Ok, so I just sent this to QF customer care. Am seething at the moment:
"Hi,
I am very pissed off with Qantas right now. I have an AMEX Ultimate card, and apparently when I make an "eligible" purchase I am entitled to 2 complimentary lounge passes.
Well, there I go and make a booking on the QF website for round trip business class flights in July. There's my eligible purchase, I thought. Further, I made another booking for flights in July (this time Y class) on the AMEX website, your card partner. That's another purchase, I thought. So after spending over $4000 in QF products (one on your website, and one on your partner's) I sit waiting patiently for my two lounge passes to use for my economy flights to and from ADL.
Only the purchases, I've been informed, are not actually eligible because apparently (and quite conveniently I might add) the flights booked directly on the QF website was actually Hong Kong based (which happens when you book HKG-MEL, go figure) and the QF AMEX flights, curiously, are not eligible either because...well just because.
So here we are, me a loyal QF flyer who just dropped over $4k on QF flights, on the QF website, using a QF credit card and logged in under my QF FF number being told by QF, "Yeah, nah, sorry. Those aren't eligible purchases."
Which leads me to ask the question, in the most incredulous tone I can muster, "Are you kidding me?"
I'm hoping, despite using the QF customer feedback form, on the QF website, about QF products, that my complaint will still be deemed eligible and worthy of a response."
I think both your purchases are eligible, in saying that I do think the Lounge passes do take some time to get to your online portal. You're not going to get the Lounge pass straight away.
The Qantas spend via
the AMEX travel site used to be an eligible purchase but i noticed the last
purchase i made didn't generate the eligible spend for the lounge passes either.
Maybe they have changed it because the $450 travel credit was making it a free
kick for the lounge pass.
I think both your purchases are eligible, in saying that I do think the Lounge passes do take some time to get to your online portal. You're not going to get the Lounge pass straight away.
No they are not eligible. I made the purchases in February and just this morning asked AMEX what the deal was as to why after almost 4 months no lounge passes. They said that since I made the first purchase from Hong Kong, QF counts it as ineligible. The AMEX bought tickets don't count either because QF decided so.
Writing when your "seething" is rarely going to be a good idea. The terms and conditions for this card, set by AMEX, will show that in this case you are not correct. Perhaps a read of this before obtaining the card or making the bookings would have helped prevent this problem.
What triggers the lounge passes in the system is a charge from 'Qantas Air Australia' in AUD. The lounge passes usually appear on the AMEX side with a few days of such a transaction, and are then credited to QFF within a relatively short time frame.
It's the same as for earning bonus points on Qantas spend: it has to be direct with Qantas and in AUD.
However, while that Qantas spend can be the more obvious paths like flight bookings and lounge membership, buying a Qantas gift voucher can also trigger both the bonus points and the lounge passes, as the transaction is processed in the same way as a flight. So, one option would be to purchase a $50 Qantas gift voucher ahead of your next trip, to activate the lounge passes for your already-planned upcoming trip (and then use that voucher when you next make a booking, so no money lost).
It's not so much a hoax, as a failure to read the terms and conditions. Whilst it may be frustrating that your assumptions were incorrect, neither Qantas or AmEx are at fault. The terms and conditions are quite clear when they state that the flights must be booked on 'qantas.com.au', when booking flights originating in another country the Qantas website always displays a message that you're being redirected to that country's website.
Actually, in the original terms and conditions, the AMEX travel website flights were eligible :) I'm sure, somewhere, a sub-clause about changing the conditions whenever they want exists. It's disingenuous.
And when you book on Qantas but it re-directs you, well then is that really fair? Thanks for the lawyers speak though; you guys should work for QF :)
This is why, as far as possible, I stick with the Asian carriers. On board, and off it, they are streets ahead.
Actually, in the original terms and conditions, the AMEX travel website flights were eligible :) I'm sure, somewhere, a sub-clause about changing the conditions whenever they want exists. It's disingenuous.
And when you book on Qantas but it re-directs you, well then is that really fair? Thanks for the lawyers speak though; you guys should work for QF :)
This is why, as far as possible, I stick with the Asian carriers. On board, and off it, they are streets ahead.
Well if I worked for QF, given how "great" Qantas customer care is, you most likely wouldn't get more than a generic response...
I'm always happy to criticise Qantas or any airline, but in this case, I don't think they are in the wrong. The terms are public and transparent, you didn't read them and you made an assumption. It's probably happened to everyone at some point. The easiest response is to blame others rather than take a little self responsibility. On a public forum, not everyone will agree with you.
You'd be lucky to get any response from QF customer care. I'm still waiting for a response to an email from 2 months ago.
I also found the complimentary lounge invitations to have very limited usefulness. It's for Qantas lounges only, not OneWorld, just in case there's any doubt. Even with Qantas lounges, the requirement is to link the invitation to your flight more than 24 hours ahead of your flight time, something I don't always remember to do (this requirement does not seem to be enforced for domestic lounge access). Also, the invitations do not give you access to ALL Qantas lounges, as per my experience in Singapore last month.
Overall, other than on domestic flights, I don't believe there's a great value in those complimentary invitations.
You'd be lucky to get any response from QF customer care. I'm still waiting for a response to an email from 2 months ago.
I also found the complimentary lounge invitations to have very limited usefulness. It's for Qantas lounges only, not OneWorld, just in case there's any doubt. Even with Qantas lounges, the requirement is to link the invitation to your flight more than 24 hours ahead of your flight time, something I don't always remember to do (this requirement does not seem to be enforced for domestic lounge access). Also, the invitations do not give you access to ALL Qantas lounges, as per my experience in Singapore last month.
Overall, other than on domestic flights, I don't believe there's a great value in those complimentary invitations.
I don't think there has ever been any promotion that the lounge access is for any (Oneworld) lounge other than Qantas lounges.
I agree with the issue of the linking of lounge passes to bookings. I much prefer the old paper pass system or at least a pass system which was more flexible than the current one.
Actually, in the original terms and conditions, the AMEX travel website flights were eligible :) I'm sure, somewhere, a sub-clause about changing the conditions whenever they want exists. It's disingenuous.
And when you book on Qantas but it re-directs you, well then is that really fair? Thanks for the lawyers speak though; you guys should work for QF :)
This is why, as far as possible, I stick with the Asian carriers. On board, and off it, they are streets ahead.
This is the terms that they defined on the website.
'You are eligible to receive two Qantas Club Lounge Invitations each anniversary year of your Card Membership after purchasing on selected Qantas products and services using your Qantas American Express Ultimate Card. Selected Qantas products and services are Qantas passenger flights with a QF flight number purchased directly from Qantas.com.au; Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining and/ or annual fees.'
So it made it very clear that it needs to be a Qantas flight with a QF flight number from the .au site. It does not include AMEX travel bookings.
Actually, in the original terms and conditions, the AMEX travel website flights were eligible :) I'm sure, somewhere, a sub-clause about changing the conditions whenever they want exists. It's disingenuous.
And when you book on Qantas but it re-directs you, well then is that really fair? Thanks for the lawyers speak though; you guys should work for QF :)
This is why, as far as possible, I stick with the Asian carriers. On board, and off it, they are streets ahead.
This is the terms that they defined on the website.
'You are eligible to receive two Qantas Club Lounge Invitations each anniversary year of your Card Membership after purchasing on selected Qantas products and services using your Qantas American Express Ultimate Card. Selected Qantas products and services are Qantas passenger flights with a QF flight number purchased directly from Qantas.com.au; Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining and/ or annual fees.'
So it made it very clear that it needs to be a Qantas flight with a QF flight number from the .au site. It does not include AMEX travel bookings.
but it used to include AMEX and I did book my J tickets through .au but it automatically re-directed me. That is my issue. Thanks
I recently got the Qantas Ultimate Amex as well, what I did was go to the qantas carbon offset page (https://www.qantasfutureplanet.com.au/), and found a route that cost over $1 in offset credits. 5 business days later and the QF lounge invites were in my account! So maybe give that a shot, it'll only cost you a couple of bucks..
If you purchase a ticket originating outside of Australia you purchase the ticket in the origin country in local currency, NOT on the Australian site, so not eligible. The alternative would have been to book over the phone and Qantas will charge you locally. However you have then booking fee... I have booked from a Qantas overseas portal (having been redirected) you don't get the bonus QFF points either. It is in their T&Cs.
andrewjason81
andrewjason81
Member since 02 Jan 2019
Total posts 37
Ok, so I just sent this to QF customer care. Am seething at the moment:
"Hi,
I am very pissed off with Qantas right now. I have an AMEX Ultimate card, and apparently when I make an "eligible" purchase I am entitled to 2 complimentary lounge passes.
Well, there I go and make a booking on the QF website for round trip business class flights in July. There's my eligible purchase, I thought. Further, I made another booking for flights in July (this time Y class) on the AMEX website, your card partner. That's another purchase, I thought. So after spending over $4000 in QF products (one on your website, and one on your partner's) I sit waiting patiently for my two lounge passes to use for my economy flights to and from ADL.
Only the purchases, I've been informed, are not actually eligible because apparently (and quite conveniently I might add) the flights booked directly on the QF website was actually Hong Kong based (which happens when you book HKG-MEL, go figure) and the QF AMEX flights, curiously, are not eligible either because...well just because.
So here we are, me a loyal QF flyer who just dropped over $4k on QF flights, on the QF website, using a QF credit card and logged in under my QF FF number being told by QF, "Yeah, nah, sorry. Those aren't eligible purchases."
Which leads me to ask the question, in the most incredulous tone I can muster, "Are you kidding me?"
I'm hoping, despite using the QF customer feedback form, on the QF website, about QF products, that my complaint will still be deemed eligible and worthy of a response."
Fly&Inspire
Fly&Inspire
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 08 Sep 2018
Total posts 3
I think both your purchases are eligible, in saying that I do think the Lounge passes do take some time to get to your online portal. You're not going to get the Lounge pass straight away.
Stuart Jackson
Stuart Jackson
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 15 Mar 2015
Total posts 84
The Qantas spend via the AMEX travel site used to be an eligible purchase but i noticed the last purchase i made didn't generate the eligible spend for the lounge passes either. Maybe they have changed it because the $450 travel credit was making it a free kick for the lounge pass.
andrewjason81
andrewjason81
Member since 02 Jan 2019
Total posts 37
No they are not eligible. I made the purchases in February and just this morning asked AMEX what the deal was as to why after almost 4 months no lounge passes. They said that since I made the first purchase from Hong Kong, QF counts it as ineligible. The AMEX bought tickets don't count either because QF decided so.
hutch
hutch
Member since 07 Oct 2012
Total posts 772
Writing when your "seething" is rarely going to be a good idea. The terms and conditions for this card, set by AMEX, will show that in this case you are not correct. Perhaps a read of this before obtaining the card or making the bookings would have helped prevent this problem.
Chris C.
Chris C.
Member since 24 Apr 2012
Total posts 1,116
What triggers the lounge passes in the system is a charge from 'Qantas Air Australia' in AUD. The lounge passes usually appear on the AMEX side with a few days of such a transaction, and are then credited to QFF within a relatively short time frame.
It's the same as for earning bonus points on Qantas spend: it has to be direct with Qantas and in AUD.
However, while that Qantas spend can be the more obvious paths like flight bookings and lounge membership, buying a Qantas gift voucher can also trigger both the bonus points and the lounge passes, as the transaction is processed in the same way as a flight. So, one option would be to purchase a $50 Qantas gift voucher ahead of your next trip, to activate the lounge passes for your already-planned upcoming trip (and then use that voucher when you next make a booking, so no money lost).
mrc82
mrc82
Member since 04 May 2014
Total posts 23
It's not so much a hoax, as a failure to read the terms and conditions. Whilst it may be frustrating that your assumptions were incorrect, neither Qantas or AmEx are at fault. The terms and conditions are quite clear when they state that the flights must be booked on 'qantas.com.au', when booking flights originating in another country the Qantas website always displays a message that you're being redirected to that country's website.
andrewjason81
andrewjason81
Member since 02 Jan 2019
Total posts 37
Actually, in the original terms and conditions, the AMEX travel website flights were eligible :) I'm sure, somewhere, a sub-clause about changing the conditions whenever they want exists. It's disingenuous.
hutch
hutch
Member since 07 Oct 2012
Total posts 772
avw611
avw611
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 29 Jan 2019
Total posts 14
You'd be lucky to get any response from QF customer care. I'm still waiting for a response to an email from 2 months ago.
hutch
hutch
Member since 07 Oct 2012
Total posts 772
I don't think there has ever been any promotion that the lounge access is for any (Oneworld) lounge other than Qantas lounges.
djtech
djtech
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Sep 2018
Total posts 375
This is the terms that they defined on the website.
andrewjason81
andrewjason81
Member since 02 Jan 2019
Total posts 37
This is the terms that they defined on the website.
but it used to include AMEX and I did book my J tickets through .au but it automatically re-directed me. That is my issue. Thanks
bringbackansett
bringbackansett
Member since 11 Jun 2019
Total posts 1
I recently got the Qantas Ultimate Amex as well, what I did was go to the qantas carbon offset page (https://www.qantasfutureplanet.com.au/), and found a route that cost over $1 in offset credits. 5 business days later and the QF lounge invites were in my account! So maybe give that a shot, it'll only cost you a couple of bucks..
NQflyer
NQflyer
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Jun 2015
Total posts 64