No more fully flexible fare!

[hutch]

i imagine that type of refund condition is probably going to disappear altogether in future - there just isn't enough profit in the airline industry period as it is and this would be one almost irresistible way for airlines to improve their cash flow

You are probably right! But perhaps an opportunity for VA to take this opportunity to reduce fees to pick up some market share?

 

[michaele]

You are welcome to air your grievances with Qantas or any airline... but comparisons between airlines are pretty fundamental in discussions about services & fees etc. Also, in your response you state "other service providers offer refunds"... so its okay to compare the service from other non-airline service providers, but its not okay to compare Qantas v Virgin fees?

The real issue is that a fully flexible fare can be not fully flexible - ie there may be a fee to change or cancel all together. I found this out the hard way when I was (correctly or incorrectly) quoted a change fee of $400 (fee + fare difference) to change to the following day on a LAX-BNE flight when the price available on the QF website was the exact price (and fare bucket) as my fully flex flight purchased two weeks earlier. It entirely shook my confidence in why I would purchase a fully flex fare - and will probably purchase sale/saver fares in future.

 

[QFflyermelbourne]

Other service providers offer refunds - I see no justification for Qantas behaving in this way, given the very high amounts that are charged for the now-deceased fully-flexible fares.

Mate - I am probably the biggest Qantas apologist around but if you are in business like you say then surely you can see very simply the justification Qantas has for this. They are in business to make money. They have only one serious competitor for that market. Their competitor does not provide refunds without a fee very nearly the same as what they now have put in place. So Qantas were probably fully aware it would piss off those who pay full fare but where are those people going to go?

 

[mannej]

Wow the OP doesn't mind a subtle dig do they?

If they can't see that by flying VA who also charge a similar (if slightly less) fee is a flaw in its argument, good luck to the OP.

 

[juddles]

"slugged an $88 fee".

As soon as someone writes about being "slugged" fees I lose interest, as the writer will invariably then just rant and rave. This guy clearly just wanted to vent. I understand that need, but attacking people who productively contributed to the thread is not useful.

Christ, the Op even managed to make me agree with Medhead's comments! :O

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

I am shocked - shocked! - that Qantas actually called this a 'cancellation fee' as opposed to a 'convenience fee', 'service fee' or whatever other corporate propaganda doublespeak they use to apply lipstick to a pig.

 

[juddles]

....a pig....

I may not be part of the bashing crowd, and I do also dislike wonderful* propaganda doublespeak, but I very happily fly that pig. Love them.

 

[esquire]

The flip side is if you were paying for Fully Flex domestic fares - you would now typically be ahead on cost savings as the old flexi savers are quite a bit cheaper even with the $88 refund fee.

I know we are actually saving money now for some staff!

 

[defurax]

On my corporate booking site QF domestic fares are now Sale, Flexible and Y/B. I wonder if Y/B is a fully flexible fare offered to corporate clients only.

 

[maroonone]

Isn't it strange that on a "Qantas Frequent Flyer forum" there are so many fans of Qantas. I wonder if there shouldn't be a separate discussion board "Quantas Frequent Flyer - but i hate them" strated.

 

[muppet]

I admit i am a QF fan - but I can't imagine why a small business would want to buy $500+ Y fares???

Surely having a $200 or even $130 red e-deal stuck in QF credit is better than an extra $300-400 on the chance you don't fly?


EDIT: for some reason i assumed the OP was flying SYD-MEL with those numbers above..

 

[roncritch]

Having had to pay $919 for a flex fare (KTA-PER sold as Y class but 'ouch'), I would always take the credit if I had to cancel rather than the refund minus $88...I would use the voucher pretty soon.

 

[kevrosmith]

I admit i am a QF fan - but I can't imagine why a small business would want to buy $500+ Y fares???

Surely having a $200 or even $130 red e-deal stuck in QF credit is better than an extra $300-400 on the chance you don't fly?


EDIT: for some reason i assumed the OP was flying SYD-MEL with those numbers above..

Yeah, this is exactly what I was thinking. I'm in small business too, and while I justify buying the entry-level Flex fares now for the ~$300 mark (former Flexi Saver fares), I don't think I'd be able to fork out the ~$500++ for a Fully Flexible Fare just in case I want to cancel the flight and get a refund. (My assumption is that the old Flexi Fares were not refundable without a fee).







Am I missing something? Did the OP used to buy Fully Flexible fares, pay a premium (in the above example an additional $250) just in case they wanted to cancel the flight and save a potential $88 refund fee? (I must be missing something here).

 

[anat0l]

Anyone wondering how it is possible that the OP has the aptitude to run a successful business?

 

[Kangol]

On my corporate booking site QF domestic fares are now Sale, Flexible and Y/B. I wonder if Y/B is a fully flexible fare offered to corporate clients only.

I'm pretty sure a reasonable TA could get you Y/B fares. Corporate or not.
Y is the highest economy fare and B the second highest, generally.

 

[basso]

On my corporate booking site QF domestic fares are now Sale, Flexible and Y/B. I wonder if Y/B is a fully flexible fare offered to corporate clients only.

If you have corporate fares, it is not just the fare that is negotiated, they also negotiate on fare rules, so is quite possible the Y and B fares for your company have fully refundable provisions. I haven't looked at the rules of my corporate fares lately, but they certainly had different rules and fees compared to the retail fares.

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

I may not be part of the bashing crowd, and I do also dislike wonderful* propaganda doublespeak, but I very happily fly that pig. Love them.

The pig comment was not applied to the actual airline, it's pilots, and operational staff who make it all it is. I was related to the "buzzword bingo" propaganda team who somehow think they can get away with couching necessary operational and business decisions as some sort of 'benefit'. 'Simpler and Fairer'. 'Convenience fee'. 'Enhancement'. Linguistic shadow boxing which does a dis-service to the people who really make Qantas happen.