Qatar flight change on Qantas classic reward booking.

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vee124

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Apr 23, 2018
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Hi,

I am booked to fly QR204 from Athens to Doha J in August. Then QR946 to Singapore. My QR204 was leaving at 7 pm when booked and it's now changed to 1 pm, making it an 8hour layover. The flight was booked as a Qantas Classic Rewards flight and I'm not sure what can be done as I don't want to wait for 8 hours in Doha. Best would be changing from QR946 to QR942, but Qatar is unwilling to help, and Qantas won't move me because there aren't any rewards seats available.

What can be done about this? especially since its such a significant time change (6hours).
Thanks.
 
What can be done about this? especially since its such a significant time change (6hours).

You can request a full refund, without any penalties, and book on another airline. QR are not obliged to open up award space on other flights to accommodate you.

The Al Mourjan lounge is actually quite a nice place to spend a few hours. Considering the length of your layover, you might even consider paying to upgrade to the Al Safwa lounge...

 
This is always a tough one when it comes to reward tickets. The operating airline (Qatar) has made the schedule change in which you can accept it (which is what they prefer), reject it and either get a full refund or change to an alternative itinerary but the booking agent (Qantas) does not have an alternative itinerary available from the airline (Qatar) due to lack of reward seats. Should they insist Qatar release award seats for you as you find the schedule change disagreeable?

Since it is Qatar that is responsible for the schedule change forcing you into a long layover then ask them for a STPC (stopover paid by carrier). According to their rules, a transit in Doha longer than 8 hours means you are entitled to accommodation, free visa and hotel transfers.

It doesn't normally apply if there is an earlier flight to Singapore - which you've identified there is - however they've refused to move you to it so either they provide you with accommodation as there is no "earlier flight" available to you on the reward ticket or they arrange to move you to that earlier flight and you get into Singapore several hours earlier than originally planned.
 
so either they provide you with accommodation

Called Qatar, they've refused to provide any STPC (not that I really want it, its a waste of time going to a hotel just to go back in a few hours)

They have availability on their side, but not Qantas. So it seems I'll just have to wait and see if Qatar gives Qantas any more seats from now till departure. I was hoping to rather spend time in Singapore for a day than sitting around in the Doha lounge.
 
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The lounge is good. By the time you arrive there and then depart for the flight onwards the time is reduced. We are travelling Athens to Doha in August. Our flights are continually being modified. Just a few minutes here and there but actually reducing transit time not increasing it.
 
Called Qatar, they've refused to provide any STPC (not that I really want it, its a waste of time going to a hotel just to go back in a few hours)

They have availability on their side, but not Qantas. So it seems I'll just have to wait and see if Qatar gives Qantas any more seats from now till departure. I was hoping to rather spend time in Singapore for a day than sitting around in the Doha lounge.
I'm not surprised they refused as IME they are hugely reluctant to make this available, but since it was their change that caused the long connection to occur they should bear some responsibility for it and so is worth pressing them for it. The best option is to move you to the earlier flight to Singapore just like they moved the inbound flight from Athens and I'd also rather spend several hours in Singapore than Doha.

The point was to put the onus and cost of the forced layover back on Qatar as they caused it, not you. You shouldn't have to be out of pocket for a long transit that they caused. Don't accept the schedule change and do try again as you may get a more agreeable agent.
 
I'm not surprised they refused as IME they are hugely reluctant to make this available, but since it was their change that caused the long connection to occur they should bear some responsibility for it and so is worth pressing them for it. The best option is to move you to the earlier flight to Singapore just like they moved the inbound flight from Athens and I'd also rather spend several hours in Singapore than Doha.

The point was to put the onus and cost of the forced layover back on Qatar as they caused it, not you. You shouldn't have to be out of pocket for a long transit that they caused. Don't accept the schedule change and do try again as you may get a more agreeable agent.
But as an example CX changed our flight a couple of weeks ago through cancellation giving us an 18 hour delay in HK and no offer whatsoever from CX - they wiped their hands of it and said to contact Qantas.
 
There’s a lot that can happen between now and August, for better or worse. I would just continue to monitor availability.
 
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There is actually a really simple solution to this. QF writes to QR asking them to convert revenue seats to award seats. QR does that. QF tickets the new flights.

Doesn't sound like QF is willing to do that?

The passenger can also ask QR to do the same thing. Make sure in your email you make it clear you are not asking QR to reticket, just to create the new seats and pop them into the current PNR, ready for QF to reissue the ticket.
 
But as an example CX changed our flight a couple of weeks ago through cancellation giving us an 18 hour delay in HK and no offer whatsoever from CX - they wiped their hands of it and said to contact Qantas.
CX doesn't advertise or offer STPC for long layover whereas QR does. The OP asked what they can do about the layover as he is unable to be moved to an earlier connection, this is an alternative they can persue since it is an advertised benefit by the airline and it was not the originally booked connection time by the passenger.
 
QF writes to QR asking them to convert revenue seats to award seats.

Is that something Qantas can actually ask for? I thought Qantas got whatever is given. Qatar rep said there are award seats available on his side. (Possibly only available to Qatar members.)

Thanks all for the help, it's a little frustrating Qatar can change the flight substantially then wipe their hands clean saying there's nothing they can do. This is especially annoying since relatives in economy (paid seats) were able to get moved to a later flight. 1-2hr change doesn't bother me, but 6hours is feels like false advertising to a degree, as I booked for a 7 pm flight from Athens, if I knew this I would have booked the other flight to begin with.
 
Is that something Qantas can actually ask for? I thought Qantas got whatever is given. Qatar rep said there are award seats available on his side. (Possibly only available to Qatar members.)

Thanks all for the help, it's a little frustrating Qatar can change the flight substantially then wipe their hands clean saying there's nothing they can do. This is especially annoying since relatives in economy (paid seats) were able to get moved to a later flight. 1-2hr change doesn't bother me, but 6hours is feels like false advertising to a degree, as I booked for a 7 pm flight from Athens, if I knew this I would have booked the other flight to begin with.

Yes - this is very much an option - especially in cases where there's a schedule change affecting the passenger.

in exactly the same way Qantas can release a revenue seat to an award seat for platinums, on request, Qatar (any airline really) can do the same.

Qantas just has to ask.

Sometimes the passenger can also make the same request - but you have to phrase it in the right way as most airlines are unwilling to change a booking created by another airline.
 
Based on my experience with these two airlines is you won't get anywhere.

In my case, I had an aircraft change that meant going from Q-Suites to really old J seats. QR had a flight two hours with revenue seats. QR refused to deal with it telling me I had to deal with QF since the award was booked with QF. Fair enough.

QF emailed QR about releasing award seats. They refused. Nothing further to be done. Well it was more complicated and painful than that, see this thread Vent - QF call centre incompetence

My advice is just suck it up and save yourself the annoyance. The QR DOH J lounge isn't the worst place in the world to be stuck. By the time you get to the lounge and the fact they get you to the boarding gate almost an hour before depature, it will be more like a 6 hour lounge visit. Enjoy it, have a shower a few drinks a nap etc.
 
had the same issue on my booking with Qatar on the Doha - Athens leg, stopover went from 3 hours to 19 due to a schedule. There was an earlier flight, however on a smaller aircraft (777 vs 320) with no reward seats open. QF contacted Qatar, however in the meantine I had a look on Emirates and found a better connection and cancelled the original booking, cost 6,000 points, all money back. Good luck.
 
I had the same thing, my August OWA, QR flight DOHA to ATHENS had a flight reshedule & I went from a 2 hour layover to a 14 hour layover. Managed to ring Qantas and get changed to the QR flight that replaced my rescheduled flight & I'm back to a 2 hour layover. Only small issue I went from a single window seat layout to a double window seat layout. Small price to pay to avoid a 14 hour layover.
 
Is that something Qantas can actually ask for? I thought Qantas got whatever is given. Qatar rep said there are award seats available on his side. (Possibly only available to Qatar members.)

Thanks all for the help, it's a little frustrating Qatar can change the flight substantially then wipe their hands clean saying there's nothing they can do. This is especially annoying since relatives in economy (paid seats) were able to get moved to a later flight. 1-2hr change doesn't bother me, but 6hours is feels like false advertising to a degree, as I booked for a 7 pm flight from Athens, if I knew this I would have booked the other flight to begin with.
like you I am travelling on award tkt but in October ex Athens to Doha. we have gone from a 115pm flight to 125am flight same day. totally messed up our plans and now have an extra 12hr layover in Doha. I don't worry to much about it as last year we were on EK and ended up with a 17hr layover in DXB and The time actually went very quickly. Spent time in the lay down beds, surfed the internet, had a nap and a couple of drinks and heaps of food!!lol I might also do what someone else suggested and pay to go into the FCL lounge in Doha
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like you I am travelling on award tkt but in October ex Athens to Doha. we have gone from a 115pm flight to 125am flight same day. totally messed up our plans and now have an extra 12hr layover in Doha. I don't worry to much about it as last year we were on EK and ended up with a 17hr layover in DXB and The time actually went very quickly. Spent time in the lay down beds, surfed the internet, had a nap and a couple of drinks and heaps of food!!lol I might also do what someone else suggested and pay to go into the FCL lounge in Doha
p.s. used to work in QF Res and we used to be able to request award seats from partner airlines when major schedule changes happened...would take forever to get them confirmed though!
 
had the same issue on my booking with Qatar on the Doha - Athens leg, stopover went from 3 hours to 19 due to a schedule. There was an earlier flight, however on a smaller aircraft (777 vs 320) with no reward seats open. QF contacted Qatar, however in the meantine I had a look on Emirates and found a better connection and cancelled the original booking, cost 6,000 points, all money back. Good luck.

Why the 6000 cancellation fee... or indeed any fees? Should have been able to do this as a change (via the call centre), with the 5000 point fee waived due to the massive schedule change.
 
Another vote for the Al Mourjan lounge. When I was there I thought I was in the F lounge.

cheers skip.
 
Update* contacted Qantas on their messaging service through the app a second time.. no issues they changed me asap and confirmed my new booking in 5 minutes. Not sure why they couldn't do that earlier. My booking class did change from U to I. Does this mean anything? Now I get a whole day to explore Singapore than sitting in Doha for 9 hours.
 
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