Schedule change - two separate bookings

[ronlon]

My family of 4 are travelling together Mackay to Melbourne via Brisbane. Mum and dad (me) have a reward seat booking made with QF while my two teenage boys have a separate ticket paid fare booked through Amex Travel. Soon after making both bookings, I called Qanats to link the bookings.

I have been notified of a schedule change for both bookings in which we are still all on the same flights albeit several hours later than original. There is however an earlier flight with a longer Brisbane connection which I prefer.

I am a bit of loss as how to co-ordinate a change to the two bookings for the alternative flight to ensure we are still together as each change requires contact with both QF and Amex. Any thoughts ?

Unless I am mistaken, if I call Qantas they won’t be able to make the change to the Amex booking only the QF one.

 

[bullerdude]

You can explain the situation to Qantas and see if they are willing to make the changes due to the schedule change, but it’s unlikely they will as it’s a Amex booking and they usually claim they are unable to touch.

 

[henrus]

Unless I am mistaken, if I call Qantas they won’t be able to make the change to the Amex booking only the QF one.

This will be correct, you'll need to request via Amex for their change.

 

[DC3]

Separate bookings. Not usually the best idea but there was probably a good reason at the time. Hope that it all works out.

Linking of bookings doesn’t really guarantee anything other than a note being placed

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

If you are all still on the same flight, but much later, personally, I would not do anything.
Best to keep what you have, even tho its not ideal, ...
At the least the 4 of you are still flying on the same plane, together.
Worst comes to the worst, the boys get split, and they have to fly themselves on a different flight.
Don't laugh, worst things have been related on here in relation to QF/QFF, if they for some reason miss one step, the booking might get cancelled, ...
All these have to be done with a person, which is worst, as they "might" have to cancel one of the 2 or both bookings, to put you on the flight you want, but then, chance of a mistake/error or what ever reason, you might "loose" the seats/booking.
Am sure the boys would be able to fly on their own, but best, all fly together.
Less chances of getting lost.
Yes, I do realise they (boys) would have their own mobile phones, but still...

 

[Ade]

if I call Qantas they won’t be able to make the change to the Amex booking only the QF one.

Unless of course, if the flight is within 24 hours, then the airline can make any changes required (regardless of who made the booking). I don't think you'd want to leave it until last minute?

 

[Ade]

I have been notified of a schedule change for both bookings

Given it's a schedule change initiated by the airline, you can get the trip cancelled without penalty. See if there are required seats available on a different service and ask both QF and Amex to book the seat as required?

OR book all the seats with QF and use the AMEX credit a different time?

 

[Mwenenzi]

Unless of course, if the flight is within 24 hours, then the airline can make any changes required (regardless of who made the booking). I don't think you'd want to leave it until last minute?

That would be a voluntary change and a probable fee, as the ticket t&c's.
Doing now, just after an involuntary change, would have more success (with no fees). But with 2 different itineraries direct and with a TA that is 10 times harder.
Given the quality of some QF phone agents best not to roll the dice too much. The QF phone agents may cause more problems.

My family of 4 are travelling together Mackay to Melbourne via Brisbane. Mum and dad (me) have a reward seat booking made with QF while my two teenage boys have a separate ticket paid fare booked through Amex Travel. Soon after making both bookings, I called Qanats to link the bookings

For a family situation often more effective from a ffp point of view if paid tickets (SC & ff points) are by the person who fly's most and awards for those who fly little. Unless if getting SC & ff points for the teenagers was a consideration.

 

[Ade]

That would be a voluntary change and a probable fee, as the ticket t&c's.
Doing now, just after an involuntary change, would have more success (with no fees)

Yea I hit the Post Reply button sooner than I wanted to. Was going to change to the involuntary change bits. Made another reply now.

 

[ronlon]

Thanks everyone ! I am going to sound Qantas and Amex out but I am also tempted to leave it as AustralianPoochie suggested. Yes the boys are capable of being split from mum and dad to fly together themselves but if I attempt a change and we end up on different flights then we have to wait for each other for some hours on arrival at Melbourne airport. Not to mention what do we do in Mackay if we have different departure times some hours apart. (Mackay is the return leg of a QLD holiday for us Victorians which entails rental car return at the airport prior to departure )

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Hopefully, its not the last 2 flights of the day, when there is more chances of (if) something goes wrong, the boys or you might get stuck.
JQ has a QF flight number, 5887, its not a QF plane that one, so hopefully its not that one.
Also 1937, is the last flight of the day.
Hopefully it all goes well, trouble is if you or the boys get stuck in BNE, it will be hard for them to get accommodation, by themselves.
If for some reason JQ or QF cancels either of the 2 later flights, if you are on them, and travelling together, at the least the adult can book a night at the Mercure BNE airport.

 

[tdimdad]

Yes the boys are capable of being split from mum and dad to fly together themselves but if I attempt a change and we end up on different flights then we have to wait for each other for some hours on arrival at Melbourne airport.

If you end up on different flights, just make sure that the young ones fulfill the young travellers guidelines which are presented on this page.

 

[DC3]

If you end up on different flights, just make sure that the young ones fulfill the young travellers guidelines which are presented on this page.

‘young ones’? They may be aged almost 20 for all we know.

 

[ronlon]

My original post said they were teenagers without specifying age. They are 15 and 16.

Once again thanks for the feedback all !

 

[ronlon]

All good in the end. It took a few phones calls I but manged to change both bookings to the same earlier flight via Brisbane as opposed to the last flight of the night. As expected I had to call both Qantas and Amex Travel to make the change.