Qantas is renewing calls for customers with COVID-era travel credits to use them towards booking a trip before the deadline of 31 December 2023. Trips can be taken through until December 2024.
The push coincides with the launch of a new tool for your customers, ‘Find My Credit’, which can help locate bookings that are up to three years old, that may have been changed several times due to numerous waves of border changes during the pandemic.
Around $2 billion worth of COVID credits were issued across the Qantas Group, with most generated when borders suddenly slammed shut in March 2020 causing mass flight cancellations, which no airline system was designed to deal with.
This figure continues to drop each week as more customers claim their credits. For Qantas customers in Australia the figure now stands at just over $400 million, comprised of around $250 million in bookings made directly with Qantas and $150 million in bookings made through travel agents and other third parties.
As a further incentive, your customers who book a flight using a COVID credit between today and 31 July 2023 will receive double Frequent Flyer points.
The majority of customers with a COVID credit still have the option to request a refund if they prefer, and we have also streamlined the process to trigger that.
These changes follow a number of earlier initiatives to help your customers use their credits, including extending the expiry date three times (most recently by a further 12 months) and sending email reminders.
How to use the ‘Find My Credit’ tool
Find My Credit is a web-based tool that you can access here. It allows you and your customers to search for COVID credits using your customer’s original booking reference that is up to three years old, even if it has been reissued several times.
The tool helps you, and your customers find the information needed to book or request a refund, including ticket numbers and agent information.
For more information, visit the Travel Credit Hub on Qantas Agency Connect.
How to claim double points
Your customers who book Qantas flights using their credits before 31 July will be eligible for double Qantas points.
To access the double points promotion, your customers will need to register at https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/member-offers/double-points-travel-credits.html and book an eligible flight with a QF flight number. Double points will be awarded from eight weeks after travel.
How to request a refund
About 80 per cent of customers who have COVID credits have the option of a refund if they prefer, and we’ve further streamlined the process.
We encourage your customers to contact you directly to request a refund if eligible. For your customers with COVID credits who do not have the option of a refund but whose circumstances have changed and who are no longer able to use their credit, they are also encouraged to contact you directly to discuss their options.
Important information
Disclaimer: * COVID credits refers to travel credits for bookings up to and including 30 September 2021.
Disclaimer: ^ At any point Qantas travel can be booked up to a maximum of 353 days in advance, which reflects system range. On 31 December 2023, this will mean travel can be booked up to 19 December 2024. Jetstar vouchers can be used to book any flight, which are generally made available for booking 12 months in advance of travel