QF Cancel J Award flight. Options?

[cjd600]

I managed to get hold of 2 J SYD-BNE-LAX-BNE-SYD next April. Quite a good score as NB, and also across Easter during school holidays.
For my wife's 40th bday, I have arranged a surprise kid-free dash to San Diego and Vegas, a quick 6 night jaunt.
Today I got a QF notification that the LAX-BNE flight had been cancelled, and we were now on same 24 hours earlier. That makes a 5 night trip instead of 6 and drags it back into 'hardly worth it'.
So, what are my options re requesting to be accommodated on an alternate flight on the same night as original booking?
QF56 (our flight LAX/BNE) is cancelled.
Still flying that night are QF12 LAX/SYD, QF16 LAX/BNE, QF 94 LAX/MEL. Any would be a fine substitute.
Do we have to suck it up for the 24 hour change of schedule, or can we push for a suitable alternative as per the ticket already issued? ie convert 2 J rev tickets from any of the above options into awards to accommodate us as per ticketed booking.
Briefly discussed with QF on chat at work, no time to call then, was offered to 'cancel booking without points penalty, and rebook revenue J online).
Any insight appreciated before I tackle the on-hold call centre wait times throughout my evening.

 

[blackcat20]

I would ask for QF12 given your ultimate destination is Sydney.

 

[cjd600]

I would ask for QF12 given your ultimate destination is Sydney.

Agree, and did throw that into the chat (with all the other flights available) only to be told "no awards available". Went in circles for 5mins, but then had to leave for a meeting.Now steeling for battle tonight, just wanted feedback on whether its reasonable to expect same night flight,or their 24hour earlier option is fair enough. Chat guy didn't even consider it an option (although they obviously moved me 24hrs earlier which I do know had no J awards -publically- available)

 

[serfty]

Rewards do not have to be available - don't agree to anything yet.

 

[Silvia]

Ask to be re routed via any city. We had a similar experience, booked 2 J class tickets MEL-LAX for our wedding. We got notified of the cancellation 24 hours prior. They tried to re route us in J but they had given every single upgrade so we had to take the flight 12 hours earlier and in Y as even PE was full. The other option we had was to leave a day earlier in J but as we had wedding preps we couldn’t do it. They gave us tax and points difference but no further compensation, which I’m chasing ATM.

 

[serfty]

Here's Qantas' published Policy:

Qantas and Other Airline Schedule Change Policy

..

Process for Qantas Tickets (081)
Reaccommodating your Customer

Follow this policy if the Qantas schedule change causes a misconnection or is unacceptable for your customer.

The steps below need to be applied in the following order:

1. Qantas (QF) flights can be rebooked to an alternative QF flight or connecting QF flights.
   Example: MEL QF LAX changed to MEL QF SYD QF LAX
   
2. If the QF schedule change causes a misconnection, the connecting flight on another airline can be rebooked to an alternative connecting flight on the same airline
   
3. If the connecting flight is not available on the original airline you can rebook to an alternative connecting flight operated by a oneworld airline as per the oneworld airline table below
   
4. If none of the above steps are acceptable, you can reroute your customer in accordance with the ticketed fare rules and route map.
   Example: SYD QF DFW changed to SYD QF LAX AA DFW

New Flights Must:

• Be on the same day or a day either side of the ticketed flights
• Be in the same class as originally ticketed EXCEPT Qantas, Emirates and oneworld airline flights which can be rebooked to the lowest available class in the same cabin IF the original ticketed class is not available

 

[cjd600]

Thanks guys,and also for the link Serfty
Wonder if they'll point to the 'day either side' bit of the policy....
Will see how I go!

 

[cjd600]

Tried chat one more time, and again told that it was either leave a day earlier, or fly Y on original ticketed date on another flight. Quoted an excerpt of the Schedule Change Policy and asked for consideration of J on QF12/16/94. She said she was aware of the policy (not choosing to follow it until I quoted it), and went off to look for more options.
Came back with QF12 LAX-SYD (U class) on original booking date, so a happy result, and good service eventually.
Thanks again Serfty for the policy, which triggered the result...think she was standing firm before that

 

[serfty]

@cjd600 Good result!

One more thing - going by timings, you did this late in the evening. I can understand wanting to rectify the issue ASAP, but I would have waited until this morning until around 9:30am - hopefully to get a more experienced person online. (I wonder if the agent you communicated with really was aware of the policy.)

 

[serfty]

Attached a copy of the policy for future reference.

 

[RooFlyer]

Good result, and great demo of AFF community resources (and serfty's knowledge of QF!)

 

[cjd600]

@cjd600 Good result!

One more thing - going by timings, you did this late in the evening. I can understand wanting to rectify the issue ASAP, but I would have waited until this morning until around 9:30am - hopefully to get a more experienced person online. (I wonder if the agent you communicated with really was aware of the policy.)

Yes, definitely a good point. Business hours weekdays is difficult for me to sit on hold. Am usually on conference calls, so online chats work better during that time.
Last night was online chat as well, as it popped up so I gave it a go.

I do note I have lost 10k points for the booking change, so will now need to follow that up

 

[Silvia]

usually when using the online chats, they do tend to be a little bit stricter and charge the cancellation points fee or $, whereas if you get someone good over the phone that has been waived, at least in a few cases (e.g. DSC booking that had the wrong return date - my mistake, but tried to change it within 10 minutes that the booking was finalised, etc).

 

[serfty]

I do note I have lost 10k points for the booking change, so will now need to follow that up

Shakes head ...

As per the policy:

Reissue
Your customer’s ticket can be reissued as follows:

• Ticket to be reissued with no additional collection or refund to fare, surcharges and ticket taxes
• No change fee is to be applied to the reissue

No need for any 'special waiver'.

 

[cjd600]

usually when using the online chats, they do tend to be a little bit stricter and charge the cancellation points fee or $, whereas if you get someone good over the phone that has been waived, at least in a few cases (e.g. DSC booking that had the wrong return date - my mistake, but tried to change it within 10 minutes that the booking was finalised, etc).

Its an involuntary schedule change, so no fee would apply no matter how the change was agreed. If I agreed to/asccepted their initial alternative flight and then changed my mind the 5k pp would have applied, but that wasn't the case

 

[cjd600]

Shakes head ...

As per the policy:No need for any 'special waiver'.

Yes...looks like your suspicion was correct and she was not au fait with the policy

 

[Silvia]

Its an involuntary schedule change, so no fee would apply no matter how the change was agreed. If I agreed to/asccepted their initial alternative flight and then changed my mind the 5k pp would have applied, but that wasn't the case

Exactly, the point I'm trying to make is that with online chats, they usually disregard that and try to apply the fees. Hence why over the phone tends to be more aligned with rules, even though that unfortunately doesn't happen all the time.

 

[cjd600]

Exactly, the point I'm trying to make is that with online chats, they usually disregard that and try to apply the fees. Hence why over the phone tends to be more aligned with rules, even though that unfortunately doesn't happen all the time.

Yes, fair enough. I have had a mix of results with both chat and phone......seamless 'complex' award changes on chat and nightmare huaca many times on phone. And vice versa.
Its a lottery

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Agree... the chat function is not the best. Phone works well. The online chat rarely seems to have the knowledge or authority to handle anything beyond the absolute basics (although you’d think this situation was a basic one!)