Rather excessive flight change fee?

[basso]

So is $200 a reasonable fee for perhaps a 5-minute service?

It is the price they put on the service. AFAIK, the ACCC does not concern itself with pricing wrt unfair contract terms.

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

It's not to do with the "5 minute service"

It's to do with any loss/gain the airline may face as a result of the changes made by the customer

This is spot on. It has nothing do do with the service. A telephone service fee is a service, an airline change fee is a commercial condition of contract.

 

[knasty]

If a non-changeable, non-refundable fare is offered at a big discount and someone chooses to buy it can they really complain if they subsequently want to change/cancel it? I see this as no different - the change fee could have been avoided by buying a more flexible fare in the first place (at a significantly higher cost). There is a range of choices available, with the consequences of each choice clearly spelled out in the fare rules.

 

[lovestotravel]

If a non-changeable, non-refundable fare is offered at a big discount and someone chooses to buy it can they really complain if they subsequently want to change/cancel it? I see this as no different - the change fee could have been avoided by buying a more flexible fare in the first place (at a significantly higher cost). There is a range of choices available, with the consequences of each choice clearly spelled out in the fare rules.

While I agree, charging a $200 fee to change a date might not be deemed as fair

 

[harvyk]

If a non-changeable, non-refundable fare is offered at a big discount and someone chooses to buy it can they really complain if they subsequently want to change/cancel it? I see this as no different - the change fee could have been avoided by buying a more flexible fare in the first place (at a significantly higher cost). There is a range of choices available, with the consequences of each choice clearly spelled out in the fare rules.

Exactly my thoughts...

A few years ago I did some work for a company, I provided them with a price to do the work. As part of that price it included a cost to assign all IP right's to that company. They asked if I would be willing to do the work at a discounted rate and license it to them for their use rather than transferring the IP, knowing full well that since I'd own the IP, all additional work on this project once delivered they would be forced to go via me, and would not be allowed to obtain the services of another contractor.

If I was ever approached to sell them (or someone else) the IP for the project, I can guarantee I won't be parting with it for just the equivalent of 2 hours of my time (about the amount of time it'd take to transfer ownership to them), since in a way this IP is an investment for me. If they had taken on the IP, I was getting more money and thus covering my risk that they would not use me again, but as it turned out they decided to take a discount and take on the risk that they don't own the IP.

The way I see it is if you pay discount Y rates, it is the same thing. You have told QF to take the seat off the market. Now they have sold the seats to you at a price which has no fat in it to cover the risk that they may still need to run that seat empty, despite having received payment for that sale. So it's only fair that if you decide to tell QF "I know I said I would fly in a seat which was non refundable, but...." QF are now going to want to pass on not just the cost of actually making a change / refund, but some of the risk which you said you'd take in order to score a cheaper fare.

 

[marki]

I love seeing the flying red roo and I hope to become more and more of a frequent flier but I must admit I was shocked to see the fee to change an upcoming flight.
I'm flying between SYD and NRT in December this year and I was looking at spending a few extra days in Tokyo but it's going to cost $200 to change the return flight. I'm flying in Y+ on a saver ticket.
I could have flown with Jetstar for quite a few hundred less (in business class, which is prob equiv to QF's Y+) or flown with JAL (or ANA - I've forgotten) for a little less (in their new 787 instead of the un-refurbished QF B747) but I chose Qantas purely for sentimental reasons.

I hate to criticize Qantas as I want to like them, but surely $200 is a lot to change a flight >6 months away...! Oh, and of course they'll slug me for another fee to us my credit card...

It gets harder and harder to like them and they do not do themselves any favours. I for one like u do want to like them and fly Australian.....

 

[mannej]

It gets harder and harder to like them and they do not do themselves any favours. I for one like u do want to like them and fly Australian.....

Over my time on here, you will find that there have been a number of members complaining about the lack of flexibility in tickets that they have purchased. It is not limited to QF and the answer is most of the time to check the change conditions prior to purchasing tickets.

Whether $200 for the change is appropriate, I don't have an answer either way. However you will see the domestic change fees also increasing to a higher and higher amount.

 

[JohnK]

From memory the change fee for a recent Qantas flight was $300. I have seen them high(er) on other airlines as well. We paid $300 ~9 years ago to cancel a TG booking for mum when dad had to have heart surgery. It took months to get the refund.

Most of the time I do not bother looking at change fees. If I make a booking then I will take those flights unless of course I end up in hospital like I did in 2010 and had to change and cancel a number of bookings at high cost.

 

[marki]

From memory the change fee for a recent Qantas flight was $300. I have seen them high(er) on other airlines as well. We paid $300 ~9 years ago to cancel a TG booking for mum when dad had to have heart surgery. It took months to get the refund.

Most of the time I do not bother looking at change fees. If I make a booking then I will take those flights unless of course I end up in hospital like I did in 2010 and had to change and cancel a number of bookings at high cost.

and ouch oh and glad you are better now

 

[Lonely Flyer]

I think the main reason they have the high change fee is to discourage people changing willy nilly. I imagine CX with no change fee devotes much in resources to do so. Again as it has been said many times in this forum there are many options so read the fine print and accept it or go to another airline.

 

[straitman]

No it is relevant as the ACCC is not a fan of an unfair contract which unfairly disadvantages the consumer

I understand your position on this but do not agree.

If the fee charged is less than the fare difference to a flexible fare there is no case IMHO. (I really would prefer that your version was correct though)