"No award flights available" - Really???

[oz_mark]

Are you connecting to another flight in Perth?

 

[encryptededdy]

But of course the call centre agents haven’t been authorised to say that so we get all sorts of rubbish like ‘qantas doesn’t fly from SYD to MEL after 4.30pm on any day of the week, for the next year’.

I'm more inclined to think the call centre agent's just don't know (or aren't thinking about what they're seeing), and are blindingly saying out what their computer tells them.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm more inclined to think the call centre agent's just don't know (or aren't thinking about what they're seeing), and are blindingly saying out what their computer tells them.

That would be a nice take on things

But they can see the flights when creating a new booking.

So to turn around 30 seconds later and say that same flight ‘must now be cancelled’ is nonsensical.

 

[ChrisMars]

This post (link below) seems to indicate that the issue is just lack of training / experience: An Hobart agent explains how to see those award seats on existing booking.

Qantas Call Centre Long Wait Times

My understanding (from unofficial sources) is that there is a pool of priority phone numbers that airport staff give to passengers which rotates every few weeks. I will attempt to publish the currently active number(s) in this post: 1300 304 318 1300 659 161 1300 025 396 1300 659 116 1300 024...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I would like to think that's the situation, and not a commercial decision implemented only in some call centres. Would be good to have more data points. I certainly failed x times to make a change with O/S call centers, but not issue with Hobart. But didn't ask why at that time.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This post (link below) seems to indicate that the issue is just lack of training / experience: An Hobart agent explains how to see those award seats on existing booking.

Qantas Call Centre Long Wait Times

My understanding (from unofficial sources) is that there is a pool of priority phone numbers that airport staff give to passengers which rotates every few weeks. I will attempt to publish the currently active number(s) in this post: 1300 304 318 1300 659 161 1300 025 396 1300 659 116 1300 024...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I would like to think that's the situation, and not a commercial decision implemented only in some call centres. Would be good to have more data points. I certainly failed x times to make a change with O/S call centers, but not issue with Hobart. But didn't ask why at that time.

The initial reason for my call was that the multi-city tool showed the legs as available but errored out. The call centre then ran into the same problem.

I think that the multi-city tool errors out shows it is a conscious commercial block implemented by QF.

Other differences in commercial operations between Au and o/s is that o/s call centres can’t ticket in many cases without it having to be reviewed by another department to make sure there are no mistakes.

So it seems that o/s call centres are penalised.

While Hobart or Auckland may have workarounds, those of us without access to those call centres are probably unlikely to ever get the issue resolved

 

[Franky]

The initial reason for my call was that the multi-city tool showed the legs as available but errored out. The call centre then ran into the same problem.

I think that the multi-city tool errors out shows it is a conscious commercial block implemented by QF.

Other differences in commercial operations between Au and o/s is that o/s call centres can’t ticket in many cases without it having to be reviewed by another department to make sure there are no mistakes.

So it seems that o/s call centres are penalised.

While Hobart or Auckland may have workarounds, those of us without access to those call centres are probably unlikely to ever get the issue resolved

indeed...

 

[tdimdad]

...that o/s call centres can’t ticket in many cases without it having to be reviewed by another department to make sure there are no mistakes.

Which mature, well-functioning business needs to continuously run separate QA on a team's work? Sounds like their process, tools or people are not match fit. Or all three...

It'd be OK to have 'basic service' call centres because the majority of calls probably are very routine. But they ought to have the ability to escalate complex calls to a tier 2 team instead of just close the call as soon as possible regardless of the result. Perhaps their KPI's are wrong, too...

 

[ChrisMars]

I think that the multi-city tool errors out shows it is a conscious commercial block implemented by QF.

Naa, it's just their IT that sucks. There is no conscious.

Example:
- I can search CBR-OAG, select CBR-ADL-SYD-OAG all in X, and book it.
- I can multi-city search CBR-ADL ADL-SYD SYD-OAG, will get a straight 404
- I can multi-city search CBR-ADL ADL-OAG, then select the exact same flights as the first search in paid fare, I'll get a non-blocking error that points+pay is not available. I can continue booking if needed.
- I can multi-city search CBR-ADL ADL-OAG, then select the exact same flights as the first search, all in X fare, I'll get a blocking error after selecting those flights. It's a bug, it used to work, the website used to be able to recalculate the overall points based on the correct zone, to come up with the same total as search 1. It can't do it anymore since a while.

The multi city search is broken in many ways, no-one cares about it at Qantas.

Other differences in commercial operations between Au and o/s is that o/s call centres can’t ticket in many cases without it having to be reviewed by another department to make sure there are no mistakes.

So it seems that o/s call centres are penalised.

While Hobart or Auckland may have workarounds, those of us without access to those call centres are probably unlikely to ever get the issue resolved

Yea that's sucks. I am already switching my frequent flyer earns to other programs, will stop bothering with Qantas once I drop Gold.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Naa, it's just their IT that sucks. There is no conscious.

Example:
- I can search CBR-OAG, select CBR-ADL-SYD-OAG all in X, and book it.
- I can multi-city search CBR-ADL ADL-SYD SYD-OAG, will get a straight 404
- I can multi-city search CBR-ADL ADL-OAG, then select the exact same flights as the first search in paid fare, I'll get a non-blocking error that points+pay is not available. I can continue booking if needed.
- I can multi-city search CBR-ADL ADL-OAG, then select the exact same flights as the first search, all in X fare, I'll get a blocking error after selecting those flights. It's a bug, it used to work, the website used to be able to recalculate the overall points based on the correct zone, to come up with the same total as search 1. It can't do it anymore since a while.

The multi city search is broken in many ways, no-one cares about it at Qantas.

I don’t disagree… but… the mention of the multi-city tool was in conjunction with agents not being able to see availability as well. So my theory is that the two are linked. QF doesn’t want to include a domestic connector on award tickets.

It may also be that QF have gone too far in their blocking to make other functionality disappear from their multi-city tool. But given that we used to be able to do it, but now can’t, seems to be a deliberate action.

 

[exceladdict]

It may also be that QF have gone too far in their blocking to make other functionality disappear from their multi-city tool. But given that we used to be able to do it, but now can’t, seems to be a deliberate action.

I think your hypothesis is correct. Per-bne-syd-mel doesn't seem like an unfeasible or unrealistic itinerary.

 

[chickenscraper]

I had an already booked RTW ticket with an AKL-DFW-EZE leg (on AA) which i wanted to change the date for. there were rewards seats available on my desired date, i could book them. i even started the call with asking the agent to check that date and yes there were rewards seats available. as soon as they tried to modify my booking though, they couldn't be seen.

eventually after hanging up and trying again (and complaining enough) they were able to get it done.

so i'm leaning more towards their systems being broken than a "conscious commercial block".

same fare was ~$1400 in tax when booked. when i had to re-add flights that had dropped off due to being pending for too long i got a $400 refund for some reason. change of date they re-assessed and wanted the $400 back again.

(also at some point they refunded me the points and have never charged them again. i brought it up with an agent and they said "well the ticket has been issued i wouldn't worry about it")