Price disparity when using QF voucher?

[ronza]

I canceled a booking ADL-PER as I could no longer make a trip - forfeited my VB fare but the QF outbound leg stored the credit ($155)

I'm trying to use the credit for a flight ADL-MEL in July. The price booking normally is $95 but when I search through the Voucher PNR; the same flight in the same class (Red e Deal) is $166. I thought I'd be able to use the $155 less the change fee $50 and still be up?

Am I missing some T&Cs here?

 

[JohnK]

I was told once that the base fare of the new booking (not including taxes and charges) needs to be greater than the base fare of original booking.

I does not matter what I did on the website I could not get it to work. In the end I used the voucher for a one-way SYD-AKL and then came back AKL-SYD on LAN.

 

[markis10]

The original fare does need to be less than the new fare, which adds to the loss of value IMHO.

 

[Dave Noble]

The original fare does need to be less than the new fare, which adds to the loss of value IMHO.

True, but if compared to a fairly common thing with non-refundable fares in that if not used it is lost altogether it is pretty generous imo

Dave

 

[markis10]

True, but if compared to a fairly common thing with non-refundable fares in that if not used it is lost altogether it is pretty generous imo

Dave

DJ introduced the voucher with blue saver and above, QF followed 5 years later, thats not too generous

Its good for longer legs or higher discount fares but it makes the BNE or MEL to SYD cancellations almost a waste of time in terms of rebooking, take a Red e deal BNE-SYD @ $98, if you were to try and rebook you might get a more popular flight at $135 or more than likely have to go to a super saver for $198.

So your initial outlay of $98 requires $37 more for the fare increase and $50 change fee for a total of $185 assuming you can do it online (via phone adds $40 more) for the higher red-e-deal, obviously you would be mad to use it in that case as you are getting back only $11 from the credit. I think most people would therefore save them for the longer legs, however the fees and requirement to use a higher fare mean the value is very much eroded.

 

[Dave Noble]

The fares rules say

"Your original fare may be used as credit towards a new fare of equal or higher value, provided the new fare conditions are met."

it does not have to be a higher fare, just cannot be a lower fare

If the lowest BNE-SYD was $98 and the fare for new date was also $98, that would not be an issue

Dave

 

[markis10]

The fares rules say

"Your original fare may be used as credit towards a new fare of equal or higher value, provided the new fare conditions are met."

it does not have to be a higher fare, just cannot be a lower fare

If the lowest BNE-SYD was $98 and the fare for new date was also $98, that would not be an issue

Dave

Dave, I stand corrected

if you can find a fare that is the same, you are only loosing half of the value of your original fare which is better.

 

[Dave Noble]

Dave, I stand corrected

if you can find a fare that is the same, you are only loosing half of the value of your original fare which is better.

I don't think that there is any loosing of value ( perhaps losing ) .... Even so, $50 penalty is still reasonably generous compared to a 100% penalty

 

[markis10]

That will teach me to use IE without its spellchecking, and to need a coffee :shock:

 

[serfty]

As noted, you don't need to use the credit on the original routing, it can be used on any return or one-way fare originating within Australia.

A better use may be to book the $95 fare outright and look to use the effective $105 credit on a typically more expensive fare.

 

[dajop]

As it just has to be used for a higher fare, you could also book return sector using the credit (so book ADL-MEL-ADL instead of just ADL-MEL). Or is that taken care of already ?

 

[JohnK]

Its good for longer legs or higher discount fares but it makes the BNE or MEL to SYD cancellations almost a waste of time in terms of rebooking, take a Red e deal BNE-SYD @ $98, if you were to try and rebook you might get a more popular flight at $135 or more than likely have to go to a super saver for $198.

Not really. I book most of my airfares well in advance (sometimes 6 months) and plans change. I had a SYD-BNE return for early June which I got for $65 each way but I needed to change the return from BNE. I waited until the recent QF sale and changed the day of the return flight without issue and paid $50 change fee + $10 for new airfare (the new sale airfare was $75).

 

[ronza]

Agree completely with the sentiment that QF policy even on the Red e-Deal fares is pretty darn good. I've forfeited 5 other flights this week on other carriers.

As it just has to be used for a higher fare, you could also book return sector using the credit (so book ADL-MEL-ADL instead of just ADL-MEL). Or is that taken care of already ?

Didn't think of doing this! The cheapest fare ($95) does show up on a return booking each leg despite the fact my original booking was only one way so the net payment will be $60 to get a new one way or $85 for a return trip.

Only problem is that I don't know when I'll be coming home or even if I'll be going through MEL on the return trip so I'll probably be up for another $50 change fee when I make up my mind.

If the voucher expires on 5 March, is that the last day to rebook or the last day to have completed travel?

 

[pootle]

it is the booking date