One Booking - No Show First Leg, Cancelled Flight Second

[servicerequired]

Ok, not sure what the scenario might be here, but here is how it rolled ...

One booking ... Saturday ... ADL-BNE-NTL ... all QF.

Status QF GOLD - and 'checked-in'

1. Friday night, receive 'We're sorry we had to cancel your flight QFxx_X from Brisbane' - bumped onto JQ, same day, couple hours later though, all good!
2. Huge night Friday, woke up Saturday with 'Boarding has now commenced'.
3. State of hysteria having missed boarding.
4. Checking text messages - at approx. 0500 whilst out to it, a message had been received from JQ advising that their flight ex BNE was also cancelled.

Luckily, I was able to arrange an alternative solution ... these things happen.

BUT, now, how do I dig out the credit amount for the cancelled BNE-NTL leg? Or is this forfeited due to a 'no show' on the ADL-BNE leg?

Will the QF system automatically generate a credit?

If I attempt to go to qantas.com and enter the booking reference in the 'Use Flight Credit' box ... like 90% of my other QF credits (which I am certain there are more than a few floating around) ... the website just redirects back to the home page.

Please don't say that this requires a call to 13 13 13.

Whilst we're at it - all of those credits that don't appear for one reason or another under 'My Bookings' ... where the F are they? Has anyone had any luck with Qantas in assisting to search for missing credits? I fly often often for work, even throughout COVID, so there are often late changes to flights, press the 'Not Flying Anymore?' button, and then re-book again with credit card, as flight credit is often not available to use immediately (and more often than not, its a matter of re-routing in order to reach destination ... therefore its not a matter of simply 'changing flights').

The issue I believe - aside from possibly just not appearing, my full name is structured as an example JOSEPH B VAN BLOGGS, and in many instances will print from QF as VAN BLOGGS, JOSEPHB ... so I suspect that 'JOSEPHB' with no space mismatch may be causing an issue when matching against my QFF credentials?

... regardless, ALL of my bookings ALWAYS include my QFF number ... so surely there is some sort of review process in the QF system?

Anyway - if someone can please enlighten me, or please share their experiences.

 

[RooFlyer]

I was going to say that as you were a no-show for the first leg, you would forfeit the second leg, but as the second was cancelled before you were a no-show, its perhaps not as straight forward. Was BNE-NTL was canelled outright, no alternative flight and no invitation to contact them for an alternative?

 

[RichardMEL]

If the second leg was cancelled though, one presumes QF had rebooked on something else? even if it was the next day or something else unsuitable. Thus there probably was still a second leg in that PNR

and since no show the entire PNR would have been cancelled.

I am not surprised the PNR does not show up as a credit on the QF site or can't be accessed as it would have been cancelled and not automatically turned into a credit (one would have gotten an email)

I think there is probably little hope to get anything back in this situation due to the no show

however yes unfortunately it will need talking to a human to verify how QF see it (and I know, good luck with an agent who can be helpful, let alone the wait time) but I suspect this is going to be pretty difficult unfortunately.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would have thought if your second flight was cancelled, and you had no way to contact QF to sort it out in time, that the entire booking will be refundable. In this case it wouldn't be your fault to no show on the first leg as it would have been unreasonable to arrive at the airport knowing the rest of your itinerary was unflyable.

May require some sorting out. But that would be my argument.

 

[RichardMEL]

I would have thought if your second flight was cancelled, and you had no way to contact QF to sort it out in time, that the entire booking will be refundable. In this case it wouldn't be your fault to no show on the first leg as it would have been unreasonable to arrive at the airport knowing the rest of your itinerary was unflyable.

May require some sorting out. But that would be my argument.

That's also a reasonable way to view it.

It will probably come down to some discretion by QF as to how they respond to it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That's also a reasonable way to view it.

It will probably come down to some discretion by QF as to how they respond to it.

I wonder if it is discretion or consumer rights? If half your itinerary is cancelled and you can't complete your journey I don't see how there can be any penalty? No doubt the OP tried calling QF but there would have been lengthy call wait times.

 

[RichardMEL]

I wonder if it is discretion or consumer rights? If half your itinerary is cancelled and you can't complete your journey I don't see how there can be any penalty? No doubt the OP tried calling QF but there would have been lengthy call wait times.

in my view I think we're missing part of the picture though per the OP.

It's unclear (to me anyway ) that after the 2nd JQ flight was cancelled - if the booking had been rebooked onto the next flight or not.

If not, then yep I agree. If so then the issue becomes that the (2nd) rebooked flight probably would not have worked, but from QF's pov they would have still had a valid booking at the time they no show'd (even though they would not have actually accepted the change or not, the booking would still have provisionally there).

So to me it comes down to the question of did they have a booking for flights between ADL and NTL when they no-showed. If so, then in my view, QF would be right to have cancelled everything and not refundable. However if BNE-NTL had not been rebooked and thus they only had a ADL-BNE flight(which they missed) then I agree that the whole thing should be refundable.

 

[jpp42]

It looks to me like OP used another method to get to NTL (probably booked ADL-SYD on some other carrier and drove?), and initially figured this flight was a lost cause due to the no-show, but now noticed the BNE-NTL segment was cancelled and wondering if he has a chance at recovering any value since that part of it was not his fault. So yes we really need to know what the alternative was offered, if any. OP, can you post the exact text of the cancellation message received at 0500? Were you invited to call to rebook, given an alternate option , etc ?

And yes you'll have to call Qantas to sort it out, whatever it is, but see this thread for a possibility to get through faster: Qantas Call Centre Long Wait Times

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It looks to me like OP used another method to get to NTL (probably booked ADL-SYD on some other carrier and drove?), and initially figured this flight was a lost cause due to the no-show, but now noticed the BNE-NTL segment was cancelled and wondering if he has a chance at recovering any value since that part of it was not his fault. So yes we really need to know what the alternative was offered, if any. OP, can you post the exact text of the cancellation message received at 0500? Were you invited to call to rebook, given an alternate option , etc ?

And yes you'll have to call Qantas to sort it out, whatever it is, but see this thread for a possibility to get through faster: Qantas Call Centre Long Wait Times

I think here that events have conspired to work in favour of the OP. It doesn't matter that he slept in. The fact the second flight was cancelled, meaning the first leg was also of no use, means the potential for a refund. I don't think it's reasonable for someone to be looking at text messages at 5am?

 

[Must...Fly!]

I think here that events have conspired to work in favour of the OP. It doesn't matter that he slept in. The fact the second flight was cancelled, meaning the first leg was also of no use, means the potential for a refund. I don't think it's reasonable for someone to be looking at text messages at 5am?

I would argue you got the message the flight was cancelled, assumed the whole itinerary was, and thus as no alternative arrangements were provided made them yourself prior to going to the airport. Thus, refund.

In most cases I would expect the OP would be out of luck as they missed flight one, however as @MEL_Traveller points out, the chain of events here have triggered a scenario that could work in the OP's favour quite well.

 

[RichardMEL]

I think here that events have conspired to work in favour of the OP. It doesn't matter that he slept in. The fact the second flight was cancelled, meaning the first leg was also of no use, means the potential for a refund. I don't think it's reasonable for someone to be looking at text messages at 5am?

no it's not reasonable to read texts at 0500, but say ADL-BNE was at 10am you'd expect to have read that notification by then, assuming you intended to fly that day (obviously the OP did, but they slept in for reasons and it happens to us all ).

While I suspect that BNE-NTL is hardly a route with lots of flights, it is possible that QF (or JQ) may have created an option to reroute either ADL-SYD-NTL, or ADL-BNE-SYD-NTL or probably pushed to BNE-NTL the next day (which probably would not have worked for the OP, but that's a different issue entirely).

I guess what I'm saying is that, when trying to look at it from QF's point of view and how they may treat it, that the OP missed the first flight, thus the entire itin was forfeit. This is of course common practice to just about every single carrier out there though there are some exceptions, such as the "flat tyre rule" in the US which I personally have benefited from). If the OP slept in, or thought the entire flight is cactus s I won't bother with it is mot really relevant in terms of any kind of refund due to the cancel.

I think the best way to argue this one would be to potentially argue that a decision was made at the last minute to not proceed with ADL-BNE because BNE-NTL had been cancelled so why go to BNE. Attempting to contact QF resulted in a wait of hours which was far past the departure time of the flight (ironically this is what those 1300 numbers are intended for!) and so trying to find alternatives, or even to cancel the flight before it departed to get that refund were impossible because of the call center times. I mean we don't know that once the OP woke up to the "your flight is now boarding..." message that they did not immediately attempt to contact QF...

I still feel any resolution to this is less about the 2nd flight cancel(as we do not know what alternatives, if any, were available or could have been offered) but about failing to show for the first flight.

I can see this being viewed both ways tbh

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Ok, not sure what the scenario might be here, but here is how it rolled ...

One booking ... Saturday ... ADL-BNE-NTL ... all QF.

Status QF GOLD - and 'checked-in'

1. Friday night, receive 'We're sorry we had to cancel your flight QFxx_X from Brisbane' - bumped onto JQ, same day, couple hours later though, all good!
2. Huge night Friday, woke up Saturday with 'Boarding has now commenced'.
3. State of hysteria having missed boarding.
4. Checking text messages - at approx. 0500 whilst out to it, a message had been received from JQ advising that their flight ex BNE was also cancelled.

Luckily, I was able to arrange an alternative solution ... these things happen.

BUT, now, how do I dig out the credit amount for the cancelled BNE-NTL leg? Or is this forfeited due to a 'no show' on the ADL-BNE leg?

Will the QF system automatically generate a credit?

If I attempt to go to qantas.com and enter the booking reference in the 'Use Flight Credit' box ... like 90% of my other QF credits (which I am certain there are more than a few floating around) ... the website just redirects back to the home page.

Please don't say that this requires a call to 13 13 13.

Whilst we're at it - all of those credits that don't appear for one reason or another under 'My Bookings' ... where the F are they? Has anyone had any luck with Qantas in assisting to search for missing credits? I fly often often for work, even throughout COVID, so there are often late changes to flights, press the 'Not Flying Anymore?' button, and then re-book again with credit card, as flight credit is often not available to use immediately (and more often than not, its a matter of re-routing in order to reach destination ... therefore its not a matter of simply 'changing flights').

The issue I believe - aside from possibly just not appearing, my full name is structured as an example JOSEPH B VAN BLOGGS, and in many instances will print from QF as VAN BLOGGS, JOSEPHB ... so I suspect that 'JOSEPHB' with no space mismatch may be causing an issue when matching against my QFF credentials?

... regardless, ALL of my bookings ALWAYS include my QFF number ... so surely there is some sort of review process in the QF system?

Anyway - if someone can please enlighten me, or please share their experiences.

Laughing at the poor situation.
Not at you.
No answer, that would help.

 

[jpp42]

ADL-SYD-NTL, or ADL-BNE-SYD-NTL

The only SYD-NTL nonstops offered are through regional carrier Pelican Airlines - which I don't believe has any codeshare or interline with QF (definitely not JQ). JQ does operate an afternoon MEL-NTL flight on Saturdays however, so ADL-MEL-NTL might have been a possible alternative.

 

[RichardMEL]

The only SYD-NTL nonstops offered are through regional carrier Pelican Airlines - which I don't believe has any codeshare or interline with QF (definitely not JQ). JQ does operate an afternoon MEL-NTL flight on Saturdays however, so ADL-MEL-NTL might have been a possible alternative.

ah thanks for that. I am not very familiar with NTL services (obviously!)

 

[Seat0B]

I think here that events have conspired to work in favour of the OP. It doesn't matter that he slept in. The fact the second flight was cancelled, meaning the first leg was also of no use, means the potential for a refund. I don't think it's reasonable for someone to be looking at text messages at 5am?

The old 5 am cancellation and switcheroo was a common occurrence pre-COVID flying CBR-SYD and CBR-BNE on B717 flights on more occasions than I care to recall. The alternatives offered were often laughable. On one memorable occasion, I was flying to BNE on 0930 ish flight during daylight savings time for a midday meeting and then returning last flight on the same day (the good old days of actual face to face meetings - wouldn't happne now, would be made to zoom/teams/skype). The rebooked flight helpfully would have seen me get to BNE just as my meeting was ending, with just enough time to slam a drink at the Club and turn straight around for my return flight. The rep was really indignant that I had not called at 0515 when the text message came through. I had to fight very hard to get a refund as they said I was being unreasonable not accepting the new flight etc etc. Not much changes, it seems.

 

[servicerequired]

in my view I think we're missing part of the picture though per the OP.

It's unclear (to me anyway ) that after the 2nd JQ flight was cancelled - if the booking had been rebooked onto the next flight or not.

If not, then yep I agree. If so then the issue becomes that the (2nd) rebooked flight probably would not have worked, but from QF's pov they would have still had a valid booking at the time they no show'd (even though they would not have actually accepted the change or not, the booking would still have provisionally there).

So to me it comes down to the question of did they have a booking for flights between ADL and NTL when they no-showed. If so, then in my view, QF would be right to have cancelled everything and not refundable. However if BNE-NTL had not been rebooked and thus they only had a ADL-BNE flight(which they missed) then I agree that the whole thing should be refundable.

Ah yes, this is where it gets tricky ... the message received at 5 AM was from Jetstar ... FLIGHT JQ483 from Brisbane has been cancelled. Go to URL or contact your travel agent to check your flight options. We're sorry your flight has been cancelled.

At that point - it was simply, lets find plan B ... which, congratulations to @jpp42 for the correct answer, was indeed ADL - SYD and a one way rental car from SYD - NTL.


... anyway, we have a result!

Managed to reach a human via 13 13 13 ... no issues re missing the first leg of the booking ... they could see that the second leg was cancelled, and subsequently a credit was issued with a booking reference in the usual style xx_xx_.

Its funny isn't it - I just entered the reference into the 'Use Flight Credit' box on the QF homepage ... and of course, it just loops back to the home page.

Its going to require another call to 13 13 13 when I go to use it ... if I remember it is still valid.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Make/do make sure you do write the PNR xx_-xx_ alphanumericals down on paper.
Analogy here: a long time ago, I did a prepurchase of/for a tix, think at that time QF had a $50 pre buy for bonus SC, where you put $50 towards a flight credit, and you or I at that time, got the bonus SC, and you could then later on use the $50 later on, this was a very long years ago.
I didn't write down the PNR of mine at that time, so couldn't use the $50 credit for a flight booking.
Thought it would be in QFF account, but of course, it wasn't there.
Maybe its different now though.
Had to phone up QF/phone QF up, and it took a long while to find the PNR on their side too.

 

[RichardMEL]

That's a great and common sense result for you so that's really good.

re the credit - does it show in your QFF account under the bookings page? (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't). Also did you receive the actual email confirming the flight credit?

seems like you're most of the way there (annoying to not be fully there) so.. progress!

thanks for updating!