Hey,

I've got a single booking of LHR-MEL-CNS-SYD-LHR, booked via Opodo, with Qantas being the selling agent (mixture of Emirates, Jetstar and Qantas metal).

I'm looking at the progress of Cyclone Nathan and I'm just thinking about the worst case situation of Cairns being hit pretty bad and whether Qantas would allow me to skip the MEL-CNS and CNS-SYD segments?

I know the usual rules, and the reasons behind them, but I don't know anything about Qantas.

(I have travel insurance of course, but I'd like to know all my options)

If there is a major impact to Cairns, I expect that Qantas wouls bring in some policy regarding flights to Cairns.

You will need to wait until the storm passes the region and see what happens

Updates are in the "fly" - "travel updates" section of the QF web site.

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airl...ions/global/en

Seems Nathan will be to the north of Cairns in 48 hrs FWIW.

http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/tra...amic/main.html

Thanks Dave & og.

Good luck to everyone in Queensland. Stay safe

fwiw QF in the past has been very liberal in policy during genuine emergencies. I flew out of BNE a few hours before the flood in 2011 and QF was filling the aircraft to get people out, waiving all fare rules -- very admirable. So it isn't theoretical and you'll be taken care of if conditions warrant.

Thoughts are best directed to the people in the many islands of Vanuatu that have just lost absolutely everything in the cyclone and now face starvation and dehydration - not to mention the associated medical issues.

Do not tell me where to send my wishes. I'm well aware of the situation in Vanuatu.

You want to call me out for not mentioning every other national disaster happening around the globe?

I called to cancel a flight in a similar situation ADL-DJ-PER-QF-KTA . KTA was about to be struck. QF Phone operator told me that if I called back in about an hours time the flight would be cancelled by Qantas and I could get a full refund which I did.

That left me with a Virgin flight that was not into bad weather - It was a mid-low price ticket and operator allowed a refund under the circumstances.

For every time an airline takes hard line on fair rules and a disgruntled posts here, there are scores of reasonable changes and refunds that go unmentioned.

One point to note is that the airlines often do not respond to what may or may not happen in a few days time. So passenger anxiety and concern often outstrips and predates the reality of the situation. Was it Twain that made the remark his life had been full of tragedies - very few of which had actually happened.