QFF Inaccessible from Overseas?

[jgm]

I strongly object to having 2 factor authentication being forced onto us. If companies aren't prepared to invest in technology which they provide to the USER, they should have to allow you to opt out.A large number of companies use an UNRELIABLE SERVICE (SMS) for authentication without acknowledging that this is the case, and many of them put a short time-out on the delivery time as well.

 

[Kangol]

I strongly object to having 2 factor authentication being forced onto us. If companies aren't prepared to invest in technology which they provide to the USER, they should have to allow you to opt out.A large number of companies use an UNRELIABLE SERVICE (SMS) for authentication without acknowledging that this is the case, and many of them put a short time-out on the delivery time as well.

What are the specific alternatives, better or otherwise?

 

[Daver6]

What are the specific alternatives, better or otherwise?

TOTP. Ie those 6 digit codes that roll over every 60 seconds.

 

[mrsterryn]

When my parents were still alive we had to have ability to receive messages from care worked and later mum's nursing home.
We have had duel Sim phones for some years now
Data roaming on 'travelling ' Sim...other one which is "home" is incoming only
Now mum and dad have both passed the immediate need to be able to contacted has gone however we are very used to have two sims

 

[p--and--t]

If you have an iPhone with latest iOS you can have a second eSim (virtual sim) on your phone. Doesn't require a physical chip. Not all providers have eSim but some travel sim providers have eSim.

 

[Hvr]

We have had duel Sim phones for some years now

So which one won the duel?

And did the other one know their number was up?
☎

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It wants to call 040* *** ***.
Do it adds 61 but adds that 2nd 0.
Do of course no sms can get through, as we all humans know to drop that 2nd 0 when international calls are involved.
Am in NZ do can't do OLCI either for my QF flight back to BNE tomorrow.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

It said sms sent but my phone didnt go coocoo as is my sms tone.
I don't want to do online QF chat either.
Might as well go to AKL early again as in old days before OLCI.

 

[mrsterryn]

So which one won the duel?

And did the other one know their number was up?
☎

Oh my gosh !!!!! My husband does those bad ones as well

 

[Peter D]

It wants to call 040* *** ***.
Do it adds 61 but adds that 2nd 0.
Do of course no sms can get through, as we all humans know to drop that 2nd 0 when international calls are involved.
Am in NZ do can't do OLCI either for my QF flight back to BNE tomorrow.

I think the system knows the difference. I just tried to log in and got the message “code sent to +610*******65” which of cause cannot actually be dialled that way.

 

[Peter D]

I recently went to Britain and Europe for 6 weeks and for the first time in years did not did not take a travel sim and second phone. I didn’t miss it.

Only one phone to think about. No more forgetting which phone I took that photo on, that at the time, was so important to send to friends (who probably wouldn’t remember it).

Always had wi-fi access every night and often during the day wherever we stayed.

SMS is of cause free to receive and only about 50 cents to send.

In the end the extra cost of a few roaming phone calls or switching on data for a few minutes of WhatsApp or emails, is peanuts compared to the cost of the trip.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Went out for a few hrs.
Sms did in fact come.
But so late after request for the 6 digit code.
6104 did come right though.
So that 2nd zero can work.
Will try to check in again.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

2fa worked.
Got the sms.
(OT**But my plane most likely got an equipment swap to the 737 from a 330.**)
Woe is me.
Thanks again everyone.
Still wonder why it sms 2fa does not work for some others.

 

[calmelb]

The SMS 2FA I've seen come through in seconds and sometimes has taken hours. Something funky between sending that sort of stuff over multiple networks.

As others have said receiving SMS is always free (to be fair sending should be as well but thats a topic for a different forum). Using SMS for secure things like this isn't a good idea regardless

Also slightly OT but when putting your mobile number down for bookings, chauffeur drive, etc on the QF website should I drop the 0 for my number or keep it? I usually drop it (eg +44 7 or +61 4) but I'm curious if it's smart enough to fix it for you.

 

[TheInsider]

The SMS 2FA I've seen come through in seconds and sometimes has taken hours. Something funky between sending that sort of stuff over multiple networks.

As others have said receiving SMS is always free (to be fair sending should be as well but thats a topic for a different forum). Using SMS for secure things like this isn't a good idea regardless

Also slightly OT but when putting your mobile number down for bookings, chauffeur drive, etc on the QF website should I drop the 0 for my number or keep it? I usually drop it (eg +44 7 or +61 4) but I'm curious if it's smart enough to fix it for you.

It doesn't change anything. But when sms are used for contact, that system will automatically fix up what ever needed to be fixed up.
Numbers are imported from reservations into another system. 15below or something.

 

[calmelb]

It doesn't change anything. But when sms are used for contact, that system will automatically fix up what ever needed to be fixed up.
Numbers are imported from reservations into another system. 15below or something.

Ah okay. Makes sense. Thanks! Always have been confused with the leading 0 for phone numbers, a lot of international companies get confused with numbers like that

 

[straitman]

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).

Agreed.

We are currently in Mexico for an extended period so have a Mexican Sim in my phone. Logging in to QF the other day and they wanted verification so I answered the questions. It all worked as advertised.

 

[bPeteb]

Hopefully the OP managed to get his issue resolved.

In regards to ‘roaming’ and SMS with the big coloured T. If you’ve activated international data packs before you leave, and even if you have data roaming switched off, if you send an SMS you’ll get charged the $5/$10 NZ/rest of the world charge for 24 hours of calls and data. I’m not sure there’s a way to PAYG SMS as enabling international roaming (has to be on for SMS/calls) goes with the data pack

I can’t see anywhere on the app to separate the two. Maybe you have to call or online chat.

 

[calmelb]

Hopefully the OP managed to get his issue resolved.

In regards to ‘roaming’ and SMS with the big coloured T. If you’ve activated international data packs before you leave, and even if you have data roaming switched off, if you send an SMS you’ll get charged the $5/$10 NZ/rest of the world charge for 24 hours of calls and data. I’m not sure there’s a way to PAYG SMS as enabling international roaming (has to be on for SMS/calls) goes with the data pack

I can’t see anywhere on the app to separate the two. Maybe you have to call or online chat.

View attachment 200749

Yeah I remember that being the most annoying part (managed to get on one of their plans with roaming before they got rid of those again), usually then made sure I used all data and made plenty of calls too. Never looked into whether you could turn it off separately, though it was a cost saver for calls (especially when Dubai was a stop over, $4 per minute or something stupid like that)

 

[jgm]

The children programming this rubbish have no idea of the standards surrounding SMS. It was developed as a way to soak up the excess network bandwidth available with the change from analog to digital long haul networking. The channel width was 144 kb providing 2 64kb voice channels plus a 16kb admin channel. This admin channel was used for ATMs and the like, and also for SMS. Most of the uses had handshake protocols to ensure delivery, but SMS was always just a best effort. AFAIK, the standards haven't changed, and there is still no guaranteed delivery or time requirement. When transiting different providers, it is up to the indvidual telco to decide on the method. Some use a store and forward, and will retry if the message is not accepted by the next hop, while others use a send and forget.

The reliance on SMS for 2FA demonstrates a lack of understanding of the technology. There is also the assumption that ALL users of their service have full time access to a mobile device capable of accepting SMS messages.