say she was authorised to make a one off exception...

Well for the last 12 months, their customer service was atrocious. I could call like 20 times, after the super long call on hold, and they could not act to refund my points for my cancelled ticket. So yes, compared to that, they are getting much better, especially the CSR actually called me back to confirm revalidation free of charge. I was quite amazed by that.

I think part of the problem was that originally, the initial announcement worded that any changes post 5 July would require miles in accordance with the new mileage table. It was only very recently that they added in FAQ that changing dates would not require any additional miles as long as the original itinerary was ticketed prior to 5 July.

 

[odysseus]

It's really odd that they've "updated" the Virgin australia chart and it still includes rates for flights to North America, premium economy services or PNG.

Not really. It simplifies things if Virgin reinstate these services. Not only do they not need to update their own chart each time a partner changes a route, but it means they need to calculate whatever theoretical value it would be at that time. Keeping it in place now costs nothing.