Platy

I'm struggling to find reference in the QF T&Cs for a domestic Red-e Deal fare to the fact that a cancelled / credit voucher can only be changed once off online - more times than that requires telephone sales intervention and a compulsory $40 booking fee...can anyone point me to the relevant terms?

Background:

• Booked Red-E deal BNE-CNS one way for about $150 (I don't usually book such fares, but on this occasion I had a reason....)
• Then upgraded to business class on points
• Subsequently needed to cancel flight
• Rang QF premium
• QF premium cancelled the upgrade for a 5,000 pt fee (ouch!)
• QF premium cancelled the flight to credit voucher
• QF premium advised $88 charge for the cancellation (OK - I can see that in the T&Cs)
• QF premium advised to use the credit would need to happen through telephone sales - no online option - since there had already been one change of ticket (apparently the upgrade process is regarded as a re-ticket according to the agent due to change of fare class)
• QF premium also advised that any attempt to book using the credit voucher through telephone sales would incur a $40 fee

So...the effective cost of cancelling an upgraded economy fare is not just the 5,000 pts but a "hidden" (compulsory) $40 rebook fee due to the inability to rebook the credit online!

On the one hand I've got better things to do than worry about $40 (and the fact the credit voucher doesn't appear to have been issued anyway and will need chasing up with another call to QF, if I can be bothered with the net value of $150 - $88 - $40 = $22!) but on the other hand the petty penny pinching of QF never ceases to amaze me.

Dave Noble

I think that the last part of the information may be is incorrect

in my experience, there is no telephone booking charge for such bookings due to not being mandatory to use the phoen booking

serfty

Certainly the "only one time online" change has been a facet for some years.

The only time I needed to do a second change by calling, I was not assessed a 'phone booking charge.

Platy

Thanks, Serfty...but I don't see this written down anywhere...

serfty

In booking several hundred Qantas journies online I have come across this not that much as I rarely change bookings and even less wish to change a second time.

However, it has happened and I have ended up calling as it could not be done online (no change 'button'). During these conversations I have had the one change only situation confirmed each time - 'phone assistance fees were waived in each case.

I have also noted other traveler's anecdotal experience in relation to this that invariable has confirmed this one online change.

Platy

Thanks for sharing your experiences on this one, Serfty.

FWIW my observation is that QF does not appear to be transparent in these scenarios (one online change not specified on T&Cs): I assume they are obliged to do so to be legally (trade practices) and ethical (their own ethical guidelines) compliant.

On a practical front, in the event I redeem the voucher, I'm curious to see if they waiver the fee automatically or may be politely / gently invited to do so on grounds of potential non compliance.

Like you, I very rarely buy such fare types.

og

I have been under the impression that the "one change" process was only to accommodate errors in pax names (eg spelling). And this being restricted to one letter or some similar very minor change. I was not aware that it has wider interpretations.

serfty

This is in relation to booking a flight online.

A while later after it ticketed, needing to change it - the is a a change button on MMB.

After such change is made and ticket reissued/re-validated, the change button is no longer active/available for subsequent changes.