Yes another Qantas rip-off

[Bobra]

Yet another Qantas rip-off?

Hi all

Today I booked flights for my wife and me to travel to Melbourne. The only difference is that my wife had a flight credit voucher due to a previously cancelled flight. So, can anyone explain to me why when I booked my tickets I had access to fares as low as $125 each way but when I booked by wife's tickets, the lowest fare each way was $260? How does Qantas justify this outrageous penalty imposed on a flyer who is locked to Qantas because they have an existing credit?

Qantas spend a lot of time and money telling me how much they care about their customers but they seem to falter at the every step when it comes to demonstrating it!

There - that's off my chest!

 

[Quickstatus]

Hi all

Today I booked flights for my wife and me to travel to Melbourne. The only difference is that my wife had a flight credit voucher due to a previously cancelled flight. So, can anyone explain to me why when I booked my tickets I had access to fares as low as $125 each way but when I booked by wife's tickets, the lowest fare each way was $260? How does Qantas justify this outrageous penalty imposed on a flyer who is locked to Qantas because they have an existing credit?

Qantas spend a lot of time and money telling me how much they care about their customers but they seem to falter at the every step when it comes to demonstrating it!

There - that's off my chest!

Hi Bobra, welcome to AFF. Hope you find this little community fun and informative.

The link below explains it:

Credit Vouchers | Qantas

As usual everything is in the fine print

It is to prevent customers cancelling a fare and rebooking to a lower fare. Unfortunately the purchase of heavily discounted fares come with the quid pro quo that it is less flexible and conditional. Note also that the "change fee" applicable to your original booking is charged when the voucher is redeemed. The booking reference of your original cancelled ticket is the same as the voucher reference number

If they gave a credit voucher which was unconditional it would make all fares essentially fully flexible.

However at least there is no CC fees for any balance over the credit in the voucher.

To slightly even things in your favour going forward: When you buy a QF ticket and want to pay by credit card but don't want to pay the CC fees- just buy a $50 Gift Voucher and use that toward your flight purchase - no CC fees on purchase of gift voucher or the flight. Just make sure the name on the gift voucher is the same as one name on the ticket to be purchased.

http://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/gift-vouchers/global/en

 

[Bobra]

Thanks for the quick and comprehensive response. It still doesn't sit well - the change fee and the additional airfare were almost as much as my entire fare

Still - nice to know they at least have a policy!

Cheers

 

[Quickstatus]

It still doesn't sit well - the change fee and the additional airfare were almost as much as my entire fare

Yes thats true, but the other way to look at it is to look at the cost of a fully flexible fare. Current fully flexible fare SYD-MEL are priced at $399 while a Red edeal is $116/160/200 depending on availability. The cost differential can be more than double between a red edeal and fully flexible. By cancelling and rebooking you have asked for flexibility in your booking. The cost of that added flexibility is what you are paying for.

Is the out of pocket cheaper to not use the credit voucher?

Just out of interest, what was the cost of the original ticket excluding the taxes and surcharges and what fare class?
The T&C says the credit voucher is redeemable for flights of equal or higher value and same conditions