ufoken

I want to take this chance to share my recent experience with the QF RTW point booking. It was horrible. This is my short version of the whole story which took me more than 2 weeks to reach this points


After numbers of the days and night working on QF.com multi city, finally worked out the full itinerary, however the system keep saying error and unable to provide the pricing detail. So call has to be made to create the booking manual.

It was a Y class RTW booking, QF has got a horrible IT system, and down every days. I had to call back another time, and repeat for many times. Their FF centre only open between 7-7 and the call will be transferred to anywhere if dailed out of this hours. With hours of waiting, disconnected, operator hang up by purpose (or by mistakes, really?), and call back another day. Finally got the booked initiated, it was before the point changes in weeks before, but I did not know what has happened until later.

Requested to work out the tax and surcharges before book, but most of the operators would just hang up during the wait (I guess they were just cant be bother to do the sum manually). Finally got every flight confirmed, and still got no figure on the costs.

One day, I talked to a nice lady, wondering why the point for Y RTW has been reduced and what is the changes on J RTW. She replied as Y reduction take place immediately while the increment on J will be in Sep. So why not have a look on J and see how much is the difference on the cost.

Unfortunately, she did not create a new booking with J but released all Y seats and replaced with J. She could not do the auto pricing, and had to ask a supervisor to do it.

Lately, they replied with 29XX SGD, it looks wrong and too expensive, the supervisor was very confident on her number, denied to recalculate and claimed the difference between Y and J wouldn't too much, she was pushing me to book it now or will loss all seats. I actually worked it out as should be around 2000 SGD ish. There were no possible to do a comparison as only one booking exist and it was J after changed. This supervisor was also unable to differentiate between stopovers and transit, and denied to accept my correction. She threatened me book it now or will lose it.

Then I called again, this time spoken to auckland branch with a very professional gentleman. He created a new booking with Y, but unable to confirm for 2 seats request as their system hanged, but these flights were confirmed before the nice lady released them on the first booking. He also checked on the J class booking, and he was not going to do the recalculation as noted in the log. But I convinced him with the evidence I have from my sum. Lately, a senior worked out that the figure was wrong and should be 20XX (vs 29XX the incorrect figure), it was about 30% lower.

Due to Y class itinary was unable to do the quotation (as flights not confirmed), no comparison can be made. And no idea when the system will be back on running and suggested to call back later or tomorrow.

Next day, I called, and this time, the operator mentioned the tax and surcharges should be reduced as new rule introduced. But the J class booking is initiated before the change date, so it will be worked out as following the old rule. Well, it can be simply create a new booking with all flights, isn't it? But some flights became unable or got cancelled, also on the Y class booking as well. Had to restart the planning on routing AGAIN. Remember, the availability on QF website is inconsistent to their system and have to call to check. And also the availability is different from time to time. It took me another round of study and research.

To make this trip happen has became so difficult because of those planned seats are no longer available. And also, sometime, the operator is looking on wrong class code, wrong days, wrong time would also effect to the routing.

Today, finally, I have got J class itinerary confirmed and done the pricing. I was about to book but got to run for a meeting as promised. Lately, some original planned flights became available again, so requested to get it changed before I would go ahead and get it issued with payment. This time, call handled by SA office, they said the itinerary is not valid as "MY NAME IS A SECTOR", therefore 16 flights + my name = 17 flights. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. The operator was not able to do the pricing as over 16 sectors limitations. Of course it is very wrong. However she was not able to process unless to remove 1 sector.

I am now have to call back and check with someone more professional but for sure he or she will see the note about it.

P.S. The final itinerary is satisfied to 35K miles 16 sectors and 5 stopovers.

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Updates: Today I am about to issue the ticket, but they worked out the surcharge and tax at about 2000AUD while I have been given 1500AUDish by other operators a couple days ago. and this figure is similar to my own calculation added up by the figure given from their website.

I was wondering why there are so much difference, they denied providing the breakdown as shown before making the purchases on the website. The cheaper calculation is base on the stopovers as break points. I suggested to do a calculation base on this method, but they simply said no and pushing me to pay or lose this reservation. They were extremely aggressive and not explaining, and I have never ever had the experience with any of the airlines customers service behaved like this, and feel like being threaten and they act like mafia.

​As customers rights, we have the right to understand what we are paying for before payment.
​​​​​​
My query was just as simple as asking for a clarification and to understand why the difference are there and big, also the way they calculate. But they were not happy and not even be bothered to check or to answer. Is that how Hobat Australian treating people? (P.s. I have many OZ friends but never dealt with anyone like this)

Also, the supervisor had also denied they made an incorrect calculation (29XX) earlier but still with confidence on what they got was correct still eventho proofed as incorrect.


==========================================

A SR ticket acknowledgement has came to my email which drown my attention. I have not written any enquiry or complaint (yet), it is likely submitted by the time when I was on the phone dealing with the calculation according to the timestamp.

QFFF operator had read out the contents of the email which consists with my itinerary, booking reference and other personal detail, with question about the pricing. This ticket was not submitted by myself and I am sure the only people who knows about this travel and the detail would be the ticketing personnels. I did not give any permission to them writing anything on my behalf nor I aware anyone was going to do it so.

This is a case of serious security concern, and is now passed onto the relevant department.


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Now I have became an expert on all OW member network and routes. Thanks for that.

Question: if the transit time is 24H00M exactly, is it considered as stopovers or not?

To be frankly, the cut on QF call centre headcount isn't a good idea for services.

Firstly as because of the waiting time is endless and their system is unreliable.

Secondly, the webchat has never worked. I have never seen any popup when i trying to chat to them.

Thirdly, there are many inexperience operators even senior are having no idea what they are talking about.

I agree pax behaviour is now more independent and can do everything themselves online. It is true when the reliable and workable system is available there. It is simply that QF is not investing on their system improvements.

Nowadays, everything is cloud base and I dont accept the system failure or computer is down for hours as the excuse. If I can get everything done online and the website is not giving me a system error and inconsistence, I would do everything myself rather than calling.

Can you believe that MH call centre takes less than 5 mins to pick up the call while more than hours with QF? But still way much better than IB's manner for sure.

Dave Noble

My understanding is that 00:00 -> 23:59 is a transit and 24:00+ is a stopover

if You arrive at 13:00 , then 13:00 the next day or later will be a stopover since 13:00 -> 12:59 will be the limit for a transit

og

That is how CX handled a 24:00 stay at a city in a RTW some years ago. It was called Stopover (not Transit).

serfty

The only time I experienced an exact 24 hour break between flights, I had CX at CMB treat a 10am LHR arrival with a 10am LGW departure as a transit.

It was ticketed as -xLON-

These were paper tickets.

ufoken

Updates: Today I am about to issue the ticket, but they worked out the surcharge and tax at about 2000AUD while I have been given 1500AUDish by other operators a couple days ago. and this figure is similar to my own calculation added up by the figure given from their website.

I was wondering why there are so much difference, they denied providing the breakdown as shown before making the purchases on the website. The cheaper calculation is base on the stopovers as break points. I suggested to do a calculation base on this method, but they simply said no and pushing me to pay or lose this reservation. They were extremely aggressive and not explaining, and I have never ever had the experience with any of the airlines customers service behaved like this, and feel like being threaten and they act like mafia.

​As customers rights, we have the right to understand what we are paying for before payment.
​​​​​​
My query was just as simple as asking for a clarification and to understand why the difference are there and big, also the way they calculate. But they were not happy and not even be bothered to check or to answer. Is that how Hobat Australian treating people? (P.s. I have many OZ friends but never dealt with anyone like this)

Also, the supervisor had also denied they made an incorrect calculation (29XX) earlier but still with confidence on what they got was correct still eventho proofed as incorrect.

number_6

If there is an error you can get a refund after you get the ticket and accompanying fee breakdown. QF is pretty good about correcting any legitimate errors following the rules. The fare construction rules are pretty complex and these RTW tickets can have some unusual conditions, so I wouldn't be quick to blame the ticketing staff. Agree that it is frustrating, but this applies to 0.0001% of the tickets that they sell.

ufoken

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I am unsure if the difference can be refunded as simple as just show them the evidences. You are right, it could be rules to follow, that makes the result various. But as customer, should have got the right to understand what I am paying for, and fair to question when the information are contradicted. I also lost the confidence on their calculation as they had made a huge mistake previously.

During the conversation, the operator and supervisor was so much arrogant and confident on their figure, no recalculation, no listening, of course, and no mention about refund method as u have addressed.

I have lately worked out these persons I have spoken with were also the same people who gave me the wrong figures and bad attitudes in the conversation.

Furthermore, I had noticed their published information was incorrect, calculator was wrong, and was not the same as the point accumulation. It was clear as misleading, and they correct the website immediately. They denided iI was wrong by quoting the updated information and case closed. Luckily I have got all screenshots taken and have to negotiation with them again and again. But it was hassle and time wasted. Therefore, I wouldn't trust anything would get refunded without having another endless around of back and forth.

The amount of their ticket sales should not be the excuse for acting ignorant and inpatient. I have spoken to other QF office in different countries, most of them are very professional and polite.

As I have wrote in my thread, by cutting head count in the call centre and not investing on improving their system would only making customers experience worse.

serfty

There's a TA on the Australian Frequent Flyer Forum (AFF) who will calculate for free what the taxes, levies and airline surcharges should be for any given route on a Qantas oneworld award booking.

You need to be an active AFF member to post a query.

So it surprises me that Qantas staff have so much difficulty.

ufoken

After a long study, I have finally worked out the reason why their are so much difference.

1. UK departure tax. It is base on the distance between the departure and final destination / stopovers. The difference is 150GBP between lower than 2000 miles and the case of over 2000 miles.

2. There is a glitch with UL YQ charges, some circumstances are overcharging as much as 300GBP or more. My case was around 140GBP. ITA, BA, UL, MH are also proofing the glitches existed.

This works the major differences.

However, QF staff was not helping or answering my enquiries when it ended unhappily. They have also put negative comment in my profile that making even more difficult now for reservation and check with their ticketing for looking at the pricing issue.