bberg009

After spending almost $10,000 on plane tickets to Austalia for our family vacation, Quantas refused to give a single frequent flier mile to our American Airline accounts (they are one-world alliance partners).

However, after the travel is completed, Quantas instructs American Airlines, that the flights does not "qualify for frequent flier milage". No such stipulations were made when we booked the tickets, after confirmation, nor is it printed on our intiniary, tickets, boarding passes,emailed confirmations or receipts.

Only after travel is completed and paid for do they refuse credits. Quantas, also does not respond to emails nor direct contacts. Is this fraud experienced by others?

bcworld

How did you book the tickets? With Qantas or an agent?

Amazulu

Qantas are a pile of pooh airline.

roman_candle

Qantas and American Airlines don’t credit points for flights done on the other, even though they are both one world airlines. Or rather, they do, but only if you fly on a ‘non discount’ economy fare (or business/first class fare, I guess), which almost nobody actually does as there’s so much discounting on air fares. Or at least, that was what I was told when I queried it a few years ago.

I’m a Qantas frequent flyer and had the same experience when I flew American Airlines – no points for me! You’ll probably actually find that it’s AA in your case that isn’t crediting your points, not Qantas, as they would be the ones operating your frequent flyer scheme, but the conditions seem to be reciprocal. I’m not sure about AA, but the Qantas frequent flyer terms and conditions actually do say that you can only earn points on eligible airlines and fare codes and that “Frequent Flyer points may not be earned on some fare types, or on some oneworld alliance or partner airline flights”, so I guess the onus is on you to find out whether your fare code is eligible or not. Tucked way back in the terms and conditions it does list the eligible fare codes, and I bet if you looked at the terms and conditions of your AA frequent flyer membership you'd find a similar thing in there, unfortunately. They usually cover themselves for this stuff. meh. Frequent flyer programs are so dodgy in that way, they seem fantastic until you realise that they make it as hard as possible to actually redeem the points.

Vicky88

Have you read the terms of the frequent flyer plan? I know that on some routes, even if you are on a One World partner you are not eligible for frequent flyer points if it is a route that the airline that you are a FF member of flies the route.

That said I am a Qantas FF and have never not been credited for my American Airlines to BA flights so there must be more to your story.

Vicky88

Also if you are a member of the American Airlines program the refusal must be coming from AA not Qantas as it is AA who determines whether or not you qualify.

Pollyana

Rather than publicly accusing a major airline of fraud, would it not be an idea to contact the Customer Service Depts at both Qantas and AA and ask them why they are not awarding the points?
Many airlines that are in OneWorld don't do a fuilly reciprocal system for their points, its all in the small print on the Qantas website.

(and its QANTAS by the way )

Pollyana

Don't know if this helps, but - Excerpt from FF terms and conditions -

9.3.5 The Minimum Points Guarantee will be applied to all Eligible Flights that have a QF, JQ, 3K, VF, AA or BA flight number. The Minimum Points Guarantee is as follows:

(a) for Qantas (QF) and Jetstar (JQ, 3K or VF) - 1,000 Points for each Eligible Flight Segment travelled in Economy or Premium Economy class and 1,250 Points for each Eligible Flight Segment travelled in Business or First class or Jetstar StarClass;
(b) for American Airlines® (AA) - 500 Points for each Eligible Flight Segment travelled; and
(c) for British Airways (BA) - 500 Points for each Eligible Flight Segment travelled in full Economy, World Traveller Plus, Business or First class and 125 Points for each Eligible Flight Segment travelled in discount Economy class.

9.3.6 The Minimum Points Guarantee applies only if the number of Points earned after the application of any applicable Cabin Class Bonus, any promotional bonus and any Status Bonus, is less than the applicable Minimum Points Guarantee specified in clause 9.3.5.

BUT

9.4 Points Are Not Earned on All Flights
9.4.1 Points are not earned for travel on:
(a) flights or booking classes that are excluded, as specified in the Airline Earning Table;
(b) infant fares unless travelling in their own paid seat;
(c) charter flights;
(d) freighter flights;
(e) free tickets, including tickets issued as Award Flights or rewards, including through other award programs;
(f) travel industry rebated tickets;
(g) competition prize tickets;
(h) transport other than air transport unless specified by Qantas;
(i) tickets acquired at an auction; or
(j) tickets which are subject to any specific provisions excluding the accumulation of Points

quoll

Yup, lesson, read the fine print or ask when you book. I havent had any trouble with Qantas not crediting points that I am due.

bberg009

So the short story is: bury some information on a web site (preferrably someone elses), sell tickets like crazy; don't tell your customers about any negative items; make money and screw the customers --> if they complaint, you got away with it, and your excuse is that someting is written somewhere on some web site. Is that customer service? How many calories does it cost Qantas to tell customer this up front like "hey you want this ticket? It comes with no miles".. Perhaps it is a more profitable model of keeping this quiet until AFTER they fly... (just cannot belive some of you guys are DEFENDING ?!? this practice.. are you airline employees?)

steve99

No, there just not as naive as you....
All the terms and conditions of the FF program would of been sent to you when you joined up, its your choice whether you read them or not, they cant force you to....

derab

bberg

I know this is not the answer you want, but if you join qantas frequent flyer you can get the trips credited to your QFF account for up to 12 months (i think )

BUT..
you can only get YOUR ticket credited to YOUR QFF account
so.. if there were 4 of you travelling, then you need to open 4 QFF accounts and Qantas charge a joining fee.

once you have all the points in the accounts, you can then "gift" them to family members, thus getting the points back into one account..

then.. IF you can book a flight with AA/BA or any of the partner airlines, you're sorted.. the IF is for availablility, I have found world traveller plus on BA the easiest to book using QFF points followed by Cathay pacific, I have never tried American Airlines.

Like i said, its not what you want to hear, but it is a possible solution.

EDIT: of course check your tickets are valid before actually joining their FF scheme ..

Derab

Pollyana

Useful tip for people - no joining fee for Qantas Frequent Flyer - as long as you joiin before you move to Aus! Once you are here you can change your address, but if you join on an Aussie address they charge a fee. Join with a non-Aussie adrress and its free

Centurion

Problem is with your AA frequent flyer program and not Qantas...note the spelling QANTAS. (personally hang up there I realise :P)

Vim Fuego

Tell it to the starving of Ethiopia, they'll be gutted.