Qantas Schedule Change Policy
This policy allows you to manage and service your customers who have been affected by a schedule change on a Qantas flight number and a UN/TK has been generated to your customer's booking.
Note: For unticketed bookings, alternative flights should be rebooked from current availability in accordance with the rules of the fare to be ticketed.
Where a schedule change has been accepted and the ticket reissued, further changes will be considered voluntary and any additional fare, taxes and fees will apply.
When an itinerary is impacted by a schedule change on a Qantas (QF) flight number a UN/TK is generated to you customer's booking. The Qantas auto-revalidation process will update your customer's ticket where possible. If your customer accepts the change, no further action is required.
If no reaccommodation has been offered or the new flights are unacceptable or there is a misconnection, new flights can be booked on the same day or a day either side of the original ticketed flights or be the next available flight.
For flights to or from Canada, please see the requirements of the Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulation.
Reaccommodating your customer
The steps below need to be applied in the following order when reaccommodating your customer:
Qantas (QF) flights can be rebooked to alternative QF flight or connecting QF flights.
Example: MEL QF LAX changed to MEL QF SYD QF LAX
- Qantas operated and marketed flights should be booked in the same booking class as the original flight or the lowest available in the same cabin if the same booking class is not available. Exception P/U/Z/X booking classes are not permitted.
- QF codeshare flights operated by another airline must be booked in the same booking class as the original flight.
If the QF schedule change causes a misconnection to a connecting flight on another airline, the connecting flight on that airline can be rebooked to an alternative flight operated by the same airline.
Example: MEL QF LAX UA LAS - a time change on the MEL QF LAX results in a misconnection of the LAX UA LAS flight, customer can be rebooked to an alternative UA flight.
- The connecting flight must be in the same booking class as originally ticketed.
- If the same booking class is not available, rebook to the lowest available class in the same cabin.
Reroute your customer in accordance with the ticketed fare rules and route map.
Example SYD QF DFW changed to SYD QF LAX AA DFW.
- Rebook in the booking class permitted by the fare rule.
If the QF schedule changes causes a misconnection to a regional connecting flight and the original airline is not available, you can rebook to an alternative regional connnecting flight on a oneworld airline. Refer to the onewold table below for permitted airlines within each region and example itineraries.
- Rebook the oneworld flight in the lowest available booking class in the same cabin.
Connecting flights
When you have a schedule change on a connecting flight it must be on the same Qantas (081) ticket for you to apply the Qantas Schedule Change Policy.
When a schedule change occurs on a booking with connecting flights that are married, the flights will be 'divorced' enabling you to rebook alternative flgihts as required. Once you have rebooked your customer, the flights will be married again.
If a schedule change to a Qantas flight operated by Emirates (EK) results in a misconnection, Emirates will reaccommodate the connecting flight manually. This may take up to 72 hours to be seen in your customer's booking.
Revalidation
For Qantas operated and marketed flights, you can revalidate the ticket providing the airline designator, itierary and booking class has not changed. Your customer's ticket will be revalidated through the Qantas auto revalidtion process where possible for flights rebooked by Qantas.
Reissue
Your customer's ticket can be reissued as follows:
- Ticket to be reissued with no additional collection or refund to fare, surcharges and ticket taxes
- No change fee is to be applied to the reissue
- All details of the original ticket to be shown on the new ticket including fare basis and fare calculation
- Any exisiting data in the tour code box is to be retained
- Enter the authority number in the ticket endorsement
Ticket in credit
Your customer's ticket can be held in credit for future travel. Additional fare, surcharges and ticket taxes may apply. This option is unavailable for Canadian flights.
Authority
When the flights have been rebooked and your customer has accepted the change, follow the automated Schedule Change process for a unique authority to reissue or hold your customer's ticket in credit.
Refunds
If your customer does not want to hold their ticket in credit for future travel, you can request a refund of the Qantas (081) ticket when the schedule change is unacceptable. Ensure all flgihts that are no longer required are cancelled.
For tickets that have a cancellation fee, follow the automated Schedule change process to obtain an authority number, then process the refund through BSPlink or ARC as a manual refund request.
If your customer's ticket is fully refundable, no authority is required and the refund can be processed through your GDS or Technology Partner.
Reaccommodating your customer
For Qantas schedule changes on bookings issued on another airline's ticket (non 081), if the new or change flight is not accpetable or causes a misconnection to the ticketed stopover point or destination the following applies:
- Qantas (QF) flights can be rebooked to an alternative QF flight or connecting flight
- New flight must be on the same day or a day either side of the original ticketed flight or be the next available flight in the same booking class as originally ticketed.
- In some situations, tickets for flights to or from Canada are required to be rebooked on flights operated by any air carrier. Please refer to the requirements of the Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
Reissue
Please refer to the ticketed airline's schedule change policy for ticket reissue.
When an itinerary is impacted by a schedule change on a Qantas (QF) flight number a UN/TK is generated to you customer's booking. The Qantas auto-revalidation process will update your customer's ticket where possible. If your customer accepts the change, no further action is required.
If no reaccommodation has been offered or the new flights are unacceptable or there is a misconnection, new flights can be booked on the same day or a day either side of the original ticketed flights or be the next available flight.
For flights to or from Canada, please see the requirements of the Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulation.
| Options | Process |
| Reaccommodating your customer | The steps below need to be applied in the following order when reaccommodating your customer:
|
| Connecting flights | When you have a schedule change on a connecting flight it must be on the same Qantas (081) ticket for you to apply the Qantas Schedule Change Policy. When a schedule change occurs on a booking with connecting flights that are married, the flights will be 'divorced' enabling you to rebook alternative flgihts as required. Once you have rebooked your customer, the flights will be married again. If a schedule change to a Qantas flight operated by Emirates (EK) results in a misconnection, Emirates will reaccommodate the connecting flight manually. This may take up to 72 hours to be seen in your customer's booking. |
| Revalidation | For Qantas operated and marketed flights, you can revalidate the ticket providing the airline designator, itierary and booking class has not changed. Your customer's ticket will be revalidated through the Qantas auto revalidtion process where possible for flights rebooked by Qantas. |
| Reissue | Your customer's ticket can be reissued as follows:
|
| Ticket in credit | Your customer's ticket can be held in credit for future travel. Additional fare, surcharges and ticket taxes may apply. This option is unavailable for Canadian flights. |
| Authority | When the flights have been rebooked and your customer has accepted the change, follow the automated Schedule Change process for a unique authority to reissue or hold your customer's ticket in credit. |
| Refund | If your customer does not want to hold their ticket in credit for future travel, you can request a refund of the Qantas (081) ticket when the schedule change is unacceptable. Ensure all flgihts that are no longer required are cancelled. For tickets that have a cancellation fee, follow the automated Schedule change process to obtain an authority number, then process the refund through BSPlink or ARC as a manual refund request. If your customer's ticket is fully refundable, no authority is required and the refund can be processed through your GDS or Technology Partner. |
oneworld Table
| Region | Permitted oneworld airline | Example |
| Africa | QF | SYD QF JNB SA CPT rebooked to SYD QF JNB QF CPT (SYD-JNB must remain a QF operated and marketed flight |
| Asia | CX, JL, MH, NU, UL | MNL PR HKG QF SYD rebooked to MNL CX HKG QF SYD (HKG-SYD must remain a QF operated and marketed flight |
| Europe | AY, BA, IB, QF | PAR QF DXB QF MEL rebooked to PAR QF DXB QF MEL rebooked to PAR BA LON QF MEL (LON-MEL must be a QF operated and marketed flight) |
| North America | AA, QF, AS | SYD QF LAX QF NYC rebooked to SYD QF LAX AA NYC (SYD-LAX must remain a QF operated and marketed flight) |
| Options | Process |
| Reaccommodating your customer | For Qantas schedule changes on bookings issued on another airline's ticket (non 081), if the new or change flight is not accpetable or causes a misconnection to the ticketed stopover point or destination the following applies:
|
| Reissue | Please refer to the ticketed airline's schedule change policy for ticket reissue. |
Requirements of the Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations
You must rebook flights to and from Canada subject to the following requirements:
A. For flights operated by Qantas that have been cancelled or delayed three hours or more for reasons within Qantas’ control (including flights cancelled for reasons within Qantas’ control but required for safety), the passenger must be provided with the choice of a refund, or:
(i) a confirmed reservation for the next available flight that is operated by Qantas, or a carrier with which Qantas has a commercial agreement, is travelling on any reasonable air route from the airport at which the passenger is located to the destination that is indicated on the passenger’s original ticket, and departs within nine hours of the departure time that is indicated on that original ticket,
(ii) a confirmed reservation for a flight that is operated by any carrier and is travelling on any reasonable air route from the airport at which the passenger is located to the destination that is indicated on the passenger’s original ticket and departs within 48 hours of the departure time that is indicated on that original ticket if a confirmed reservation that complies with subparagraph (i) is unavailable, or
(iii) transportation to another airport that is within a reasonable distance of the airport at which the passenger is located and a confirmed reservation for a flight that is operated by any carrier and is travelling on any reasonable air route from that other airport to the destination that is indicated on the passenger’s original ticket, if a confirmed reservation that complies with subparagraphs (i) or (ii) cannot be provided.
B. For flights operated by Qantas that have been cancelled or delayed three hours or more for reasons outside of Qantas’ control, the passenger must be provided with:
(i) a confirmed reservation for the next available flight that is operated by Qantas, or a carrier with which Qantas has a commercial agreement, on any reasonable air route from the airport at which the passenger is located to the destination that is indicated on the passenger’s original ticket and departs within 48 hours of the departure time that is indicated on that ticket.
(ii) If a confirmed reservation in accordance with subsection (1) is unavailable, you must, provide the passenger with the choice of a refund any unused portion of the ticket or provide the following alternate travel arrangements, free of charge:
(a) a confirmed reservation for the next available flight that is operated by any carrier and is travelling on any reasonable air route from the airport at which the passenger is located, or another airport that is within a reasonable distance of that airport, to the destination that is indicated on the passenger’s original ticket and, if the new departure is from an airport other than the one at which the passenger is located, transportation to that other airport.