Qantas International Network Changes Frequently Asked Questions Trade

Transcription

1 Qantas International Network Changes Frequently Asked Questions Trade The Qantas Group today published a new schedule including flights that will operate via Dubai rather than Singapore en route to London. Customers already booked on flights on or after 31 March 2013 and impacted by the changes will be contacted by Qantas or their travel agent and appropriately reaccommodated. Tickets for new bookings will be available for sale progressively from Thursday, 4 October Customers will be able to book one-stop journeys from Sydney and Melbourne to London via the global gateway of Dubai for travel from 31 March 2013 (subject to regulatory approvals). 1. What are the changes being made to the Qantas international schedule? Qantas daily A380 services between Sydney (QF1/2) and Melbourne (QF9/10) and London Heathrow via Singapore will be re-routed to operate via Dubai. Qantas daily services between Singapore and Frankfurt (QF5/6) will continue to operate until 26 October Subject to Government and regulatory approval, including from the ACCC, customers will also be able to travel to Frankfurt via Dubai on codeshare with Emirates from 31 March To accommodate customers wishing to travel to Singapore only, or connect with services within Asia, Qantas will introduce four new A330 services from Sydney to Singapore per week, timed to better connect to onward flights within Asia. Qantas will operate seven dedicated Melbourne-Singapore services per week, timed to connect better to onward flights within Asia. This will replace the QF9/10 service re-routed to operate via Dubai. Qantas services from Singapore to London will cease and operate as codeshare flights with British Airways. This arrangement will provide connections to travellers on Qantas services from Australia. Services from Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth to/from Singapore will continue to operate as per the current schedule, and enable connections to/from Qantas codeshare flights with British Airways services to London, and until 26 October 2013, Qantas services to Frankfurt.

2 Page 2 2. When will the changes take effect? The new schedule will take effect for travel from 31 March Can Qantas publish a new schedule prior to obtaining ACCC regulatory approval for the partnership with Emirates? On 6 September 2012 Qantas and Emirates announced a global airlines partnership. Subject to Government and regulatory approvals, including from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the partnership is expected to take effect from 31 March Qantas intends to adjust its international network irrespective of whether its partnership with Emirates is approved. The revised schedule does not require coordination between the two airlines and does not need ACCC approval. 4. When will Qantas exit the Singapore Frankfurt route? Qantas will continue to operate Singapore-Frankfurt services until 26 October This will ensure customers will continue to have seamless access to Europe through this period. After this time, subject to Government and regulatory approvals, Qantas customers will be able to fly direct from Dubai to Frankfurt on codeshare with Emirates. 5. On 6 September, Qantas announced a planned restructure to the Asian network to deliver better access to Asia for Australian business customers. How is Qantas delivering better access to Asia under these schedule changes? We are currently working closely with authorities to secure the relevant approvals for changes to our Asian flying schedule. We look forward to sharing the significant improvements to our Asian network with our customers as they are finalised. 6. What does the new schedule look like? These schedules remain subject to regulatory approvals, operational assessment and obtaining the required Airport Slots. Australia to Singapore and Europe Route Flight No. Departure Arrival Aircraft SYD-SIN QF * 1600 A330 SYD-SIN QF * 2200 B747 MEL-SIN QF * 1920 B747 BNE-SIN QF B747 PER-SIN QF A330 PER-SIN QF A330 ADL-SIN QF * 2100 A330 SIN-FRA QF B747 SIN-LHR (BA) QF3345 (BA12) B747 SIN-LHR (BA) QF B747 (BA16) SYD-DXB QF * A380 MEL-DXB QF * 2330 A380 DXB-LHR QF A380 DXB-LHR QF A380

3 *Daylight Saving Time variance of +1 hour applies to the above departure times between 31 March 2013 to 6 April 2013 and 6 October 2013 to 26 October The new SYD-SIN service (QF0081) operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, this flight operates via Adelaide. Singapore and Europe to Australia Route Flight No. Departure Arrival Aircraft SIN-SYD QF * A330 SIN-SYD QF * B747 SIN-MEL QF * B747 SIN-BNE QF B747 SIN-PER QF A330 SIN-PER QF A330 SIN-ADL QF * A330 FRA-SIN QF B747 LHR-SIN (BA) QF B747 (BA11) LHR-SIN QF B747 (BA15) DXB-SYD QF * A380 DXB-MEL QF * A380 LHR-DXB QF A380 LHR-DXB QF A380 Page 3 *Daylight Saving Time variance of +1 hour applies to the above arrival times between 31 March 2013 to 6 April 2013 and 6 October 2013 to 26 October The new SIN-SYD service (QF0082) operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, this flight operates via Adelaide. 7. What do the schedule changes mean for customers currently booked on flights from 31 March 2013? How will affected customers be reaccommodated? We will reaccommodate affected customers on to alternate services to ensure they get to their destination, including those travelling on Frequent Flyer Classic or Any Seat Award tickets. Customers who are unsatisfied with their reaccommodated flight may refer to the Commercial Policy to consider other options that are being made available to affected customers. This includes customers on Any Seat Award bookings. 8. When will reaccommodations start? Reaccommodation of affected customers will commence from Thursday, 4 October When will customers be able to purchase tickets according to the new published schedule? Customers will be able to purchase tickets according to the new published schedule progressively from Thursday, 4 October 2012 (subject to regulatory approvals). This

4 includes Classic and Any Seat Award bookings on Qantas flights. Classic Award seats are subject to capacity controls and availability is limited. Page How are we contacting customers that have booked directly with Qantas? Customers with bookings on these flights who have booked directly with Qantas and provided us with an address will receive an from Thursday, 4 October 2012 advising them of their new flight details. Customers who do not have an address will be proactively contacted by phone from Thursday, 4 October What about customers who have booked through a Travel Agent? Customers will be contacted by their Travel Agent with their new flight details. Travel agents will start to see the changes appear on their GDS schedule change queues from Thursday, 4 October Qantas will send a status change to affected flights with the standard UN/TK message and a SSR or RM remark in the PNR. The customer s booking and e-ticket will require updating to reflect the new flights as outlined in the Commercial Policy. 12. If a customer does not like the reaccommodated flight(s), will Qantas offer any alternative? Yes. Refer to the Commercial Policy for all options available to the customer. 13. With the new Qantas flights to London scheduled to operate via Dubai, can customers purchase a separate fare to/from Dubai? At this point in time, customers cannot originate or terminate in Dubai due to local regulatory Traffic Restrictions. Once we have regulatory approval, we will update Traffic Restrictions and have fares available to sell to/from Dubai. 14. Can customers stopover in Dubai? Yes. Customers travelling to/from London, Europe or the Middle East, can stopover in Dubai subject to the ticketed fare conditions. 15. What changes are being made to qantas.com? The Australian and New Zealand versions of qantas.com will be updated to allow bookings to the Middle East via Dubai. Emirates will also be added as a valid interline carrier for travel between Dubai and the Middle East. Dubai will also be available as a via point on route between: Australia/New Zealand to UK and to Europe via London UK and Europe via London to Australia/New Zealand

5 Page Will changes be made to existing Qantas fares to the Middle East and Europe? There will be changes to Qantas fares to reflect and support the network changes and schedules being published. 17. Can customers use Qantas Frequent Flyer points to redeem Award flights on these new Qantas services? From 4 October 2012, Qantas Frequent Flyers will be able to use their points to redeem both Classic Award and Any Seat Award flights on Qantas operated services (QF1/2 and QF9/10) between Sydney/Melbourne and London via Dubai for travel from 31 March The new Qantas services via Dubai are subject to Government and regulatory approvals. Classic Award seats are subject to capacity controls and availability is limited. 18. Will customers be able to redeem Qantas Frequent Flyer points now to travel on Emirates before 31 March 2013? From 4 October 2012, members are able to redeem points for an Any Seat Award that includes selected Emirates operated flights provided that they are booked as part of a Qantas fare. Classic Awards on Emirates flights are not currently available. 19. If Qantas Frequent Flyers are reaccommodated onto one of the new Qantas services via Dubai, will they earn points and Status credits? Qantas Frequent Flyers may earn points and Status credits in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program (subject to regulatory approvals). 20. Will Qantas Frequent Flyers earn points when booking an interline flight on an Emirates operated service? Subject to regulatory approval, including from the ACCC, in relation to the Qantas Emirates partnership, if Qantas Frequent Flyers book an interline flight operated by Emirates, Qantas Frequent Flyers may be eligible to earn points and receive certain other benefits (Qantas Frequent Flyer benefits will not be available unless such regulatory approvals are obtained). 21. Will Qantas Frequent Flyer members booked on services from Sydney/Melbourne to London from 31 March 2013 need to resubmit their Flight Upgrade Award requests? For Qantas Frequent Flyer members with flights booked as a single segment from Sydney/Melbourne to London (e.g. QF1 Sydney-Singapore-London), there will be no need to resubmit the Flight Upgrade Award request. For customers with flights booked as two segments to London (e.g. QF9 Melbourne-Singapore QF1 Singapore- London), the Flight Upgrade Award request will be cancelled and customers will need to resubmit a new Upgrade Award request. Customers can request a Flight Upgrade at qantas.com/yourbookings. Flight Upgrade Awards only apply to Qantas services. Any Qantas Frequent Flyer member reaccommodated onto a British Airways service from Singapore to London will not be able to register for a Flight Upgrade Award.

6 Page What aircraft will be servicing the new Qantas routes from Sydney/Melbourne to London Heathrow via Dubai? Qantas daily flights to London from Melbourne and Sydney will be serviced by our A380 aircraft, transiting via Dubai. 23. What aircraft will service flights to Singapore from Sydney and Melbourne? The four new Qantas services between Sydney and Singapore will be operated using our A330 aircraft. Qantas services between Melbourne and Singapore, and the existing seven services between Sydney and Singapore, will be operated using our three-class cabin B747 aircraft. 24. What happens to customers booked in the First Cabin on these flights? Customers booked for travel in the First Cabin will be proactively contacted by Qantas or their Travel Agent progressively from Thursday 4 October 2012 to discuss suitable alternatives. 25. What happens to customers who have pre-purchased an Exit Row Seat with Qantas? Customers who are reaccommodated to a Qantas operated service will be re-seated in an Exit Row seat on the new flight wherever possible. Customers who have been reaccommodated to a Qantas flight operated by British Airways or on a Qantas flight where an Exit Row seat is unavailable will be automatically refunded their Exit Row fee. 26. What happens to customers who have pre-purchased Advance Seat Selection with Qantas? Customers who are reaccommodated to a Qantas operated service will be re-seated in the same or similar seat on the new flight. As per our Advance Seat Selection policy, seat requests cannot be guaranteed as they may need to be changed for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the aircraft. Qantas will make every effort to re-seat affected customers into a suitable alternative seat. Customers who have been reaccommodated to a Qantas flight operated by British Airways will be automatically refunded their Advance Seat Selection fee. 27. What happens to customers booked for travel after 31 March 2013 on a Qantas flight operated by British Airways and have pre-purchased Advance Seat Selection with British Airways? Qantas is unable to re-seat these customers, and customers will need to contact British Airways to discuss their advance seat payment.

7 Page What happens to customers who have pre-purchased additional baggage? Customers who are reaccommodated to a Qantas operated service will have their additional baggage allowance transferred to their new flight. Customers who have been reaccommodated to a Qantas flight operated by British Airways will be automatically refunded their Additional Baggage fee. 29. Will there be any change to the baggage allowance on services to London via Dubai? No. At this stage there will be no change to the current Qantas baggage allowance. For more information visit qantas.com. 30. Will Qantas offer passenger and bag through check-in when connecting to an Emirates flight from Dubai and vice versa? As per our current interline arrangement with Emirates, if the onward Emirates flight is in the same booking as the Qantas service to Dubai, then baggage can be through-checked to the final destination in the Middle East. However, through checkin is not currently available for customers. On arrival in Dubai, customers will need to check-in with Emirates and collect their boarding pass to their final destination in the Middle East. 31. For long stopovers in Dubai, will Qantas cover accommodation, meals ground transportation and visa costs, in line with the service currently offered by Emirates? No. We do not currently offer this service.. Customers should check the flight schedules including transit information and visa requirements prior to selecting a Qantas fare. Customers who are impacted by unplanned travel delays may however be appropriately accommodated in line with the relevant Disruption Policy. 32. Are the visa requirements for stopover or transit in Dubai the same as for Singapore? The requirements are different. Customers are advised to check with the relevant government agencies. Customers can also refer to the Visa and Health section on qantas.com to check the requirements for the United Arab Emirates. Passengers can transit through Dubai without requiring a visa. 33. What do the changes mean for our Joint Services Agreement with British Airways? We will be ending the Joint Services Agreement with British Airways from 31 March We will however continue to work closely with them, with bi-lateral codeshare services continuing to operate from Singapore and Bangkok to London Heathrow. We are reviewing our broader Asian network and will share any additional changes with customers when it becomes available.

8 Page Why is Qantas entering into a partnership with Emirates? This partnership will give customers a seamless Australian and international network, exclusive frequent flyer benefits and world-class travel experiences. It delivers on all four pillars of the Qantas Group s international strategy: it will see us fly to the global gateway city of Dubai, provide some of the world s best travel experiences through both Qantas and Emirates, improve our position in Asia through better timed flights and, crucially, help build a strong Qantas International business for the long term. This partnership will bring significant benefits for the broader economy as we work with industry to drive more inbound trade and tourism. Subject to Government and regulatory approval, including from the ACCC, the partnership is expected to take effect from 31 March What benefits will the partnership offer customers? The partnership with Emirates will give Qantas customers one-stop access to more than 70 Emirates destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This will give Qantas customers one-stop connections to Emirates extensive network of business and leisure destinations across the region. Qantas will be able to offer dedicated services to Asia that better meet the needs of the market particularly in terms of onward flights within Asia with our codeshare partners. Subject to Government and regulatory approval, including from the ACCC, the partnership is expected to take effect from 31 March 2013.