Qantas wins Shonky Award ... again

[tdimdad]

I am curious as to why people took flight credits over refunds. Were they forced to, or did the flight credit appear to offer something better than a cash refund?
I cancelled many flights during COVID, all of which I could get money refunded. I couldn't see any reason to let Qantas hold on to my money.

My cancellations went automatically to credit. No option for a refund even made available. Two more credits to burn and a couple of gift vouchers. Then I have no $ tied into QF and will happily shop around more.

 

[Mattg]

My cancellations went automatically to credit. No option for a refund even made available. Two more credits to burn and a couple of gift vouchers. Then I have no $ tied into QF and will happily shop around more.

If Qantas cancels your flight, you are entitled to a refund. But Qantas certainly didn't go out of its way to inform customers of this, and this generally required a phone call to process. As we know, for a while, getting through to the call centre was near-impossible. So, yeah, I think the Shonky Award is well deserved.

 

[mrsterryn]

I am curious as to why people took flight credits over refunds. Were they forced to, or did the flight credit appear to offer something better than a cash refund?
I cancelled many flights during COVID, all of which I could get money refunded. I couldn't see any reason to let Qantas hold on to my money.

Didn't even consider anything else. I had no point of reference for this.
I took most of my cancelled flights as credits.

 

[RooFlyer]

I am curious as to why people took flight credits over refunds. Were they forced to, or did the flight credit appear to offer something better than a cash refund?
I cancelled many flights during COVID, all of which I could get money refunded. I couldn't see any reason to let Qantas hold on to my money.

For a while, Qantas was offering DSCs or 10% additional credit if you left your money with them. They would offer this but didn't also proffer the offer of a refund, which was the third choice. Easy to see why, but still "shonky". I chose the DSCs twice and it's worked well, but through AFF at least I knew I had a choice.

 

[SYD]

For a while, Qantas was offering DSCs or 10% additional credit if you left your money with them. They would offer this but didn't also proffer the offer of a refund, which was the third choice. Easy to see why, but still "shonky". I chose the DSCs twice and it's worked well, but through AFF at least I knew I had a choice.

No, actually those offers were in lieu of the cash refund. I’d received a shed load of cash refunds but took a 10% credit on a UATP for a SYD-NAN J return (my last Precovid paid fare). That UATP subsequently got spent and refunded multiple times…. . Fortunately, now all spent and flown.

 

[RooFlyer]

No, actually those offers were in lieu of the cash refund. I’d received a shed load of cash refunds but took a 10% credit on a UATP for a SYD-NAN J return (my last Precovid paid fare). That UATP subsequently got spent and refunded multiple times…. . Fortunately, now all spent and flown.

I think we’re saying the same thing? if they cancel your flight you’re always entitled to a refund of cash if you want it. But they offered the alternatives in the hope that you leave the money with them. I thought it was a good scheme ( except they sometimes omitted to offer the cash refund at first on the phone).

 

[bam71]

Done as well ..

 

[siri]

Web only had credit icon only for any cancellation and my daughters return flight was cancelled by SA call centre with no warning and initially we click on credit but once daughter is in London she asked for full refund and also informed Amex .. She got half of the ticket as a refund but took 6 months to get it... Who wants to fly with a utter moron running an airline and cheating customers. She took BA to London via Canada on business class ticket and she had a one yr old baby with her as well.

 

[Gary T]

Qantas says they have issued 1 billion in flight credits, amazing they have had the use of customers cash to the turn of 1 billion interest free to be used on their terms. QF runs the rules at their convenience and screw the customer. I for one say screw Qantas I was a dedicated QF customer for 45years but have been screwed too many times now.

Bring the Australia back into the Qantas .

 

[PeteMac007]

They didn’t even get into award ticketing problems!

I note QFs strident defence - if VA or ZL had won QF would definitely be endorsing the result.

A friend is getting screwed over by Qantas due to FF ticketing issues. They had confirmed flights and then got re-accommodated to a new flight due to BA changing their schedule.

Qantas never reissued the ticket, and BA cancelled.

QF sat on it for 2 months and then told my friend it's not their issue, although QF have W class seats on QF2 for the date they require.

Shonky to the extreme!

 

[quick_dry]

as for people redeeming lots of QF points, many of the ones I talked to described their activity as burning up their points to get whatever they could before ditching QF entirely.

The PR spin is like a a run on a bank being spun as so many customers happily increasing transaction volume.

 

[siri]

I would not book any tickets with Qantas points until they sorted all logistics issues... My advise is to look other reputable airlines and with service and I just came from Japan Air via Haneda to Europe and it was excellent service and great menu on business class.

 

[Dennis Leman]

Qantas treats its customers with open contempt. I had problems with a carrier in the US in March that were favourably resolved by the FAA in days in a way that would not happen here. Qantas owed me money also in March from flight cancellations and it TOOK SIX MONTHS and literally many days on the phone to get my money. We need both enabling legislation and a consumer advocacy body with teeth like Europe and the US have. Wake up Australia, you're being shafted by 'your own airline.' Spirit of Australia.. not on your nelly!!

 

[tdimdad]

The PR spin is like a a run on a bank being spun as so many customers happily increasing transaction volume.

Once this current "peak" dries up, it'll be a show of brilliant creativity how they will spin the next stories out about their stellar success and being the best of all airlines.

 

[Laptop Jockey]

I am curious as to why people took flight credits over refunds. Were they forced to, or did the flight credit appear to offer something better than a cash refund?
I cancelled many flights during COVID, all of which I could get money refunded. I couldn't see any reason to let Qantas hold on to my money.

Two major reasons/issues:

1. For a while at least the website would only give you the option for a credit, and you had to call for a refund, and the wait times were literally hours (eight or more were commonly reported). They also kept very quiet on the option of refunds.

2. Because of the political theatre of snap state border closures, often a large proportion of the credits/refunds weren't because Qantas cancelled the flight, but passengers cancelling because it would mean people would have to have spent two weeks and around $3000 to hotel quarantine, which was generally a non-starter for most people. Because Qantas didn't cancel the flight, but the passenger did, that was your problem, not Qantas'.

I don't begrudge Qantas for the games played by state premiers like Anastasia and McGowan, but Qantas absolutely took advantage of the policies to underwrite their business by deliberately creating and instituting policies and practises that deliberately sought to decieve passengers and actively put barriers and deliberately convoluted, complex and time consuming hurdles to deny passengers what they were entitled to.

 

[William Gillespie]

Yes, Australia should introduce EU-style compensation for late and cancelled flights -- many years ago. We have excellent calm weather in our major cities many more days a year than North America or Europe do. OK, we have a lot of rain at present but North America, for example, is bogged with ice, sleet, snow, for months and months each year, then tornadoes, and hurricanes..... and massive flight cancellations affecting many millions of people a day. Europe has long snowy winters too. That those countries have such compensation despite their adverse weather, and we do not, basking in 250 days of sunshine a year, just shows how lucky the airlines here are not to have to pay when things go seriously wrong. One factor in Qantas never having a major crash is that it flies in beaut weather day in and day out domestically, unlike foreign airlines in their countries.

Our so-called Consumer Protection Laws are in many areas the laughing stock of the western world --no teeth, low fines, pathetic.
(Optus could have been fined a maximum of $111k for their massive data breach -- a huge 10x the fines a poor small business owner will face for using plastic straws now.... hhmmm.)

 

[antycbr]

Yes, Australia should introduce EU-style compensation for late and cancelled flights -- many years ago. We have excellent calm weather in our major cities many more days a year than North America or Europe do. OK, we have a lot of rain at present but North America, for example, is bogged with ice, sleet, snow, for months and months each year, then tornadoes, and hurricanes..... and massive flight cancellations affecting many millions of people a day. Europe has long snowy winters too. That those countries have such compensation despite their adverse weather, and we do not, basking in 250 days of sunshine a year, just shows how lucky the airlines here are not to have to pay when things go seriously wrong. One factor in Qantas never having a major crash is that it flies in beaut weather day in and day out domestically, unlike foreign airlines in their countries.

Our so-called Consumer Protection Laws are in many areas the laughing stock of the western world --no teeth, low fines, pathetic.
(Optus could have been fined a maximum of $111k for their massive data breach -- a huge 10x the fines a poor small business owner will face for using plastic straws now.... hhmmm.)

Not to mention that

our airspace is blissfully uncongested - for almost all international services you have at least 3 hours enroute to manage flow into the airports, it’s rare to see congestion for departure taxiways and we don’t have penalty boxes for slots. Only Sydney has any real form of congestion management issue.

Our airlines and supporting services such as Airservices rarely go on strike (up until now anyway)

Our domestic ops are not congested by hundreds of E175s and the like flying all over the place our regional services are pretty much out and back turns or milk runs.

 

[Valdek]

If not QF then who?

Thank God for SQ and their KrisFlyer...

 

[Lat34]

Choice is doing a poll to take to the Federal Government regaring passenger rights - its quick - takes 2 minutes. Spread the word around and get them to complete it. Hopefully we'll be able to get something similiar to the Eu261 regulation protecting passengers rights. If we don't try - we'll never get it.

Now that's Shonky, Qantas | CHOICE

Do you think stronger consumer protections are needed to force Qantas to treat people fairly? Take the poll and have your say.

www.choice.com.au

Another one submitted

 

[munrok]

Award Winner for its controversial flight credits scheme, months of lost luggage, long call wait times and cancelled flights.

Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland said Qantas appeared to have gone deliberately out of its way to earn the award.

"Qantas might call itself the Spirit of Australia, but we think Spirit of Disappointment is more appropriate. It is well and truly deserving of receiving a Shonky Award this year,” Mr Kirkland said.

Qantas wins Choice Shonky award for being the 'Spirit of Disappointment'

Qantas has picked up a Shonky Award from consumer advocacy group Choice over its flight credits scheme, flight cancellations and lost baggage. A finance product for pet owners and an online florist also picked up gongs.

www.abc.net.au

Third time a winner

Absolutely NOTHING is going to change with Qantas until Alan Joyce is removed, he has poisoned the culture of the entire organisation AND the public interface of the company.....