QANTAS cancellation and re-booking charges due to Covid-19

I booked and paid for multiple international trips when the double status credits offer became available (mid-Feb) only to find out in the last few days that some of these have to be cancelled as my conferences have been either postponed or will not take place.

And sadly, most of the other trips will have to be cancelled as well looking at the Covid-19 situation worldwide.
Why isn't QANTAS offering relief on flights booked before March?

There approach seems to be if QF have to change a flight, you have a chance to refund because the pax can advise the new schedule doesn't suit, but if the pax simply can't undertake the trip anymore and flight is still going, too bad, Jetstar are exactly the same so seems to be a policy line they are holding to.

There appear to be at least 3 general situations as follows:

1. Cancellation by QF: QF flight is cancelled and no reasonable alternative offered > REFUND

2. Cancellation requested by passenger: a traveller cancels their flight because they don't want to travel anymore, e.g. conference cancelled, fear of travelling, .. > NO REFUND (unless the flight was booked after the date that a new more flexible refund policy applied)

3. Cancellation by government - if a passenger is not allowed to go on a QF flight because the destination country has banned entry to all (except perhaps its own citizens), this is not the fault of the passenger or of Qantas - REFUND or NO REFUND?? Anyone know how refund policies are applied to this situation

With regards to no. 3, I've had Qantas inform this is on a case by case basis. In my circumstance where a government banned travel from Hong Kong and Qantas used that route (including onward travel to Australia), they were able to issue a full refund, including of points.

I am supposed to be travelling Premium Economy to YVR via LAX on 17 March 2020 but have decided to delay due to Governments recommendations and have been trying to rebook in October, the Qantas site allows me to request a change the outbound flight but as soon I do that it closes off al the return Premium Economy seat flights and only provides economy seat flights. Tried ringing Qantas, FB and Twitter but as you can imagine they are swamped. Any ideas on a way forward. Canceling would result in a $1600 fee

QANTAS really need to put up some guidance on their website. I'm flying 17 March and wish to cancel or reschedule in light of DFAT's advice not to travel. All avenues of communication are understandably jammed. So perhaps QANTAS could take the initiative and contact us via their website? At this rate I'll be a no-show and QANTAS will blame me for my lack of communication (I have screenshot TEN attempts to contact them, including twitter, Facebook comments, Facebook message, online chat...

Also fly out to South Africa on March 17th and flight still going at this stage . Of interest , I decided to look on expert flyer for how many seats were booked and there are some solid numbers still but have never seen so many blocked out seats even in economy. I am not talking about “ preferred seats” that may be released day before but random x all over the seat map ? It's a 747 so only business or economy . Is this standard practice or is some way are they trying to reduce bookings to reduce staff or something ? Doesn't make sense to me

Level 3 is frustrating really. Make it 2 or 4 to give people clarity and chance for refund

Usually you get a voucher for a later flight to be used within a year or. I may have few of these if things don't ease up in the next 3-6 months.

While I have some sympathy for what is likely to be a financial nose-dive in the aviation industry this year, what are the ethics of Qantas promoting their double status credit deal in Feb 2020 when the travel insurer they promote and sell (NIB) issues a statement at the end of January 2020 staying they will not cover any COVID-19 related travel disruption for any destination (https://media.nibtravelinsurance.com.au/travelnotice/nibTI.Coronavirus_31.1.20%20update.pdf ). Or indeed of the same insurer who sold us a policy at the end of Feb 2020 that does not mention that issue or even the word pandemic as an exclusion in their policy document or cover note? So like others will probably have to cancel and take a financial penalty unless Qantas changes their policy for flights booked before March.

This is on the Qantas website today:

Customers with existing bookings on any domestic or international flight until 31 May 2020, who no longer wish to travel, can cancel their flight and retain the value of the booking travel credit. This offer is available until 31 March 2020.

Vouchers can be used for travel on any domestic or international route on the airline they had booked with. Qantas and Jetstar will waive the change fee once customers are ready to rebook.

I've got some flights in May which were booked during the Double Status promotion. What I'm wondering is if Qantas will still honour this offer when I use the voucher to rebook. I'm not going to call them in the next few days as I can image the wait time is probably gonna be super long. Anyone has any insider knowledge?

So... the day before they announced that they will help, I rescheduled my flight. I was charged cancellation fees AND $50 per person fare difference despite the fact that a cheaper fare was on their website for new bookings. I have requested a refund and let's see. I've lost bulkhead seats all the way, double status credits... it's all first world problems I realise. What really matters is we stay healthy... QANTAS cooperation would be a bonus.

There are now no flights anywhere so it is all moot. I have a whole bunch for later in the year (all after May 31) so we shall see!!!

I used QF points to make SYD-LHR bookings with BA for late May. I paid BA $A550 in "seat selection" fees. I plan to use the QF offer and cancel the booking. This should result in the QFF points being returned. Do I also need to contact BA to get a refund of the seat fees or will the QF cancellation achieve the refund? If the booking is cancelled on the QF system, will it disappear off the BA system meaning I will have no record to use for my refund request?

@ijm33 If you paid it direct to BA you will need to contact BA for the refund. I would take a screen capture of your payment to them as proof, I understand stand that airlines are struggling and are being flexible in some things but not so flexible in other things. We managed to change our flights for today until October but Qantas charged $225 per person and charged a higher fare rate even though there was a slightly cheaper fare showing on the website. On Tuesday Qantas did refund the $225 x 2 which we are grateful for but they are still not budging on the higher fare we got pushed to.

I cancelled my Europe trip after Joyce announced he was grounding whole international fleet. I took the cash refund via the Qantas website with a $500 cancel fee - Qantas has now emailed me to inform me they've decided I get a travel credit.

I've spoken to AMEX about disputing this and they believe if it does get finalised as a credit I can contact Qantas and request a refund - which is what I did in the first place.

Very annoying