deleter

The difference between the old and new price if I understood correctly.

makrom

Not the least bit surprised to hear that. People are drilled to work strictly according to protocol, and if protocol doesn't foresee downgrading, you are out of luck. With any other airline, low level reps would understand the reason in your request and just escalate it to someone with enough decision power to solve it off protocol, but QR simply doesn't understand the concept of escalation.
Apparently they consider their protocols to be flawless (can't stop laughing) so that there's no need for escalation. Just look at what happens when a glass door in an outstation lounge breaks. Solving it isn't a matter of days nor weeks, it took them almost a year. Obviously the problem wasn't the "doing" or the actual planning, but simply to get it on someone's desk with enough decision power to handle such unforeseen events. I wouldn't even be surprised if said desk is the one of AAB.

Alfredbali

Exactly, standard award price was 71000 qmiles, and jumped to 145000 qmiles on May 27th 2018.

FlytheTail

On other (US-based) airlines, when they instituted changes to the mileage required for award tickets, I've had to pay the new rates when making date changes. So, this doesn't surprise me. I've had a least one instance (on UA) when the number of award miles decreased, in which case I canceled the ticket and re-booked at the lower rate. I realize that's the exception to the rule though.

Often1

These are not "protocols", they are contractual terms to which OP agreed when he joined the program. If he wants to make changes, he will need to rebook under the new rules.

I would not see these terms being waived on many other carriers as well.

makrom

Not sure why you put that in quotes, is the applicability of this term subject to interpretation? Do you actually believe that QRPC service reps are experts on contractual law and don't work according to protocols (ideally set up in line with underlying contracts)?
Besides, do these contracs even exclude the possibility of voluntary downgrades, leaving anyone who would actually work according to contractual interpretation rather than protocols no wiggle room?

I can say from experience that I once managed to get such a voluntary downgrade with AA when I had to reschedule with no availability in my original booking class. Granted, AA's contracts might be different in key areas, but without looking at any documents, I am not surprised at all that it worked with AA but not with QR.

And these kind of things are symptomatic. Just last month when I qualified for UA Premier Plat but didn't get my upgrade, it took one phone call and when the service rep couldn't explain why I didn't get upgraded, he discussed it with his supervisor and they processed the upgrade manually. When QRPC failed to upgrade me for technical reasons, it took countless phone calls, repetitive emails and 3 months. And when I fly LH with a connection to QR on a separate ticket, I can get my baggage checked through, which usually requires an escalation with the supervisor since their default check in procedure doesn't allow for that. And with QR and a connection to LH? I can be a QRPC Platinum flying first class, all I do is hit brick walls, be it at outstations or DOH.

Richard Bell

Exactly, I have a similar redemption-flight booked, CNX-DOH-LHR in Economy next February, which cost me 37,500 Qmiles pre-enhancement and would now require 62,750 Qmiles.

Plus minor-taxes (as before) & the NEW per-sector fees.

Dr. HFH

So why are we dinging QR for doing what most/all other airlines would do? Sure we're pissed at the devaluation. By all means let's condemn them where appropriate, but we needn't go out of our way to make them look worse than their competitors when everyone's handling it the same way.

florin

It is standard practice for a ticket to abide by the rules at the time of the ticketing date. If the ticket does need to be reissued, then the new prices would apply because it is a new ticket. This is not unreasonable. If mileage prices went down, and availability were there, you could re-issue and claim back some of the miles.

The other day I bought a piece of clothing and the clerk accidentally keyed in a 70% discount, though it was advertised as 40% off. Unfortunately, I had to exchange it for a different size and at that time I was given a choice of keeping my item with the higher discount, or exchange it but pay the difference (because it would be scanned again and re-priced.)

QRPC sucks in many ways, but this is not an instance where I think they're wrong.

makrom

I think the examples I mentioned of QR vs. other airlines speak for themselves, especially as I had a very comparable situation with AA that was solved differently. I am very willing to give QR credit for many things they do, their business class seats are among the best in the industry, so is the service, the catering, they have a good fleet and have good punctuality ratings and their +Qatar program is a real boon. But at the same time, issues like the one at hand are very typical for QR, but I don't see it as industry standard. Booking QR can still be a rewarding experience because of the forementioned perks, but one should know what one is bargaining for. If one expects an all around 5* experience, QR might not be the right choice.

brunos

Indeed.
I have been a long-time FT member and travel many airlines, hence follow many airline threads.
FFP business model is to get periodically devalued. All airlines have periodically gone through devaluations, often of large magnitude.
In each forum we read posters who are are pissed by the devaluation (they should) and announce that they decided to quit flying an airline because of its FFP devaluation. Although we later discover that they don't.

Frankly, one has to dissociate the benefit of the airline and its FFP. I fly QR J a lot despite crediting to BAEC. It may not be an optimal thing to do but it is a good central account for all my OW flights. I find QR extremely good value and book them when the price is right. The FFP is not on top of my criteria for selecting a flight.

Back to the point: Whenever there is a FFP devaluation, tickets cannot be changed post-devaluation. That is common to all airlines as a reissued ticket has to follow the current mileage rules.

brunos

Indeed.
I have been a long-time FT member and travel many airlines, hence follow many airline threads.
FFP business model is to get periodically devalued. All airlines have periodically gone through devaluations, often of large magnitude.
In each forum we read posters who are are pissed by the devaluation (they should) and announce that they decided to quit flying an airline because of its FFP devaluation. Although we later discover that they don't.

Frankly, one has to dissociate the benefit of the airline and its FFP. I fly QR J a lot despite crediting to BAEC. It may not be an optimal thing to do but it is a good central account for all my OW flights. I find QR extremely good value and book them when the price is right. The FFP is not on top of my criteria for selecting a flight.

Back to the point: Whenever there is a FFP devaluation, tickets cannot be changed post-devaluation. That is common to all airlines as a reissued ticket has to follow the current mileage rules.

Dr. HFH

Can't disagree with you. Although I, personally, have had excellent service from various ground support staff, I know from reading these threads that my experience is an outlier.

Alfredbali

My ticket rules allowed date changes (as long as there is standard award availability for the new date) within ticket one year validity. Didn't prevent Qatar Airways to forbid changes on all award tickets in February 2018, and allow changes again recently on those same tickets (without repricing). This shows they they don't care much about ticket rules actually.

Anyway the reason qr is rejecting my change request is because my DOH CDG segment is booked in first, and my new date has only J availability on this segment, although i agreed to be downgraded to J, Qatar Airways quite stupidly imo still refuses the change.
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I really like QR hard and soft product in flight (and also CDG lounge which is fantastic), but customer service and QRPC are really bad imo.

tartempion

I for one changed airlines 2x over the last 10 years, not just because of FF devaluation, but it was certainly part of the decision, 1st Etihad and now QR, I made TK Elite and *A in 6 months and 3 retun tickets. Incentive to maintain gold with QR is gone together with no more decent deals which I do get with TK.