FOI: COVID-19 Our fight with Qantas to receive cash refunds.
We were originally booked to fly in Feb 2021 for an Ex-Servicewomen’s Reunion, however due to COVID -19, our flights were cancelled on 11 January 2021. As the Reunion was postponed to Feb 2022, I and 4 others from the Central Coast re-booked Qantas flights to Perth for 10th Feb 2022 and return flight for 18 Feb 2022.
Due to the WA border closing due to COVID-19 in Jan 2022, our flights were again cancelled by Qantas, and we have endeavoured to receive full cash refunds since Jan or Feb 22.
Each of us has a slightly different story.
Person 1. Jenny
Qantas online booking 24 Mar 2020. Received Credit of $532.09 on 11 Jan 2021 after receiving email from Qantas cancelling the Feb 2021 flight. On 29 Mar 2021, rebooked flight for Feb 2022 and was required to pay extra $145.91 via Visa. In January 2022 Qantas cancelled the flight again due to WA border being closed. NOTE: No official email from Qantas notifying cancellation has ever been received. I rang Qantas Customer Service on 19 Jan 2022 and was told “Yes the flights had been cancelled” and assured a full refund of $678 would be forthcoming and credited back to the relevant credit card after being notified by email within the next 3 to 5 weeks. No such notification received to date.
Upon checking my Frequent Flyer account after late Jan 2022 there were no details of my flight bookings or cancellation of same noted therein.
Person 2. Betty.
Qantas online booking Mar 2020. Received credit of $652.66 after Feb 21 flight cancelled. On 7 May 2021 rebooked flight for Feb 22 and paid an extra $7.57 via Visa Debit card. She emailed Qantas on 1 Jan 2022 to cancel her flights due to COVID-19 travel restrictions including the uncertainty with border issues. She received an email on 2 Mar 2022 saying her refund had been processed. On 4 Mar she received $7.57. which is a refund of the extra fare amount shown above. Upon receiving this small refund, she emailed Qantas 23 Mar 22 seeking the balance of her refund due totalling $652.66. No response from Qantas to date.
Person 3. Maree.
Qantas online booking. Received a credit of $537.07 after the cancellation of the Feb 21 flights. She rebooked on 22 May 2021 for flight Feb 2022 and paid an extra $198.38 via Visa Debit card. She spoke with Qantas Customer Service on 2 Feb 2022 and was told she would receive an email within next 6-8 weeks advising when her refund would be paid. She hasn’t had any notification to date.
Person 4. Anne.
Qantas online booking 13 Mar 2020. Received a credit of $531.57 after the cancellation of the Feb 21 flight. She rebooked on 15 Nov 21 and paid an extra $167.23 by Visa. She spoke with Qantas Customer Service on 2 Feb 2022 and was assured she would receive a full cash refund and told she would receive an email advising when her refund would be paid. On 23 Mar 22 she received email advising “we’ve refunded the cost of your ticket (that you paid using cash) to your original form of payment”. An amount of $166.43 was deposited into her account and an amount of $531.57 has been credited to her Qantas Travel Pass within the Qantas Frequent Flyer account.
Person 5. Sandy.
Booked via Flight Centre 26 May 2020 $545. Received cash refund on 24 Mar 21 after Feb 21 flights cancelled. She rebooked via Flight Centre 8 Nov 2021 and paid $690.46 by Visa. On 2 Feb 2022 after Feb 22 flight cancelled, she was advised by Flight Centre that she should receive cash refund between 6 and 12 weeks. No refund received to date.
SUMMARY
No emails received from Qantas advising that our Feb 2022 flights had been cancelled and offering credits or cash refunds as was the case after the Feb 21 flights were cancelled.
Several attempts by each person to make phone contact with Qantas Customer Service resulted in dropouts, hang-ups or waiting on hold for up to 3 hours.
No emails received from Qantas acknowledging our individual contacts with their Customer Service Reps and to confirm that we would be receiving cash refunds.
Each person paid different amounts for the same flights: Jenny $678, Betty $660.23, Maree $735.45, Anne $678.80, and Sandy $690.46.
That being a Qantas Frequent Flyer has no benefits re the guarantee of receiving a cash refund for Qantas cancellation of their flights.
It seems Qantas run their own race with no thought to the stress and anxiety they are causing hundreds if not thousands by their lack of common courtesy, extremely poor communication, and total lack of accountability to their customers.
