Qantas flight change ... refund?

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stevie_23

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Aug 5, 2014
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Hi there :)

I have one ticket with Qantas that includes two flights. The first leg is Melbourne to LAX and then on to JFK. Again, this is all on one ticket.

Qantas changed my Melb to LAX flight to be almost an hour later, which has not left me with enough time to catch my LAX to JFK flight.

I contacted them about this and they suggested I be transferred to another flight, which was also questionable in terms of allowing adequate time to clear customs at LAX and get to my next flight. I did not confirm that I wanted to be put on this flight. I told them that it is impossible for me to leave Melbourne any earlier OR arrive in New York any later, hence why I booked the original flight I did in the first place.

I have now checked their website and both my initial flight and the suggested one by them are sold out with no seats available.

Am I within my rights to request a refund?
 
Welcome to AFF stevie_23!

You are well within your rights to cancel if the flights offered are inconvenient.

I have done this recently when flights were retimed and I could get new flights cheaper. Asked for refund and re booked.
 
Thank you!

I thought so, and have asked them to do this but so far they are resisting. I will keep trying.

My only other option, which i consider NOT to be an option at all, is to take a credit which then must be used within 12 months of the original ticket being issued (impossible for me as i am now not flying until may next year thanks to some other unrelated issues) AND can only be used for the exact same route.
 
Thank you!

I thought so, and have asked them to do this but so far they are resisting. I will keep trying.

My only other option, which i consider NOT to be an option at all, is to take a credit which then must be used within 12 months of the original ticket being issued (impossible for me as i am now not flying until may next year thanks to some other unrelated issues) AND can only be used for the exact same route.

My bolding.

Does anybody know if this is correct and if so when did it commence? The timing of usage is correct but I've never heard of the latter.
 
I want to know this too, as it seems highly restrictive.

It may just be for my particular fare type though that is just the standard cheaper economy one (not the award one, but the sale or saver one).

Or maybe it means you CAN change to another route but cannot make such changes online. Which of course incurs more fees as you have to call them. Grr.

I was trying to find my specific fare rules and came across this rather unpleasant condition that i did not expect to see.
 
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Insist on a refund if that is what you need to book on another airline.

You should not book on a flight then they cancel and just make you travel to suit them. I have always found QF to be quiet good in this regard in the past, but QF seem to be making it a recurring theme at present to annoy passengers.

Matt
 
Hmm, yes. I have twice asked for a refund, but so far they are dragging their feet.

I wasn't sure if i was even entitled to one considering the old departure time was 9.10am and the new one is 9.50am. The 9.10am one was already cutting it fine to get through LAX and catch the second leg flight to JFK which departs at 8.15am LA time (1 hour, 15 mins).
 
Being a 40 minute change you'll struggle for a refund. There is anecdotal evidence that the JFK leg may get held for those on the MEL flight.
 
My only other option, which i consider NOT to be an option at all, is to take a credit which then must be used within 12 months of the original ticket being issued (impossible for me as i am now not flying until may next year thanks to some other unrelated issues) AND can only be used for the exact same route.
If they give you a credit in this situation then you should be able to use that credit towards any flight in the same or higher fare class.

I know it is only 40 minutes but if you are being inconvenienced I would push for refund. And I wouldn't be comfortable on tight connections at LAX.
 
If you do miss your connection at LAX then it's their responsibility to get you on the next available flight, since your bookings are on the same ticket.
 
Yes, I know it'd be their responsibility to get me to New York, however why should I have to endure a 14 hour flight, a 2-3 hour customs process and then miss my flight which I KNEW would happen, and then have to be put on another flight IF there are seats and get to New York quite a lot later than I had originally planned. Just because I wouldn't have to pay for that pleasure does not mean I should have to go through it.

Also, there are now no seats on the flights that are comparable to my original one. I would have to be getting a flight from LAX to JFK quite a lot later than the one I booked.
 
Like I have said, it is not unknown for the JFK leg to be held for those on the MEL flight.
 
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Well, they shouldn't have to hold the plane because Qantas put me on a flight that cut the timing fine and then changed it so the timing became virtually impossible. How long would they hold the JFK flight for? An hour?!
 
No, the first leg Melb to LAX is Qantas and then I go onto American Airlines to JFK (with a QF flight number). All on the same ticket.

I arrive at LAX at 7.15am if it's right on time (and of course I am up the back of economy so add onto that another 10-15 minutes to get off the plane itself), so say 7.30am.

The American Airlines flight leaves LAX for JFK at 9am. I would need to be sitting in the lounge / gate to board by 8.30am.

One hour to go through customs, immigration and re-check my bags? At LAX?

The new flight they suggested putting me on was another Qantas one leaving at 8.45am, so boarding at 8.15am. I was mystified as to why they would put me on an even EARLIER flight and leave me only 45 minutes to get through all the customs etc procedures, but they said as both flights are Qantas, it would be quicker. But that flight is now full anyway so it's not an option.
 
I assume you are non-US citizen. If you are US citizen, I'd be optimistic on making the connection. The Qantas flight would have been a better option (even though it leaves earlier) - as lots of people book this connection and therefore QF have been known to hold the flight if either the MEL-LAX or BNE-LAX flight is running slightly late.

In reality though your alternatives are limited - you could just take a chance and see - it's their responsiblity to get you to JFK. Any seats on the 10am flight to JFK?
 
Passengers with less than two hour connections get express cards prepared for them and are handed over on arrival by ground staff (usually in purple oneworld vests). The crew will NOT have these onboard as they are handwritten with your name by airport staff to ensure only eligible passengers get them. You can use the express line at immigration and customs. If you are at the very back of economy, change seats at check in or ask the crew if you can disembark using the upper deck going up the rear stairs. Will save you some time.
 
When you say the Qantas flight at 8:45 is full, is that from you trying to book a seat or from what Qantas has told you?
 
Ok, QF-->AA that makes more sense.

I had a Qantas booking with a similar connection (to DFW) reduced from 2:25 to 1:50 with a schedule change. MCT is 2:00 After conversations with QF agents it was decided to leave the booking as it was - I was going onward to CVG and a later DFW flight would miss any connection that day.

Anyway on arrival I was met and handed an express flouro filter with ongoing BP's - I did have to search them out but there would be an agent standing at the exit from the airbridge holding said folders.

With immigration there was no express line - I was directed to the (empty) crew line where the officer recognized the folder (or, better perhaps, sleeve).

I had Qantas printed BP's already - the folder (or sleeve) had two AA style "duplicate" ongoing BP's for my other flights that day.
 
As I approach my fourth Mel-LAX-JFK I live in hope that this actually connects to my ticket. I have got so used to missing the flight that it is neither here or there. As long as it is all ticketed straight thru, Q will get you onto a flight. But wear comfy shoes, when they screech run, they mean it :) No point stressing,you won't be the only person trying to make the same connection.
 
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