Hold on to your ticket - Clarification required
May 29, 2020, 5:45 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 427
Hold on to your ticket - Clarification required
Hello there.
This has been mentioned very briefly in a couple of threads on this site, but without apparent certainty.
On the Qatar 'travel with confidence' policy page on their website, there are a number of options. The one pertaining to changing your destination within 5000 miles before year end has been widely discussed of course.
However, I am interested in the very first option on the page. https://www.qatarairways.com/en/trav...onfidence.html
"Hold on to your ticket
Keep your ticket and use it when you are ready with our extended ticket validity, now valid for 2 years from the date of ticket issuance for greater flexibility.
Call any of our offices or contact centres to extend your ticket validity."
My view and hope is that I can simply delay my summer 2020 flights and take them in summer 2021 instead, for no additional charges. Simply pushing the dates back by one year.
There is mixed opinion on this forum about the definition.
I even spoke twice to Qatar: once to a guy in the main Doha office, and just this morning to a lady in Poland.
One of them was adamant that this is in fact the same as receiving a voucher, but without the 10% extra loaded. The other person felt that this option does allow you to rebook in a year, but you'd need to pay the fare difference.
Neither of them felt that this option is very useful, and they were both a bit unsure themselves about the definition.
The issue I have is that I paid a very good price for flights this summer. I am fairly sure the price will be substantially higher in summer 2021 - higher than the extra 10% from a travel voucher.
These flights are currently scheduled to go ahead (Thailand) so I am unlikely to be able to obtain a refund either - not that I want a refund on this occassion, I just want to fly one year later without any fare difference, and that is what the wording on the policy seems to suggest.
So, tl;dr: is there anyway anyone can get some proper officially confirmed clarification from Qatar pertaining to the 'hold on to your ticket' option, including examples?
I'm hoping someone here has sufficient level of access to relevant Qatar personnel to get us a clear definition. Here I am not wanting a refund, but instead to be able to fly the same route a year later. Surely this policy covers that and would be beneficial to both the airline and the customer?
Thanks.
This has been mentioned very briefly in a couple of threads on this site, but without apparent certainty.
On the Qatar 'travel with confidence' policy page on their website, there are a number of options. The one pertaining to changing your destination within 5000 miles before year end has been widely discussed of course.
However, I am interested in the very first option on the page. https://www.qatarairways.com/en/trav...onfidence.html
"Hold on to your ticket
Keep your ticket and use it when you are ready with our extended ticket validity, now valid for 2 years from the date of ticket issuance for greater flexibility.
Call any of our offices or contact centres to extend your ticket validity."
My view and hope is that I can simply delay my summer 2020 flights and take them in summer 2021 instead, for no additional charges. Simply pushing the dates back by one year.
There is mixed opinion on this forum about the definition.
I even spoke twice to Qatar: once to a guy in the main Doha office, and just this morning to a lady in Poland.
One of them was adamant that this is in fact the same as receiving a voucher, but without the 10% extra loaded. The other person felt that this option does allow you to rebook in a year, but you'd need to pay the fare difference.
Neither of them felt that this option is very useful, and they were both a bit unsure themselves about the definition.
The issue I have is that I paid a very good price for flights this summer. I am fairly sure the price will be substantially higher in summer 2021 - higher than the extra 10% from a travel voucher.
These flights are currently scheduled to go ahead (Thailand) so I am unlikely to be able to obtain a refund either - not that I want a refund on this occassion, I just want to fly one year later without any fare difference, and that is what the wording on the policy seems to suggest.
So, tl;dr: is there anyway anyone can get some proper officially confirmed clarification from Qatar pertaining to the 'hold on to your ticket' option, including examples?
I'm hoping someone here has sufficient level of access to relevant Qatar personnel to get us a clear definition. Here I am not wanting a refund, but instead to be able to fly the same route a year later. Surely this policy covers that and would be beneficial to both the airline and the customer?
Thanks.
May 29, 2020, 6:47 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 640
The "Travel With Confidence" Policy, which you already have, is quite clear: "Change entire travel or part of journey on/after 1 January 2021: Requote and collect any difference in fare, taxes, fees, charges, surcharges. Waive rebooking penalty. Any collection from previously exchanged / reissued tickets remain non-refundable."
If you want this "officially confirmed", open a Zendesk ticket and you will receive a written response - but be prepared to receive a response that you may not like.
Your "view and hope" are just not reflective of the reality.
If you want this "officially confirmed", open a Zendesk ticket and you will receive a written response - but be prepared to receive a response that you may not like.
Your "view and hope" are just not reflective of the reality.
May 29, 2020, 6:55 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 427
The "Travel With Confidence" Policy, which you already have, is quite clear: "Change entire travel or part of journey on/after 1 January 2021: Requote and collect any difference in fare, taxes, fees, charges, surcharges. Waive rebooking penalty. Any collection from previously exchanged / reissued tickets remain non-refundable."
If you want this "officially confirmed", open a Zendesk ticket and you will receive a written response - but be prepared to receive a response that you may not like.
Your "view and hope" are just not reflective of the reality.
If you want this "officially confirmed", open a Zendesk ticket and you will receive a written response - but be prepared to receive a response that you may not like.
Your "view and hope" are just not reflective of the reality.
"Your "view and hope" are just not reflective of the reality" err.. what?
May 29, 2020, 7:11 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Netherlands
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum for Life, AccorLiveLimitless Platinum, Qatar Airways Gold
Posts: 365
I think the T&C are quite clear on this:
"
Rebooking fees will be waived if reservations are amended before departure (for travel on/before 31 December 2020).
Rerouting for voluntary purposes (i.e. where there has been no flight disruption) is possible 14 (fourteen) days after making the booking. New flights must be booked in the same booking class (RBD), be operated by Qatar Airways and can be changed within the same country of origin and/or within a 5,000 (five thousand) mile radius from the original destination booking. If the same booking class is not available, a fare and taxes difference may apply."
What they are offering you is to make a "non flexible" or "flexible at charge rate" which you have free of change fee. The possible fare difference will still be for your account unless the flight is changed/cancelled before you change it.
"
Rebooking fees will be waived if reservations are amended before departure (for travel on/before 31 December 2020).
Rerouting for voluntary purposes (i.e. where there has been no flight disruption) is possible 14 (fourteen) days after making the booking. New flights must be booked in the same booking class (RBD), be operated by Qatar Airways and can be changed within the same country of origin and/or within a 5,000 (five thousand) mile radius from the original destination booking. If the same booking class is not available, a fare and taxes difference may apply."
What they are offering you is to make a "non flexible" or "flexible at charge rate" which you have free of change fee. The possible fare difference will still be for your account unless the flight is changed/cancelled before you change it.
May 29, 2020, 7:12 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cape Town
Programs: BA Exec Gold , Qatar Priviledge Club Plat
Posts: 1,584
I would hold off until the very last minute, QR may come back with a promo to allow people to extended their tickets free of charge for those with ticketed bookings. I have a feeling at least one of my flights will be cancelled in the near future and if this happens and i do not wanna travel due to travel restrictions i will simply claim a refund.
I do not think QR will really send down 2 aircraft daily to Cape Town this year in Nov.
I do not think QR will really send down 2 aircraft daily to Cape Town this year in Nov.