QFF Inaccessible from Overseas?

[Dennis Leman]

So I'm traveling in the US and trying to access QFF to make a booking. When I log in with valid credentials it asks me to repeat a security code sent to an Australian mobile I don't have access to. It then defaults to security questions and says I have wrong answers to questions there can only be one answer to! When I then call QFF in Australia there is a two hour wait. On a call from the US! So I send QFF ' Customer' Service' (a joke name, surely) an online request for assistance and get no reply. Useless, just useless, worthless and an embarrassing pain to have anything to do with, why do we bother with these people.

 

[defurax]

Have you tried different combinations of answers, you only need to answer 3 of the 4 questions.

 

[Kerrodt]

Make sure you aren’t using capital letters when you shouldn’t and vice versa in the security questions. They’re case sensitive I believe And must match the way you originally typed them in.

 

[moa999]

An unfortunate result of people having significant value in FF points and instances of these being stolen.

Plus an assumption that people have global roaming these days

 

[Himeno]

Make sure you aren’t using capital letters when you shouldn’t and vice versa in the security questions. They’re case sensitive I believe And must match the way you originally typed them in.

What are these "security questions"?
I've never seen them, nor have I ever been asked to provide answers for any.

Plus an assumption that people have global roaming these days

I might have access to roaming, but 99% of the time, I don't use it and turn off mobile data while overseas. The extra costs involved with global roaming mean I won't use it unless I absolutely have to (so much so that a few weeks ago an LAX airport hotel wanted a phone call to send out the shuttle for pick up - rather then be on a schedule - that instead of calling from my mobile and use roaming, I tried to contact them via the airport free wifi. When I couldn't find a way to do that effectively, I found a pay phone which was 10x cheaper then using roaming.)

 

[offshore171]

What are these "security questions"?
I've never seen them, nor have I ever been asked to provide answers for any.

When using the desktop QFF site, if you get the message about the SMS code, these questions pop up if you select the option that says something along the lines of "I need to validate another way"

From memory the questions are:

Date you joined QFF
Mothers maiden name
Postcode
DOB

You can choose any 3 of the 4 to answer.

Regarding the QFF SMS code requirement - one flaw in their approach is that sometimes international travellers will be using a travel sim in their phone, and will have no way to receive the code sent to their normal Australian number. This must be why they added the alternative of the security questions.

I might have access to roaming, but 99% of the time, I don't use it and turn off mobile data while overseas. The extra costs involved with global roaming mean I won't use it unless I absolutely have to (so much so that a few weeks ago an LAX airport hotel wanted a phone call to send out the shuttle for pick up - rather then be on a schedule - that instead of calling from my mobile and use roaming, I tried to contact them via the airport free wifi. When I couldn't find a way to do that effectively, I found a pay phone which was 10x cheaper then using roaming.)

A few notes here, because things have changed a lot in the international roaming space in the last few years, and it's not as bad as it used to be.

Data roaming is the expensive one, but this is a separate setting on the phone.

Standard voice and SMS roaming costs nothing to have active and is very useful.

It costs nothing for inbound calls/SMS. This is incredibly useful when travelling. For example, many frequent travellers use TripitPro, and this sends you proactive SMS notifications of delays, gate changes and so on. SMS is also very useful for various two factor authentication requirements (such as QFF, online banking), and sometimes airlines will send you updates via SMS if you have your phone number on the booking.

Also, calls to local numbers for the country you are in, are actually fairly cheap, especially short calls such as requesting a shuttle.

Alternatively, depending on your carrier, you can get full international data and voice roaming for as little as $5 a day that you use it. This gives you an allocation of free data, calls and SMS.

 

[Gigi]

When using the desktop QFF site, if you get the message about the SMS code, these questions pop up if you select the option that says something along the lines of "I need to validate another way"

Alternatively, depending on your carrier, you can get full international data and voice roaming for as little as $5 a day that you use it. This gives you an allocation of free data, calls and SMS.

I am with Telstra and the charges are for a 24 hour period only, mine is $10 for 24 hours, its not per day while you are overseas - only when you use it. I can receive SMS messages without my data roaming on.

 

[offshore171]

I am with Telstra and the charges are for a 24 hour period only, mine is $10 for 24 hours, its not per day while you are overseas - only when you use it. I can receive SMS messages without my data roaming on.

Yeah I use this myself. It's $5 for NZ, and $10 most other countries. As you indicate, you only incur the charge on a day (24h period) that you enable the Data Roaming setting on the phone.

If you just have "regular" voice and SMS roaming on, you don't pay the charge for that day, but you do pay for outbound calls and SMS.

Vodaphone has something similar I believe for $5?

Summary, the roaming situation is much better than it used to be. One thing's for sure, I'm not schlepping around a foreign airport looking for a payphone in this day and age!

 

[Kangol]

Summary, the roaming situation is much better than it used to be. One thing's for sure, I'm not schlepping around a foreign airport looking for a payphone in this day and age!

Not with TPG. They charge a $500 upfront credit that is refunded to your account that I can imagine would be difficult to get back immediately.

 

[Flying Fox]

Can the QF online chat service assist you?

 

[offshore171]

Not with TPG. They charge a $500 upfront credit that is refunded to your account that I can imagine would be difficult to get back immediately.

Looks like not a suitable phone carrier for travellers. I thought they were more of an ISP?

A travel sim might be the best option if your phone provider isn't very travel friendly, albeit with the previously mentioned caveat about not being able to receive SMS TFA codes and other notifications at your normal number

 

[dajop]

Do roaming now charge for incoming SMS? We use an Australian mobile in Singapore for receiving bank sms - we keep data switched off but receiving incoming sms costs nothing. No need or compulsion to use data roaming with these SMS PINS - just have to have international roaming ability for the phone services (only watch out is that we have been charged for diversions to voicemail even if phone is off - after phone is initially registered to O/S network - but now turn voicemail diversion off when phone not in Australia).

 

[Hvr]

Do roaming now charge for incoming SMS?

Aldi doesn't (they use Telstra). I always carry my phone overseas just in case and for receiving an SMS. The best SMS I've got while overseas was from Qantas advising that my upgrade has come through.

 

[p--and--t]

Not with TPG. They charge a $500 upfront credit that is refunded to your account that I can imagine would be difficult to get back immediately.

Gee things must have changed for the worse. When I was with them 3 years ago, they only held $25

Aldi doesn't (they use Telstra). I always carry my phone overseas just in case and for receiving an SMS. The best SMS I've got while overseas was from Qantas advising that my upgrade has come through.

I've never been charged for an incoming SMS in any country when roaming. over the last few years been following prepaid deals Telstra, TPG, Amaysim, Aldi, & just migrated to Boost.

MMS is a different story; uses roaming data so if roaming data is turned off (not wi-fi) they sometimes don't arrive until you back on Aussie soil.

(only watch out is that we have been charged for diversions to voicemail even if phone is off

One trick I use is "divert all" so all calls don't even attempt to reach the mobile, straight to voicemail and I change my voicemail to say "I'm overseas, not taking calls, send a text if very urgent, otherwise send me an email and I will get back in a couple days"

 

[Lynda2475]

Incomming SMS whilst roaming has always been free on post paid plans from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. SMS is a telephony not a data service, if you have call romaing on, then it costs nothing to receive a SMS. To send an SMS from overseas to an aussie number costs anywhere from 20c to $1 depending on plan, but much cheaper than data roaming.

Im not sure why this misinformation about receiving sms overseas being expensive persists - excpet that perhaps some people are confusing messsger applications like what's app or facebook messenger which do need data with genuine sms.

When i travel, i take my aussie mobile but turn data off, so i have voice/sms roaming for free and use wifi (or a travel sim in my tablet) to acces data. I dont answer any incomming calls so never pay for the voice romaing, and only repond to a sms in an emmergency. But that means I get authentication sms's as needed.

If you travel a lot its woth getting a dual sim phone, so you can receive messages on your normal number but dial out or use data on the local sim or travel with 2 devices as I do.

If you buy your travel sim before you depart i.e. SIMs direct you can also update the mobile number on your QFF booking to have this number - that is the the number that is used while you are out of country.

Also the SMS or security question validation, isnt always required form overseas, it mostly happens when you are using a different device (a friends laptop or hotel compueter). As I frequntly log onto Qantas FF in aus using my tablet, when i use the same tablet overseas (via a travel sim or wifi) I dont seem to have to do the extra layer of security as the site recogises this is a usual device (noting i use both the app and the website desktop version from my tablet).

 

[Kangol]

Looks like not a suitable phone carrier for travellers. I thought they were more of an ISP?

A travel sim might be the best option if your phone provider isn't very travel friendly, albeit with the previously mentioned caveat about not being able to receive SMS TFA codes and other notifications at your normal number

I've never done roaming, always buy a local SIM or foreign one that can roam (see three.co.uk - the EU roaming laws are better now and periodic top ups are easy and valuable, provided you are going to a country covered).

I guess TPG's bigger business is an ISP, but then again all telcos have their fingers in many pies.

Haven't looked at the competition but I have had them for a while because of them being my ISP and that they had a low cost no contract option with reasonable inclusions.

The goalposts are changing and I guess it might be worth having a shop around, but then again for $20 or less a month, you will probably get good Australian value but unlikely to get an attractive roaming option.

 

[Dr Ralph]

@Dennis Leman has identified a serious defect with 2 factor identification. I don't believe there is an easy solution. I expect to face the same issue in the future with Qantas and other online facilities.

 

[offshore171]

I've never done roaming, always buy a local SIM or foreign

Sure a travel sim can often be a great option, especially if you expect to be a heavy data user.

I've used simsdirect.com.au for Japan and Europe sims previously and found them reliable.

 

[Lynda2475]

@Dennis Leman has identified a serious defect with 2 factor identification. I don't believe there is an easy solution. I expect to face the same issue in the future with Qantas and other online facilities.

I dont think its a defect, it is a failure on the part of the traveller to prepare before departure:

1. Either update the contact mobile on your Qantas booking and account before departure to reflect a mobile you will have with you before departure; or
2. Make sure you know your security answers before you depart: Date you joined QFF, Mothers maiden name, Postcode, DOB (you can test process out by logging on in Australia using a diffferent computer); or
3. Use the mobile/tablet app instead of desktop site (just make sure you have used the app iin Australia before departure).

 

[dylarr]

Would be much better if Qantas allowed the use of TOTP so people could use apps like Authenticator, 1Password, etc. Much more secure than SMS authentication and doesn't require any connectivity in order to get the code.