Qantas Extends Flexible Domestic Classic Rewards

QantasLink 717 business class
QantasLink Boeing 717 Business Class. Photo: Qantas.

Qantas Frequent Flyer has extended its offer of fee-free changes and cancellations on domestic Classic Flight Reward bookings for another two months.

Qantas had previously ended its Fly Flexible policy for domestic bookings on 30 April 2022, after waiving change and cancellation fees since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Until then, Qantas customers could change their travel dates without paying a change fee (a fare difference may apply), or cancel for either a travel credit (for paid bookings) or a full refund of the points & taxes (for Classic Reward bookings).

This increased flexibility is no longer available for Qantas domestic revenue bookings paid using money or Points+Pay. But Qantas has just extended the option to change or cancel domestic Classic Reward bookings paid using Qantas points without a fee until 30 June 2022.

As of 5 May 2022, the Qantas website now says:

Qantas Flexible Classic Rewards page as of 5 May 2022
Qantas Flexible Classic Rewards page as of 5 May 2022.

Last week, this page said that the increased flexibility for domestic Classic Flight Rewards would end on 30 April 2022.

Velocity Frequent Flyer stopped offering increased flexibility on domestic Virgin Australia Reward Seat bookings at the end of last month. However, Velocity continues to offer fee-free changes and cancellations on international Reward Seat bookings made until 30 June 2022, for travel until 31 December 2022 (the same as Qantas).

You can see the conditions for Velocity domestic reward seat changes and cancellations on the Velocity Frequent Flyer website.

Despite these changes, both Qantas and Virgin Australia say they will continue to allow customers to change their bookings going forward if they cannot travel due to having COVID-19 or being legally required to isolate as a close contact. Changes will need to be made by calling the airline, or through your travel agent if you booked through an agency.

 

Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas to allow free changes, cancellations to Classic Flight Reward bookings to 30 June 2022

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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What about existing bookings? Where did the quote come from (no source provided)?

Qantas.com still indicates fess applicable for classic FF redemptions Unless flight is cancelled by QF (as of this morning).

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There is a mention of the new policy here: Transfer your points | Qantas Frequent Flyer

Plus book with confidence now and fly later with new flexible reward seats

With Australian domestic and trans-Tasman travel restrictions beginning to ease, the time to turn travel dreams into travel plans is here. And we’re making it easier to get started with more flexibility on Classic Flight Reward seats.~ When you use Qantas Points to book a Classic Flight Reward seat you’ll be able to change the date or cancel your booking, free of charge until 31 October 2020.^ This will apply to all bookings on Qantas and Jetstar.

Also here: Fly Flexible | Qantas

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I just made changes last week to a One World Award for April 2021, change fees were listed on my account but as zero points.

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I see there's now also a dedicated page for this with detailed FAQs: Flexible Classic Flight Rewards | Qantas Frequent Flyer

Appears to also apply to existing bookings, for travel until 31 October.

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What about existing bookings? Where did the quote come from (no source provided)?

Qantas.com still indicates fess applicable for classic FF redemptions Unless flight is cancelled by QF (as of this morning).

Sorry Doc, source was QF itself, this info shared with me before the site was updated and emails went out to Qantas Frequent Flyer members, but those emails should be hitting inboxes by now.

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I've just cancelled two classic reward bookings for travel in August and November. I was holding off as upto now, the 6k cancellation penalty would have applied. But in the screen confirming the cancellation it now explicitly says the cancellation penalty will be waived.

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Sorry Doc, source was QF itself, this info shared with me before the site was updated and emails went out to Qantas Frequent Flyer members, but those emails should be hitting inboxes by now.

Yep received my email at 4:06pm about it.

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This answers a question I asked last week, awesome! Good news :)

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I have 2 x Classic Reward bookings. One with QF (BNE-SFO) that when I cancel seems to offer a "flight credit" as per below:

View image at the forums

I have not taken this up yet.

The other is with Westjet (SFO-YVR) - on this I was presented with a more coherent screen sequence (that I did not capture) that affirmed that no cancellation charge would apply and that points would be refunded.

Who knows why the 2 different Classic Award bookings presented different cancellation sequences - QF IT strikes again.

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I've received the email today and arrange the cancellation of two sets of reward flights with the waiver of the cancellation fee showing on the confirmation pages.

I've never cancelled an award booking before - how long does it generally take for the points and then the taxes to be refunded?

Would like a relatively quick refund of the fees (lol), so I can more easily shut this credit card and churn my way over to the next one!

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I have 2 x Classic Reward bookings. One with QF (BNE-SFO) that when I cancel seems to offer a "flight credit" as per below:
View attachment 218833
I have not taken this up yet.

The other is with Westjet (SFO-YVR) - on this I was presented with a more coherent screen sequence (that I did not capture) that affirmed that no cancellation charge would apply and that points would be refunded.

Who knows why the 2 different Classic Award bookings presented different cancellation sequences - QF IT strikes again.

I just tried to cancel a Classic Reward SYD-PPT return with QF flight numbers for all flights booked for travel commencing from SYD on August 24 and returning from PPT on 14 September also got the Flight Credit screen. When I clicked Continue the next screen showed:

"You are about to cancel the flights shown for all passengers
The value of all untravelled flights will be added to a Flight Credit that is valid until 18 September 2020.

Flight Credit Validity Extension: If your flight departs on or before 31 October 2020 and your Flight Credit is created on or before 31 October 2020, the validity date will be extended to 31 December 2021. Any change fees and fare difference will apply at the time of redemption.

For all other bookings, the Flight Credit validity and all redemption conditions are as specified in the fare rules This will open a new tab or window in your browser., Flight Credit Details and Flight Credit Conditions shown below."

Further down on that screen it shows:
" Flight Credit Details
Flight Credit valid until 18 September 2020 Flight Credit value: AUD $699.76 "

The taxes and charges I had paid for the two return tickets was $703.96 .

I didn't go any further and will try again in the next couple of days and if this hasn't been fixed by then I'll have to call QF.

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