Story of Qatar codeshare ticket desync and uncontactable customer service

[RooFlyer]

These are all arguments in support of extra QR capacity, not VA wet leased flights - which you yourself have said you’ve been advised not to book, in concert with MadRoosters advice here.

I personally think even the regulators knew exactly what this was all about, and it was not a genuine attempt at VA resuming long haul flying. A clever solution to the capacity problem but let’s not pretend it’s anything more than it is.

(Surprisingly, perhaps ) I agree entirely. Yes, of course everyone knew what was going on, but again, if its all within the rules, and it gets more capacity and more competition which was blocked when the more straightforward way was applied for, then consumers should embrace it - occasional cough-ups notwithstanding.

 

[AuSammy]

then consumers should embrace it

But you don’t

 

[muppet]

Why? It’s not the regulators mandate to ensure a certain level of earnings of an airline.

Well I meant in the context of bilateral air rights between two countries. QR has essentially assumed Qatar’s share fully and now taken on Australia’s share of the capacity.

I actually don’t understand how a QR/Bain owned entity was able to be considered “Australian”.

A genuine wet-lease would generate positive earnings. I can never imagine Qantas handing over some of its BKK, HNL and SIN flying to Finnair and all the benefit going to AY!

 

[oz_mark]

Well I meant in the context of bilateral air rights between two countries. QR has essentially assumed Qatar’s share fully and now taken on Australia’s share of the capacity.

I actually don’t understand how a QR/Bain owned entity was able to be considered “Australian”.

The entity that operates the service (and all the VA short haul international services) is Australian owned on paper. There's a specific structure set up for the purpose.

 

[RooFlyer]

But you don’t

I embrace it (and I meant also people in general ) for the competition it generates in the market… and the fact that it overcomes that risible blocking of QR’s application for its own flights in the first place.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I am looking to fly QR/VA for a trip in September mainly because the VA flight timings are perfect for my needs.

Maybe it will all go away and just become QR flights and that will work as well.

 

[JoMcA]

I have whined about it before but we have also struck insurmountable issues.

Booked J revenue flights PER - JRO - ZNZ- PER with QR directly, QR issued tix and we gave QFF numbers as One World. Arrived at check in to be told outbound and inbound flights were VA (not code share) and QFF points would not be awarded. Amended itinerary to reflect VAFF, were told all was good, and headed off. Checked in for return flights at DAR (so no VA reps and outside customer service hours) to be told QFF was linked to booking not VAFF and to amend to VAFF in DOH. Got to DOH and QR staff couldn't apply VAFF as journey had commenced (unsurprising) and VA online message agent said to just contact customer service to add VAFF when we landed.

Naturally that then lead to three days of one hour plus phone calls and emails with the notionally named customer service team. Refused to credit the nominally VA flight as they claimed it had been credited to QFF. QFF refused to credit it as it was a VA flight number (not code share). The fact the VA check in agent had only changed one flight, not outbound and inbound as promised, was apparently irrelevant. Gold with VA and QF but now moving all spend to OneWorld.

 

[RooFlyer]

Booked J revenue flights PER - JRO - ZNZ- PER with QR directly, QR issued tix and we gave QFF numbers as One World. Arrived at check in to be told outbound and inbound flights were VA (not code share) and QFF points would not be awarded. Amended itinerary to reflect VAFF,

Sorry, can you clarify? What codes were actually booked by you ( on your eTicket ) and what was changed ( on your BPs)?

 

[JoMcA]

Sorry, can you clarify? What codes were actually booked by you ( on your eTicket ) and what was changed ( on your BPs)?

Ticketed VA for outbound and inbound after purchase (and tie up VA to QR). QR flights from and to DOH. I understood the VAFF was added for both VA flights at check in in Perth, but actually only the PER-DOH sector had been changed to VAFF. QF did eventually credit DOH - JRO and ZNZ- DOH but not the DOH -PER sector which was VA only and not codeshare, apparently.

 

[RooFlyer]

I’m still a bit confused - but I guess that comes from the salad of VA/QR/OneWorld

The code and the FF program/number assigned should’ve been apparent when you got each boarding pass?

 

[JoMcA]

I’m still a bit confused - but I guess that comes from the salad of VA/QR/OneWorld

The code and the FF program/number assigned should’ve been apparent when you got each boarding pass?

Yep. So when we got the boarding passes in DAR we queried the DOH- PER flights which showed QFF not VAFF which we had been told were assigned (to that sector, and when checking in outbound from Perth) and were told to sort it out at the next leg. VA online told us they would fix it up when we landed. When we landed they washed hands of it. So QR flights into and out of PER cannot be accredited to OneWorld, only VA. But if you are on a through ticket on OneWorld, they won't change the programme halfway through. It was just disappointing to be told one thing and then "computer says no" when doing exactly what we had been advised to do.

 

[justinbrett]

Yep. So when we got the boarding passes in DAR we queried the DOH- PER flights which showed QFF not VAFF which we had been told were assigned (to that sector, and when checking in outbound from Perth) and were told to sort it out at the next leg. VA online told us they would fix it up when we landed. When we landed they washed hands of it. So QR flights into and out of PER cannot be accredited to OneWorld, only VA. But if you are on a through ticket on OneWorld, they won't change the programme halfway through. It was just disappointing to be told one thing and then "computer says no" when doing exactly what we had been advised to do.

You can credit QR flights to oneworld if they are operated by QR. The VA "operated" flight, even though it has a QR number and a QR livery, is not a oneworld flight.

Booking with VA - fair enough. I don't think there'sa reasonable expectation of buying a flight from VA and crediting it to QF.

However this is a real problem for oneworld pax booking with QR (or others) where there is a schedule change and you're swapped to the VA flight - still with a QR code. For many I think this would completely escape them and they'd be pretty annoyed about being denied status & earning to their OW program.

This is a real clusterf*k of an arrangement.