QFF rewards conundrum

[chodo]

Interested for any thoughts, recommendations or feedback with the situation here. Thanks in advance!

My girlfriend and I have a window for travel from March 16th until April 30th.

Ideally, want to go to Thailand, Japan or Vietnam, but Vietnam hasn’t announced anything re opening as yet (maybe on the 15th), while Thailand is limited to a 30 day visa on arrival along with the Test n Go requirements.

I’ve booked a Qantas economy reward to Bangkok ex Sydney leaving 16/03 and returning 13/04. Both legs are on the one booking and I know we can cancel without penalty until 24 hours before. I am hoping that whilst we are away, Vietnam or Japan or elsewhere in Asia will update and relax entry requirements, so we could make some changes and extend our trip by 2 weeks. Once we depart Melbourne though, we can’t change the return leg. I’m thinking to cancel the existing flights and rebook them as separate bookings (return would need to be paid in THB). That way, if things change while we’re in Thailand, we can just cancel the return leg for a full refund of points and THB, and add a week or two somewhere else, in order to maximise our 6 week window.

Can anybody see any issues with doing this, or point out anything I may have missed?

 

[andye]

Interested for any thoughts, recommendations or feedback with the situation here. Thanks in advance!

My girlfriend and I have a window for travel from March 16th until April 30th.

Ideally, want to go to Thailand, Japan or Vietnam, but Vietnam hasn’t announced anything re opening as yet (maybe on the 15th), while Thailand is limited to a 30 day visa on arrival along with the Test n Go requirements.

I’ve booked a Qantas economy reward to Bangkok ex Sydney leaving 16/03 and returning 13/04. Both legs are on the one booking and I know we can cancel without penalty until 24 hours before. I am hoping that whilst we are away, Vietnam or Japan or elsewhere in Asia will update and relax entry requirements, so we could make some changes and extend our trip by 2 weeks. Once we depart Melbourne though, we can’t change the return leg. I’m thinking to cancel the existing flights and rebook them as separate bookings (return would need to be paid in THB). That way, if things change while we’re in Thailand, we can just cancel the return leg for a full refund of points and THB, and add a week or two somewhere else, in order to maximise our 6 week window.

Can anybody see any issues with doing this, or point out anything I may have missed?

The risk is that if you cancel the reward flights that they won't be returned to award inventory. I'm not certain that that QF are able to decouple them manually to stop this but would need a call. If you have enough points and the award flights are still available online may be best to secure them before cancellation

 

[RichardMEL]

I think you're playing with fire on close in reward booking availability.

if things open up (more) QF (and partners) are more likely to reduce any availability (and not open up more) to maximise revenue. I understand you're looking at economy which makes it a lot easier, but still you may find yourselves stuck with nothing available after your window closes.

and as above I agree, it will require manual intervention to deal with the existing booking (and do not have multiple award bookings for same routes, as duplicate PNR searches may cancel these). I would agree to secure the return bookings before dealing with the original booking. I would still be wary of getting close in seats (ie to change the return either dates or routes) as it's far less easy with rewards bookings than revenue fares imo.

 

[chodo]

Hey guy and thanks for your quick replies. I just checked; and the flight out melb - Syd - Bkk is still available in economy. And as per your advice, I’d book the flight out before cancelling the existing booking. Assuming that all goes to plan, do you see any other issues about my plan? Since Covid, I’ve only cancelled domestic rewards online, and it was surprisingly painless. If our return flight is a one way from Bkk and is paid for in Thai Baht, do they make it more difficult to cancel and get a refund? Or are there different terms? I’ve read through T&C’s a few times but can’t find anything alerting me to any dangers.

 

[RichardMEL]

Hey guy and thanks for your quick replies. I just checked; and the flight out melb - Syd - Bkk is still available in economy. And as per your advice, I’d book the flight out before cancelling the existing booking. Assuming that all goes to plan, do you see any other issues about my plan? Since Covid, I’ve only cancelled domestic rewards online, and it was surprisingly painless. If our return flight is a one way from Bkk and is paid for in Thai Baht, do they make it more difficult to cancel and get a refund? Or are there different terms? I’ve read through T&C’s a few times but can’t find anything alerting me to any dangers.

No, we're not talking about the flight OUT from MEL to BKK.

we're talking about return from BKK to MEL or potentially SGN or wherever you might like to wind up and try to book once you're over there. I am assuming since you don't know you need o make sure you have a separate booking for BKK-MEL (even though you have one currently). The first thing to try is to see if QF will split the existing booking into two, so you end up with one for MEL-BKK and the other for BKK-MEL (as you wanted). if so, no worries you can go from there. If not, it gets trickier.

my point is whatever you do you need to have confirmed bookings to come home even if the date does not suit your potential plans you don't want to be stuck with no options and no availability to get out easily.

 

[chodo]

I probably didn’t explain myself very well in all the excitement! Both flights on our current itinerary are still available as economy awards. My query was whether it was worth rebooking them as one way flights over two spearate bookings and then cancelling the original itinerary with both flights on it. I understand that Thailand requires proof of onward travel, so maintaining that one way flight from Bkk - Mel ticks this box but also (hopefully) gives me the option of cancelling it for a full refund of points and THB. My other query was regarding the online cancelation of this one way reward flight that originates in Thailand. Because it originates in Thailand, do they require me to visit an office or anything else out of the ordinary? In the past two years I have cancelled domestic reward flights and it was simple. Because this one way flight on Qantas metal would be originating in Thailand, I am concerned it may be subject to different terms, requirements or hoops to jump through.

You mentioned about asking Qantas to split the existing booking to two spearate bookings - would this involve one of their call centres in Fiji or South Africa that I keep hearing about? Or is their a local, easy alternative? Cheers again

 

[ChrisMars]

If you have the points to book two single legs, book them, and cancel the full return Cash will take up to 8 weeks. Points will take between a few hours and a few weeks (might need a call to chase points if it takes weeks).

If you don t have enough points to book the two legs, then you could book one, and call to change your current return rewards to keep only one leg. This is reasonably easy for any call center, but you might get unlucky. To minimizes issue, you should ask to keep the AU->Asia leg of your booking, and remove the return leg. That way the taxe calculation stay in the same currency AUD, which is easier. Some staff strugle hard with currency change. Cash will take up to 8 weeks, but I am pretty sure the partial point refund should be instantaneously.

 

[chodo]

If you have the points to book two single legs, book them, and cancel the full return Cash will take up to 8 weeks. Points will take between a few hours and a few weeks (might need a call to chase points if it takes weeks).

If you don t have enough points to book the two legs, then you could book one, and call to change your current return rewards to keep only one leg. This is reasonably easy for any call center, but you might get unlucky. To minimizes issue, you should ask to keep the AU->Asia leg of your booking, and remove the return leg. That way the taxe calculation stay in the same currency AUD, which is easier. Some staff strugle hard with currency change. Cash will take up to 8 weeks, but I am pretty sure the partial point refund should be instantaneously.

Hi Chris, thanks for your response. We have plenty of points (sadly, never envisioned us redeeming points for economy seats, but at least the economy rewards give us maximum flexibility?), so can double book and then cancel (and I understand it's 8 weeks for any cash refund). I guess I am still most concerned about cancelling the one way Bkk - Melb leg and if the THB cash refund terms are the same?

 

[ChrisMars]

Hi Chris, thanks for your response. We have plenty of points (sadly, never envisioned us redeeming points for economy seats, but at least the economy rewards give us maximum flexibility?), so can double book and then cancel (and I understand it's 8 weeks for any cash refund). I guess I am still most concerned about cancelling the one way Bkk - Melb leg and if the THB cash refund terms are the same?

Ah got you.
I had to cancel a few international reward single leg flight with Qantas, departing from EU and also HKG. No issue with the points or cash refund.

 

[andye]

Both flights should have similar terms for cancellation. It's just standard airline practice that payment need to be paid in origin currency. You won't need to attend an office. You'd be stung with conversion fees on payment and cancellation if you do cancel

 

[chodo]

Both flights should have similar terms for cancellation. It's just standard airline practice that payment need to be paid in origin currency. You won't need to attend an office. You'd be stung with conversion fees on payment and cancellation if you do cancel

cheers legend, that's what i thought but sometimes you just like to hear it from somebody else! i know we'll get stung with foreign currency charges, but luckily being qantas economy for 2 pax, its only 2-3% on $300-$400 touch wood. it's crazy that the most flexible flying situation for us is to redeem for qantas economy flights - who would've thunk? if we were flying long haul economy, id normally just pay and save the points, but the last thing i need is a $2k Qantas credit on top of our million points. i have made a promise to myself to divorce qantas and chase velocity points so we can use them on SQ. Qantas makes everything more difficult than necessary. Qantas are probably great if your employer or client is picking up the tab, but that's not our situation unfortunately.

Post automatically merged: Mar 7, 2022

Both flights should have similar terms for cancellation. It's just standard airline practice that payment need to be paid in origin currency. You won't need to attend an office. You'd be stung with conversion fees on payment and cancellation if you do cancel

cheers for your response. any other ideas on how to tackle this? or just rebook as 2 separate itineraries (and then cancel the return itinerary) and pray they change a few rules while we're in Thailand and then take it from there?

 

[andye]

The 2 itineraries (I always go for separate bookings with QF/VA/BA award flights as there is minimal $ difference unlike revenue flights) give you the best flexibility, just make sure you have a booked flight back home if you do change plans. Whether it's war, pestilence or politics, things can change rapidly. Of course, a super-bargain cash flight could come up in which case flexibility is a great benefit

 

[andye]

Witu regards to separate tickets, worth noting SQ offer additional stopover benefits for return trips. Also there are all the advantages of the various multicity award tickets for complex trips

 

[Matt_01]

It's just standard airline practice that payment need to be paid in origin currency. You won't need to attend an office. You'd be stung with conversion fees on payment and cancellation if you do cancel

If you can be bothered to call QF they can book the flights that start overseas in AUD from the out set. I have done this when booking larger OWR when using carriers that open earlier i.e. JL, CX just to get the seats then add the other flights as they open up. Everything is then charged in AUD and minimise any FX losses and international CC charges fees.

 

[chodo]

Witu regards to separate tickets, worth noting SQ offer additional stopover benefits for return trips. Also there are all the advantages of the various multicity award tickets for complex trips

The problem is at the moment, the only places in Asia (I think), that Qantas are flying into from the east coast are Bangkok and Singapore. HK is closed, Vietnam hasn’t reopened to jetstar rewards yet, Taiwan and Japan are still closed to tourists, which leaves us with KL but it’s an absolute last resort to transit through KL as It’s still closed to tourists anyway. I’m sure I’ve forgotten somewhere.

 

[andye]

If you can be bothered to call QF they can book the flights that start overseas in AUD from the out set. I have done this when booking larger OWR when using carriers that open earlier i.e. JL, CX just to get the seats then add the other flights as they open up. Everything is then charged in AUD and minimise any FX losses and international CC charges fees.

Presumably they apply their own FX calculation. Guess it depends how this weighs up against own CC charges

 

[chodo]

If you can be bothered to call QF they can book the flights that start overseas in AUD from the out set. I have done this when booking larger OWR when using carriers that open earlier i.e. JL, CX just to get the seats then add the other flights as they open up. Everything is then charged in AUD and minimise any FX losses and international CC charges fees.

Thanks for the suggestion. I reckon the $10-$20 odd FX fees are probably worth not spending hours on the phone to Qantas and getting worked up over nothing.

 

[Matt_01]

Presumably they apply their own FX calculation. Guess it depends how this weighs up against own CC charges

As I understand it the FX calculation for the first flight is on whatever the conversion rate is on the day. From then on I am adding, changing, cancelling sectors as per the standard OWR process and as the original booking is in AUD the QF system works out the taxes in AUD. I originally have this a try after I had booked with JL wither charges in JPY and at that time when making changes AUD had softened against the JPY so I was pay more in change fees and then been charged a CC fee.

Thanks for the suggestion. I reckon the $10-$20 odd FX fees are probably worth not spending hours on the phone to Qantas and getting worked up over nothing.

Your points is taken, at the moment I do this as I do not have to wait on hold for hours however when my status falls and on hold for hours I will most likely go back to my old ways. My comment was only to provide information.

 

[chodo]

As I understand it the FX calculation for the first flight is on whatever the conversion rate is on the day. From then on I am adding, changing, cancelling sectors as per the standard OWR process and as the original booking is in AUD the QF system works out the taxes in AUD. I originally have this a try after I had booked with JL wither charges in JPY and at that time when making changes AUD had softened against the JPY so I was pay more in change fees and then been charged a CC fee.

Your points is taken, at the moment I do this as I do not have to wait on hold for hours however when my status falls and on hold for hours I will most likely go back to my old ways. My comment was only to provide information.

Hey, sorry; my reply wasn’t meant to sound dismissive or sarcastic. I’m only bronze so I’d be calling the call centres that everybody moans about, so I’d rather avoid that. As it stands, the melb - Bkk leg would be in AUD, and then I’d book a separate Bkk - melb leg in economy, which would cost $200-$400 in taxes in thai baht, so the fx and cc fees shouldn’t be too bad (although annoying). With all the additional testing costs and 2 sets of travel insurance, that’s just a small fraction!

 

[Mr H]

I would book flights to give you six weeks in BKK. Then, if VN opens up you can book a cheap cash flight from BKK-VN and back. Failing that, just do a visa run half way through the trip to anywhere that is open.