Will Qantas waive change fees for existing bookings? (WHO Pandemic Declaration)
#31
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Land of Oz
Posts: 939
The airline is making exceptions which are beyond what it is required to do - it could have simply stuck with the fare rules. Give someone a free cup of coffee and then they complain that it is not a mug of coffee
The airline is also not an insurance company - just because some insurance policies will not cover it, does not mean that the airline should become an unpaid insurer. There are insurances that , if taken out before the situation became major, do cover it and those buying tickets 10 months ago had opportunity to take out insurance before anyone had heard of Wuhan
The airline is also not an insurance company - just because some insurance policies will not cover it, does not mean that the airline should become an unpaid insurer. There are insurances that , if taken out before the situation became major, do cover it and those buying tickets 10 months ago had opportunity to take out insurance before anyone had heard of Wuhan
But when the WHO declared a pandemic it seems to basically absolve the insurance most of tcompanies ofheir responsibilities to their customers, even to those who purchased before this even existed.
#32
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 13
I know that people who booked hotels in Italy through bookingdotcom were able to get full refund with no problem.
#33
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Programs: NZ Elite; QF Platinum; CZ Gold; MU Platinum; Marriott Titanium; Accor Platinum
Posts: 1,466
We took out insurance with covermore in October last year. At the time the choice to buy "cancel anytime" was not on the webpage, however I bought us extra cancellation coverage which I need to call them, when I have time, to find out if that included cancel anytime cover.
But when the WHO declared a pandemic it seems to basically absolve the insurance most of tcompanies ofheir responsibilities to their customers, even to those who purchased before this even existed.
But when the WHO declared a pandemic it seems to basically absolve the insurance most of tcompanies ofheir responsibilities to their customers, even to those who purchased before this even existed.
In terms of the coverage, based on my call with them last week, the default cover for cancel for any reason is $1000 (NZD in my case presumably also 1,000 AUD) and you have to buy up to a higher level of cover, but can only do this within 48 hours of booking the travel.
#34
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: ADL, AKL & SIN
Programs: QF WP/LTG
Posts: 851
Classic award cancellations? 6000 points fee waived?
For classic award cancellations, will the 6000 point cancellation fee be waived?
I had a classic award booking that fell under the parameters of the allowed dates for cancellation if paid for by cash.
It is not clear from the Qantas website if classic award bookings are also exempted from cancellation fees.
For classic award booking, the "cancel" option in MMB automatically brings you to another page where it mentions the 6000 point cancellation fee.
Nevertheless, I had to cancel my booking and since I could not get through via phone, I did the cancellation online first, hoping to resolve the 6000 point cancellation fee if I could get through to the Platinum line a few days later.
I had a classic award booking that fell under the parameters of the allowed dates for cancellation if paid for by cash.
It is not clear from the Qantas website if classic award bookings are also exempted from cancellation fees.
For classic award booking, the "cancel" option in MMB automatically brings you to another page where it mentions the 6000 point cancellation fee.
Nevertheless, I had to cancel my booking and since I could not get through via phone, I did the cancellation online first, hoping to resolve the 6000 point cancellation fee if I could get through to the Platinum line a few days later.
#35
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: AKL
Programs: NZ Silver
Posts: 1,814
I have a TT booking and if I click cancel it gives me the option of credit voucher or refund to the credit card....Refund says less any applicable fees - are these waived for affected bookings? Was happy with a credit, but if I can get a refund that would be ideal...seems too good to be true?
#36
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Auckland, NZ
Posts: 927
I have a TT booking and if I click cancel it gives me the option of credit voucher or refund to the credit card....Refund says less any applicable fees - are these waived for affected bookings? Was happy with a credit, but if I can get a refund that would be ideal...seems too good to be true?
#37
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: NZ
Posts: 1,540
I have a TT booking and if I click cancel it gives me the option of credit voucher or refund to the credit card....Refund says less any applicable fees - are these waived for affected bookings? Was happy with a credit, but if I can get a refund that would be ideal...seems too good to be true?
#39
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: AY Platinum, UA Premier Platinum, OneWorld Emerald, VA Platinum
Posts: 558
The way I read it (from various Qantas emails and notifications, along with anecdotal evidence):
For paid Qantas, Qantas Group and Qantas Partner tickets booked via Qantas prior to March 10, 2020:
Bookings cancelled "up to" March 31 2020 (I'm assuming it means March 31 2020 23:59:59) for existing travel bookings up to May 31, 2020 (which may be confusing if your actual fight departure time is June 1 2020 1:00 am for example):
Option 1: Cancel and request equivalent value credit voucher. Voucher can be redeemed up to 30 September 2020 or 12 months from initial ticket date, whichever is latest*. Travel can be booked for any date when voucher is redeemed.
When voucher is used, change fees are waived. (i.e "Free Change")
Option 2: Cancel and request refund. Refund is minus any applicable charges as per fare conditions of original ticket. (Not a "Free Cancellation" unless your original fare allows)
Bookings cancelled after March 31, 2020
Option 1: Cancel and request equivalent value credit voucher. Voucher valid for 12 months from date of original ticket*. When voucher is used, change fees are applied. (Not a "Free Cancellation")
Option 2: Cancel and request refund. Refund is minus any applicable charges as per fare conditions of original ticket.(Not a "Free Cancellation" unless your original fare allows)
For points tickets:
Bookings cancelled up to March 31 2020 for existing travel up to May 31, 2020.
Option 1: Cancel and pay the points cancellation fee. Taxes, charges etc are refunded. (Not a "Free Cancellation") -see below update
Option 2: Change the date of travel and the change fees are waived. (i.e "Free Change")
Bookings cancelled after March 31, 2020
Option 1: Cancel and pay the points cancellation fee. Taxes, charges etc are refunded. (Not a "Free Cancellation")
Option 2: Change the date of travel and pay the change fee. (Not a "Free Change")
*Vouchers from cancelled Jetstar flights must instead be spent within six months of the cancellation being actioned not six months from the date of original purchase and can be used for travel within 12 months of the new booking date
Now, I have also read that if you make a booking after March 10 and before March 31 for travel up to May 31, 2020 on Qantas or Jetstar, all cancellation fees are waived for bookings cancelled up to May 31,2020 and your voucher has the same restrictions as above. ("Free Change")
So, in summary:
If you booked before March 10 for travel up to May 31, you have until March 31 to action the "free change" and
If you booked after March 10 for travel up to May 31, you have until the date of travel to action the "free change".
In reality, there is no free cancellation (unless your original fare conditions allow this), there is only a "free change" under certain conditions.
update: There are some reports of Qantas manually refunding the points cancellation fee. A wait of 1-2 weeks has been quoted.
For paid Qantas, Qantas Group and Qantas Partner tickets booked via Qantas prior to March 10, 2020:
Bookings cancelled "up to" March 31 2020 (I'm assuming it means March 31 2020 23:59:59) for existing travel bookings up to May 31, 2020 (which may be confusing if your actual fight departure time is June 1 2020 1:00 am for example):
Option 1: Cancel and request equivalent value credit voucher. Voucher can be redeemed up to 30 September 2020 or 12 months from initial ticket date, whichever is latest*. Travel can be booked for any date when voucher is redeemed.
When voucher is used, change fees are waived. (i.e "Free Change")
Option 2: Cancel and request refund. Refund is minus any applicable charges as per fare conditions of original ticket. (Not a "Free Cancellation" unless your original fare allows)
Bookings cancelled after March 31, 2020
Option 1: Cancel and request equivalent value credit voucher. Voucher valid for 12 months from date of original ticket*. When voucher is used, change fees are applied. (Not a "Free Cancellation")
Option 2: Cancel and request refund. Refund is minus any applicable charges as per fare conditions of original ticket.(Not a "Free Cancellation" unless your original fare allows)
For points tickets:
Bookings cancelled up to March 31 2020 for existing travel up to May 31, 2020.
Option 1: Cancel and pay the points cancellation fee. Taxes, charges etc are refunded. (Not a "Free Cancellation") -see below update
Option 2: Change the date of travel and the change fees are waived. (i.e "Free Change")
Bookings cancelled after March 31, 2020
Option 1: Cancel and pay the points cancellation fee. Taxes, charges etc are refunded. (Not a "Free Cancellation")
Option 2: Change the date of travel and pay the change fee. (Not a "Free Change")
*Vouchers from cancelled Jetstar flights must instead be spent within six months of the cancellation being actioned not six months from the date of original purchase and can be used for travel within 12 months of the new booking date
Now, I have also read that if you make a booking after March 10 and before March 31 for travel up to May 31, 2020 on Qantas or Jetstar, all cancellation fees are waived for bookings cancelled up to May 31,2020 and your voucher has the same restrictions as above. ("Free Change")
So, in summary:
If you booked before March 10 for travel up to May 31, you have until March 31 to action the "free change" and
If you booked after March 10 for travel up to May 31, you have until the date of travel to action the "free change".
In reality, there is no free cancellation (unless your original fare conditions allow this), there is only a "free change" under certain conditions.
update: There are some reports of Qantas manually refunding the points cancellation fee. A wait of 1-2 weeks has been quoted.
Last edited by Guvner067; Mar 17, 2020 at 7:27 pm
#40
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ADL
Programs: QFF, AAdvantage, All
Posts: 1,128
Have you read anywhere that changes made online (that are within the free change criteria), which still require a change fee payment, get reimbursed later?
#41
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: CX, QF
Posts: 3
I swear I had seen somewhere that cancellation fees for Reward bookings would be waived. In any case, I cancelled a Rewards booking yesterday through SMS (as posted in a different thread); they initially quoted a 6000 point cancellation fee which I pushed back on. They happily obliged and waived the 6000 points. Now, yet to see my points refunded, but I did get confirmation through SMS that the cancellation and refund had gone through. Chalk my experience up as one of those "manual" refunds.
#44
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 181
What will qantas do for people who trying to achieve status? Will the end date of June 30 be extended being that all travel are being restricted? I assume they will make that announcement after May 31st? That will only give 1 month to travel?
#45
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.3MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,194
I swear I had seen somewhere that cancellation fees for Reward bookings would be waived. In any case, I cancelled a Rewards booking yesterday through SMS (as posted in a different thread); they initially quoted a 6000 point cancellation fee which I pushed back on. They happily obliged and waived the 6000 points. Now, yet to see my points refunded, but I did get confirmation through SMS that the cancellation and refund had gone through. Chalk my experience up as one of those "manual" refunds.