Qantas Advertises "Fully Refundable" - but it Isnt!

[kyle]

I'm not sure I see the point of a hold fee if you can get it back without booking

Maybe she's thinking about the type on auto sites where you pay a $200 deposit to hold a car but it's fully refundable if the car doesn't suit once you've seen it

 

[half-hour]

I agree the wording is misleading.

The phrase "fully refundable" doesn't align with the terms immediately set out below that phrase on the website.

It seems to me that it would be best described as a "deposit".

 

[justinbrett]

What does “fully refundable” mean in the context of “it’s possible to refund if..”? They are not the same thing.

It's literally the meaning of the -able suffix - "capable of being"

 

[BAM1748]

I guess you enter into a contract to buy a ticket with the deposit, you haven't bought it until fully paid for, but the ticket is refundable if you have bought the ticket (in full)

 

[Guvner]

It's literally the meaning of the -able suffix - "capable of being"

Ignoring the “fully” is convenient.

 

[justinbrett]

Ignoring the “fully” is convenient.

Fully relates to the amount, not the lack of conditions (which are clearly stated below)

Partially refundable would mean you only got a portion of the $25 back

 

[dk4]

If you put money on a house, car etc and don’t go through with the sale, you usually lose the money.

How often do you hear the term "fully refundable" deposit when purchasing a house!

Actually there are deposits which are "fully refundable" when buying property. Usually a "deposit" is paid to a developer when buying off-the-plan (or directly from them post completion), to draw up the contract. This in no way obligates you to sign the contract, and the deposit is fully refundable if you don't.

Additionally after you sign a property contract, a deposit may be refunded if the contract is conditional and they are not met (e.g. finance, inspections, etc).

So I am with the OP, it is misleading wording. The deposit in the OP's case is always non-refundable! i.e. They will never get it back - however, it can be applied as a credit towards the price of the ticket, should they continue with the purchase.

So to use the term "refundable" at all, is misleading IMO. Let alone "fully refundable".

 

[TomVexille]

Fully redeemable would be better wording IMO. I agree that fully refundable is misleading.

 

[justinbrett]

Fully redeemable would be better wording IMO. I agree that fully refundable is misleading.

I don't see the point of the service at all, QF holds your booking until midnight for free. AA does 24 hours for free. Other carriers I've seen do longer but that's not taken off the ticket price.

What's the market for selling tickets that can't be paid for within 24 hours, but can be paid for within 72 hours?

This feature has been on QF for a long time - I think about 15+ years - as far as I know this is the first it's come up on AFF regarding the fee. In reality I think very few people use it.

 

[BAM1748]

I don't see the point of the service at all, QF holds your booking until midnight for free. AA does 24 hours for free. Other carriers I've seen do longer but that's not taken off the ticket price.

What's the market for selling tickets that can't be paid for within 24 hours, but can be paid for within 72 hours?

This feature has been on QF for a long time - I think about 15+ years - as far as I know this is the first it's come up on AFF regarding the fee. In reality I think very few people use it.

Agree with the final point, either you're ready to spend $10K or you're not ready.

 

[Eastwick20]

I would see the holding fee as just that, a service fee for Qantas allowing you to hold and not pay straight away so I would expect the fee conditions to be separate to the fare conditions.. but that's just me!

 

[downgraded]

View attachment 320653

It seems pretty clear - the holding guarantee is able to (and will be) refunded if you go ahead with the ticket purchase, otherwise it is forfeited.
You ought to be able to find out those terms before hitting the hold button, but I don't see what else you could expect to happen if you choose not to go ahead with the purchase you've asked Qantas to save for you. No different to a deposit bring a percentage of the ticket price and you change your mind, you'd forfeit the deposit.

 

[oz_mark]

I don't see the point of the service at all, QF holds your booking until midnight for free. AA does 24 hours for free. Other carriers I've seen do longer but that's not taken off the ticket price.

My recent experience is that QF has been releasing the bookings sometime before midnight (generally seems they hold on to it for about 30 minutes)

 

[downgraded]

The deposit in the OP's case is always non-refundable! i.e. They will never get it back

Not sure that's correct. If they'd proceeded with the ticket purchase they'd asked Qantas to hold for them, then they have got their holding fee back.

 

[Vic]

Yes exactly. It says nothing about active cancellation, it only talks about letting the booking lapse by not paying on time.

Even better is the next condition down that says they don't actually hold the fare that you've just paid to put on hold.

"Note than total ticket price may change..."

View attachment 320653

 

[muppet]

Gotta love this product.

A $25, fully refundable hold fee that is neither refundable nor does it hold anything.

 

[Vic]

If you put money on a house, car etc and don’t go through with the sale, you usually lose the money.

That's not correct. It depends on the conditions of the sale contract..
Fully refundable is the condition in the case of question.

 

[justinbrett]

My recent experience is that QF has been releasing the bookings sometime before midnight (generally seems they hold on to it for about 30 minutes)

You might not have got far enough into the booking for it to stick.

When I was looking at this hold fee yesterday, I got emails both times I did it (but didn't proceed past the payment page)



1x domestic and 1x international, both got the same midnight email.

 

[Vic]

Not when it's directly followed in clear English, on the same page, with

if full payment is not made on time your booking and holding guarantee will be forfeited.

I'm really not getting what is unclear about that. Refundable means it's possible to refund it if you follow the conditions. If you book a refundable flight or hotel, there's still conditions attached to that. In this case, the conditions are clearly laid out in full size print under a heading of "things you need to know". If you chose to ignore that, that's on you - it's not like it's in fine print.

But yes, I don't know why you'd bother - although it would preserve your fare class for the flight, so it stops the fare going up in that regard - it would be pretty unlucky if the fare itself or taxes went up before you booked.

Gee you're really hung up on this one line for you defence of qantas.
Anna is not talking about the situation of not paying on time. That condition is irrelevant.

Where is the condition that states what happens if you cancel the booking?

 

[bussyboy]

There's probably meant to be a use case for coordinating bookings with friends/companions to negotiate to book same trip while yours is on hold...

Of course, then your friends book the last "flex" seats, your holiday is now 20% more expensive :|