Complaints & Resolutions is a popular topic at the Australian Frequent Flyer. While no-one likes a bad travel experience - these things do happen, and there may well be cause to complain.
When booking flights, online travel agents like Bestjet, CheapOair and Trip.com are often cheaper than the airline’s own website. But are the savings worth it? An AFF member was recently searching for three Singapore Airlines Business class tickets. Laffer found the same flights available on Bestjet.com for $1,500 cheaper than Singapore Airlines’ own website. It is … Continued
If you’ve ever had to call an airline – especially Qantas – you’ve probably had the frustrating experience of an extended wait on hold. But it doesn’t have to be this way! By calling at off-peak times, you’ll be served much faster. So, when exactly is the best time to call Qantas and other airlines? … Continued
In recent weeks, several AFF members have reported being involuntarily downgraded on Qantas tickets. In each case, the flight was operated by a Qantas partner airline. LATAM Airlines downgrade In one recent example, ozflier had paid for a full-price Business Class flight to South America with Qantas. The trip included a flight from Auckland to Santiago … Continued
Unlike at Qantas, Virgin Australia normally gets priority boarding right. Virgin Australia staff are pretty good at ensuring the priority boarding queue is only used by passengers entitled to do so. And the gate agents will make sure that everyone in the priority boarding queue has been processed, before they start boarding from the general … Continued
Most hotels take customer service very seriously. And it’s not hard to see why. Most cities have literally hundreds of hotels, and all offer the same basic service. So, personalised customer service is seen as a key differentiator to drive loyalty and attract repeat business – especially for high-end hotels. At some hotel chains, it … Continued
As part of Qantas’ agreement with Emirates, eligible Qantas Frequent Flyer members are entitled to Emirates Lounge access when flying with Qantas. There are some restrictions; for example, flights to the Americas and South Africa are excluded, and you should be travelling on a Qantas-issued ticket. But, in general, access is available to Gold, Platinum … Continued
An Air New Zealand customer is significantly out of pocket after a series of unfortunate events that none of the three airlines involved are willing to take responsibility for. While Air New Zealand, Qantas and Emirates play the blame game, this passenger is still waiting for a refund. Artorias was booked to fly across the Tasman … Continued
When flying Jetstar, Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn Qantas points and status credits by purchasing a Starter or Max Bundle. But, in recent months, these points and status credits have been taking an unacceptably long time to post. And, in many cases, the Jetstar points and status credits are not crediting at all without … Continued
Qantas has come under fire for charging some customers more when redeeming Qantas gift vouchers for flights. AFF members have uncovered countless examples where customers redeeming gift vouchers were shown higher prices for the same flights than Qantas’ website. This has likely resulted in many unsuspecting customers paying too much. The problem has existed for … Continued
Since Airberlin went broke last year, Alitalia has been the only Virgin Australia partner airline operating flights within Europe. The Italian flag carrier, which also has ongoing financial difficulties, has been a partner of Virgin Australia and Velocity Frequent Flyer since April 2016. With hubs in Rome and Milan, Alitalia operates many short-haul flights within … Continued
A Virgin Australia customer was recently overcharged by more than $4,000. But, despite acknowledging the error, Virgin initially refused to refund any of the money. This customer claims that an airline representative even threatened to cancel their Velocity Frequent Flyer membership and revoke their Platinum status if they submitted a credit card chargeback claim. The … Continued
The ACCC is suing hotel booking website Trivago in the Federal Court for misleading advertising. It alleges that Trivago misleads customers into believing they are getting the best hotel price when this is not always the case. Trivago, which is owned by Expedia, is an aggregator website that compares the cost of hotel rooms on … Continued
