The more things change, the more they stay the same

[RooFlyer]

I haven't had to call the Qantas call centre in years ... but I did this morning, twice - not much has changed, it seems.

After I used a gift voucher to book a flight about a week ago, the reservation appeared in the app but I didn't get the eticket that day. I got back into the country on the weekend and still no ticket. I assumed that it was stuck in the queue but as didn't want to forget about it, I called as Plat this morning and pleasantly surprised to get Hobart (judging by the accent and clarity of the line).

No problem with the booking, I was assured, just queued because the flight wasn't for about 4 months (that sounded familiar), but they said they would 'try' to force it.

About 10 minutes after I hung up I got an e-mail saying there was a problem with payment & to call.

I called and by the accent and noise on the line, and chatter of others in the background I assumed I got Fiji (later confirmed). Brace, brace, brace!!

One of those calls from the bad old days (which seem to be 'these days'). Agent had great difficulty in understanding the issue, even bringing up the booking. After much tapping, asking questions, not understanding etc etc etc, going off to ask somebody (by which time I was contemplating HUCA) they eventually said that 'payment has been refused'. By the card, I asked? No, by Qantas. Really. A lot more back-and-forth but eventually got to the position where I gave them my card again and it processed OK, ticket issued immediately.

I'm wondering what would have happened if I hadn't called. Presumably the booking would have been quietly cancelled at some stage.

Why wouldn't Qantas at least try to process the payment when the reservation was made?

How can the reservation appear in the app when no payment has been made?

After all the Joycean kerfuffle, some things haven't changed it seems (this, along with their business catering) ...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A PNR is your reservation.

Payment is indicated by the ticket.

That’s how it can appear in the app, but not have been paid.

Some fares don’t require instant ticketing.

Lots of folk assumed because they could select seats or choose meals that their ticket must have been issued. Which is why the advice is to call the airline if there’s any doubt, and ask specifically ‘is there a ticket number against this booking?’

(edited to fix spelling)

 

[muppet]

A PNR is your reservation.

Payment is indicated by the ticket.

That’s how it can appear in the app, but not have been paid.

Some fares don’t require instant ticketing.

Lots of folk assumed because they could select seats or choose meals that their ticket must have been issued. Which is why the advice is to call the airline if there’s any doubt, and ask specifically ‘is there a ticket number August this booking?’

I think if a fare can be booked and priced online at qantas.com, it should just be ticketed instantly.

If not, then why does it seem like many in QF call centres cannot resolve it?

I had a family member recently make a booking, it didn’t ticket for a few weeks, call centre couldn’t fix it and the only solution was for them to cancel the unticketed booking and re-book it…. At a new higher fare.

 

[RooFlyer]

Lots of folk assumed because they could select seats or choose meals that their ticket must have been issued. Which is why the advice is to call the airline if there’s any doubt, and ask specifically ‘is there a ticket number August this booking?’

There, you see, I'm not match fit. I forget to ask that magic question on my first call!

But still doesn't answer why they wouldn't process payment at the time of reservation; not doing so is just asking for problems. I mean, who knows what the state of the card will be (ie maxed out?), or if the card is even still in use, months down the track.

It was a domestic J reservation.

 

[SYD]

There, you see, I'm not match fit. I forget to ask that magic question on my first call!

But still doesn't answer why they wouldn't process payment at the time of reservation; not doing so is just asking for problems. I mean, who knows what the state of the card will be (ie maxed out?), or if the card is even still in use, months down the track.

It was a domestic J reservation.

The key piece of the puzzle was that you used a “gift voucher”. So presumably there was an existing PNR (that carried across) and there would have been some payment details associated.

SYD+1 recently used a flight credit (had to change a movie session time) and got a message that there was an issue.

My booking, same flight but different voucher went through immediately.

Turns out the iPad had auto populated the CC details with an incorrect expiry date. Instead of rejecting the payment, the new booking went through pending payment. Kind of weird but sounds like it may have been something similar for you?

 

[RooFlyer]

Turns out the iPad had auto populated the CC details with an incorrect expiry date. Instead of rejecting the payment, the new booking went through pending payment. Kind of weird but sounds like it may have been something similar for you?

Don't know. I did it on a laptop and don't recall it being out of the ordinary other than it going via the redeem gift voucher system.

But how stupid is it that you make a 'booking', it shows in the app and on line as being 'there', but they haven't secured funds so they aren't doing anything. Its like buying something online and having it delivered and it says 'its on its way' - but its not, because to them, you haven't paid.

FFS if they must 'queue' ticketing and payment processing, why not, on the app/web site against the booking, say 'pending payment'? Too hard? Don't care? Interns clueless?

I'll look out when I use the next gift voucher.

EDIT: Great. I go on the web now to check again, and the page won't load properly. Can't log on.