Friday Qantas strikes off, but flights still cancelled, delayed
By John Walton, October 7 2011
UPDATE | Qantas has issued a new timetable starting Monday October 17 which sees 110 flights per week cancelled due to ongoing industrial action. For a complete list of all cancelled flights, click here.
PREVIOUS | Despite today's Qantas strikes by the Transport Workers Union being called off Thursday evening, Qantas' revised schedule -- which cancelled 17 flights and delays another 29 scheduled services -- will remain in effect.
Sledging the 11th hour cancellation as "a cynical tactic", Qantas said the move came too late for it to once again reschedule its services.
"Qantas has already published the new schedule including 17 cancelled flights and 29 delayed flights," an airline spokesperson said.
"Customers have already being contacted alerting them to changes to their flights, planes have been changed and re-positioned and employees including pilots and cabin crew have been redeployed. We have also notified Air Traffic Control of the new schedule."
A one-hour stoppage at Melbourne Airport by the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) will still go ahead at 3pm Friday.
Further strikes for Monday are also planned by the engineers' union, which plans rolling four-hour strikes from 3pm in Sydney, 4pm in Brisbane and 5pm in Melbourne.
Qantas recommends that passengers check the airline's Flight Status page for information on specific flights, and warns that flight times "could change through the day".
Qantas says it is contacting customers booked on flights that have been cancelled and those that have been significantly delayed, so it's a good idea to ensure your reservation has your mobile number and best email address in case Qantas needs to get in touch to reschedule your flights.
Ticket re-issue and refunds
Qantas has also detailed the options for passengers hit by cancelled or rescheduled flights -- though only certain ticket dates are valid.
Passengers may, without fee:
- Rebook to alternative Qantas flights (including QF Codeshare flights operated by BA).
- Re-route travel
- via the most direct routing using Qantas.
- return to the origin port via the most direct routing using Qantas. - Change destinations: the value of the existing ticket can be used towards the purchase of a new ticket. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticketed fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger. Applicable taxes may apply.
- Retain the value of the ticket in credit for future travel within 12 months from the original ticketed date of departure. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticketed fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger (applicable ticket taxes may apply).
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
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