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If your Qantas flight is cancelled, you probably already know that you’re entitled to a refund or a flight credit. But did you know that you can instead convert the value of your booking into a “Qantas TravelPass” which comes with double status credits when you redeem it?
As an alternative to a refund or credit, you can request a Qantas TravelPass with double status credits for the value of your cancelled booking. This is not something that Qantas advertises, but there have been many reports on AFF that it can be done by contacting the Qantas call centre.
A TravelPass with double status credits is similar to a regular travel credit. But it has a longer expiration date, and when you redeem your TravelPass to book another Qantas flight/s, you’ll earn double status credits for those flights. This will apply when you use your Travel Pass to pay for either the total value of the new booking, or you use the total remaining value of your TravelPass towards a booking. (You can continue to redeem the value of your TravelPass for an unlimited number of new flights, until the value runs out.)
How to request a Qantas TravelPass
If Qantas has cancelled your flight, or you have a refundable booking that you’re no longer able to use and need to cancel, you’ll generally have the option to cancel online for a travel credit. But if you call the airline instead, you can also request either a refund or a TravelPass with double status credits attached.
Unfortunately, this is one of the many things that can’t be done on the Qantas website. Qantas has been warning customers for the past several weeks that its call centre is experiencing an unusually high number of calls, and requesting that people don’t call unless travelling in the next 24 hours. Keep this in mind if you choose to call, and beware that you may have to wait a long time on hold.
When you call up to discuss your cancelled Qantas booking, a TravelPass may or may not be proactively offered. But if you ask politely, the agent can check whether your booking is eligible. Make sure you specifically ask for a TravelPass with double status credits, and not a regular flight credit!
It’s a win-win situation. Qantas gets to hold onto your money instead of refunding it, and customers can benefit from earning double status credits on future bookings.
Numerous AFF members have also said that Qantas has agreed to convert their existing regular travel credits to a TravelPass over the phone.
Redeeming a Qantas TravelPass
Your TravelPass could take anything from 3 days to 3 weeks to be issued by email. Once this happens, it can be redeemed on the Qantas website. But if you need to make an urgent booking, you should still be able to call Qantas and book over the phone using your TravelPass if you haven’t yet received it by email.
The Qantas TravelPasses currently being issued will expire on 31 December 2022. You would need to redeem the TravelPass to make a new booking by then, but you could use it to book travel up to mid-December 2023 as Qantas allows bookings up to 353 days in advance.
The full Qantas TravelPass terms & conditions have been posted on AFF.
Beware that the double status credits for eligible Qantas flights booked with a TravelPass will generally take longer to post to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account than usual. One AFF member said it typically takes 8-10 weeks for the bonus status credits to arrive, and another said they have routinely had to chase this up with Qantas.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: TravelPass with DSC offer
