Flight tracking, call wait times now in the Qantas app
These newly-added features are sure to be big hits with Qantas frequent flyers.
By Staff Writers, July 30 2024
Airline apps are becoming increasingly indispensable tools, with everything from bookings to luggage, upgrades and more all accessible via your smartphone. A new update to Qantas’ app has just made it even more so.
On top of managing the likes of missing Qantas Points and Classic Upgrade Rewards, travellers can now track the status of their inbound aircraft up to four hours ahead of departure, all through the app.
To follow your jet, simply tap Inbound Aircraft Location under Flight Details, after which you’ll see scheduled and estimated arrival times, plus a simple line showing how far the plane is into its journey.
Alternatively, if you’re tracking the arrival of a family member or friend, click on Trips, tap View Flight Status, and search a flight number or route.
Qantas' app-based flight status tracker.
While not as detailed as other apps such as Flight Radar, which display the physical location of the plane via a real-time map, it’s still useful, if only for peace of mind.
In addition, you can now see estimated wait times when calling the Qantas Contact Centre – very useful when you’re short on time – plus speed up online check-in by scanning your passport, rather than entering details manually.
Qantas also says travellers will be able to use their smartphone’s camera to scan their passport when checking in for an overseas flight: a time-saving measure compared to manually typing in all the details.
These latest enhancements come just a few months after the last major update, which gave the Qantas app a new lick of paint while implementing new shortcuts for calculators and credits, a Points activity snapshot, and an overview of Lounge Invitations.
A Qantas spokesperson tells Executive Traveller additional features are also in the works, with more enhancements coming to the app this year.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 May 2014
Total posts 25
There is that Qantas word “enhancements “ being used again. In the past it was used as a smoke and mirrors way to cut entitlements.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 483
And here it's being used to describe actual enhancements, so your point is?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 May 2014
Total posts 25
Sarcasm
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
Enhanced sarcasm LOL
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 254
These are all good additions, and Qantas is smart to keep building on the app, although that shouldn't mean ignoring the website as a platform. What's really needed is a focus on making them as much 'self-service' as possible. Qantas would know what are the most common reasons for phone calls, and self-service fixes for those should be top of the list. As long as we don't get some AI chatbot named "Roo"!
04 May 2023
Total posts 3
I wonder how long before qantas builds out an upgrade list, like what you can see in AA or UA app. So helpful to set expectations!!
17 Nov 2023
Total posts 45
What I'd like to see are the wait times for the different call centres. I'd be prepared to wait half an hour to speak to the Fiji Call Centre and about 2 hours to speak to the Australian one!!
If I hear a South African or Filipino accent, I just hang up.
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