Qatar Airways Privilege Club - Fare dispute with QR




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luisparis
Sep 11, 09, 5:25 am
I had recently 2 issues over the fares with QR, one which I can relatively understand although under those conditions I will be *very* reluctant to buy another ticket originating from CDG and another with their HK office where I feel they are way wrong.

The second one first :

End of June we are looking for return tickets HKG-CDG in J for my wife, myself, and our child who will turn 2 on October 17th. As we were not sure when we would fly back to HKG after checking with several airlines, we opted for QR because the sales agent repeatedly told me that as long as our kid was below two on the onward travel, he could fly back anytime during the ticket validity (1 year). To make sure nothing funny would happen, I changed the booking before issuing the ticket and booked at a date posterior to our son's 2nd birthday (CDG-DOH on October 22nd than DOH-HKG on 26th).

Yet after we paid and received the eticket there was a paragraph among the various comments on the bottom of the page that if we were to change the return date after October 22nd we’d need to pay a child fare. In total contradiction with what I was previously and repeatedly told. This issue came up today as I didn’t check those details before and the agent is claiming that the conditions were so all along which is an absolute lie, than that she at least told my wife so when I’m the one who discussed the conditions and asked to change the return date to a date posterior to our son’s 2nd birthday . She claimed the head office only accepted it because it was only 1 week after his birthday (not so true as the DOH-HKG is nine days later).

Besides feeling ripped of I don’t appreciate how the agent tries to brush the fact I was told some different conditions repeatedly. Now where can I write to complain, what head office is she talking about, in HKG or DOH ? Are they recording the telephone conversations ? What basis do they have ton accept an initial booking after her 2nd birthday but than deciding that would be the last possible date to fly under an infant ticket (and contradicting what they have said before ) ?

Besides if they are to convert the fare to a child fare, should they calculate on the basis of 75% of our original fare divided by two as the problem is about 1 way only ? I definitely don’t want to buy a new ticket from Paris as QR cheaper fares in business only allow stopover in DOH on the way back and we plan to stay a couple of days there on our way to HK.

Thanks for any feedback or ideas of how to deal with this issues and contacts to where write a complain.

It's a long post already, I'll come to the second issue later .


Rambuster
Sep 11, 09, 5:31 am
I don't know who is right or wrong here but good luck getting ANY response from QR at all.
They are truely shocking at handling customer issues ...

QF380
Sep 11, 09, 5:45 am
It may not be the Individual Airline Regulation that forces you to buy a Child Fare for you newly 2year old. I know that Hong Kong Civil Avaiation department mandate every child from their second Birthday must have a seat of their own. This however doesn't excuse the mis information you were given by the QR Staff.


Rambuster
Sep 11, 09, 5:53 am
Welcome to FT QF380 !

luisparis
Sep 11, 09, 6:43 am
"I know that Hong Kong Civil Avaiation department mandate every child from their second Birthday must have a seat of their own. This however doesn't excuse the mis information you were given by the QR Staff."


Furthermore QR did issue the eticket with CDG-DOH than DOH-HKG after the 2nd birthday, which I considered a test to confirm they would let him fly with an infant ticket ( as i've never seen their J cabin full, this mostly means the kid would have his seat anyway)

Here's the second issue I had with QR very recently, they say in Paris they just follow Iata rules which is possible but I never had the problem before . I usually buy my tickets in Asia as they are often both cheaper and more flexible. Yet in July, upon checking QR website, I find a rate of approx 1950euros with QR for a 3month ticket in D CDG-HKG-CDG , non refundable and 100E change penalty.

About 90mns after buying it I learn I will have to postpone my flight. OK, no biggie, I'll pay the 100E and will fly happily, still a good deal for QR. This week I look for a space in the plane and they get me seats on the dates I need, still in D. Yet at the moment from CDG, the cheapest rate for business class, i e D it seems, is now 2550 euros for a 6 month ticket. Than although I'm still well within the validity of my initial ticket, I need to pay the 600 fare difference on top of the 100euros penalty. Never had a similar problem, I'm very surprised they sell tickets one can change the date of but one is not sure of the fare until he finally books a flight he will take. I know many more pleasant ways to spend 600 euros in HKG or Macau but had no much choice left with the initial ticket non refundable. Can anyone confirm this procedure is standard for tickets bought in Europe also with other airlines or is QR beeing especially tricky in the process ?

luisparis
Sep 12, 09, 3:00 am
Any idea still to whom adress the complain for the HKG issue ?

brunos
Sep 13, 09, 5:33 am
Hi Luisparis,

This is a fairly standard rule that you have to pay the change penalty PLUS any difference in fare. I allways had that rule implemented whatever the airline. Luckily the fare does not change, but on deeply discounted fares this is the sad erality, not specific to QR.

Regarding the infant fare, I am afraid that the agent told you something stupid. But unless you taped the conversation (and even then...), I would not hold high expectations.

Guy Betsy
Sep 17, 09, 5:53 pm
Hi Luisparis,

This is a fairly standard rule that you have to pay the change penalty PLUS any difference in fare. I allways had that rule implemented whatever the airline. Luckily the fare does not change, but on deeply discounted fares this is the sad erality, not specific to QR.

Regarding the infant fare, I am afraid that the agent told you something stupid. But unless you taped the conversation (and even then...), I would not hold high expectations.

Or did you see the agent in question in person? Then you can perhaps directly point him/her out?

You may of course try the HKG office department manager and state your case with them. They can then go back to your records and see who is the agent who booked the original ticket with you.

luisparis
Sep 18, 09, 1:20 am
Actually the QR reservation agent is still dealing with the issue, checking with their head office if they can get us an infant seat for December. I'm not holding my breath but then they shouldn't initially have accepted a booking for the infant on DOH-HKG 10 days after his 2nd birthday if they follow strictly the 2 year rule.

I understand the price adjustment from Paris is a standard procedure from tickets issued there but I've been buying very competitive business class fares in Myanmar and Thailand for a few years changing the bookings regulary and can't remeber facing this issue with those tickets ( but it was mostly with TG ). Do you face the same inconvenience with tickets purchased in HK ?

Guy Betsy
Sep 18, 09, 2:22 am
...Do you face the same inconvenience with tickets purchased in HK ?

Funny you should say that.... see similar situation here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cathay-pacific-asia-miles/994297-cathay-pacific-didnt-let-my-family-board-confirmed-ticket.html

luisparis
Sep 29, 09, 7:02 am
Actually the agent in HK came back to me with apparently a reply from the head office in Qatar that allowed our son to fly around christmas time with an infant ticket although beeing over 2 y old. They also issued the eticket.

I have a bunch of emails proving that QR knew of the child age when issuing the ticket but the story in guy Betsy's link scared me a little and I asked for an official document to avoid any trouble when checking in. Also booked 3 tickets in J from HKG to CDG, especially when i noticed the comptetive 1 way fares.

Guy Betsy
Sep 29, 09, 7:50 am
Actually the agent in HK came back to me with apparently a reply from the head office in Qatar that allowed our son to fly around christmas time with an infant ticket although beeing over 2 y old. They also issued the eticket.

...

Good to know.. and good for you that QR agreed and have given you approval for their error.

:)



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