Qantas Schedule Change Policy

To understand how disruptions are handled, refer to: Schedule Change and Disruption Handling Guide.

Rebooking and ticket servicing

If no reaccommodation has been offered or if the new flight is not acceptable, you will need to rebook you customer in accordance with this policy. Each option below contains instructions on rebooking, ticketing and refund.

Please select from ONE of the following four options dependent on the flight that has been schedule changed:

Rebooking

Rebook to another QF operated and marketed flight or rebook to another QF marketed flight operated by Emirates if the schedule changed flight is operated by Emirates:

• On the same day; or
• A day either side; or
• To the next available; or
• To connecting QF operated and marketed flights as permitted by the route map; or
• To connecting QF marketed flights operated by Emirates or QF operated and marketed flights as permitted by the route map if the schedule changed flight is operated by Emirates; and
• In the same cabin and same class; or
• In the lowest available class in cabin (except P/U/Z/X) if the same class is not available.

Note: If a schedule change to a QF operated and marketed flight or QF marketed flight operated by Emirates causes a misconnection to a QF or another airline's connecting flight, rebook:

• To an alternative connecting flight on the same airline; and
• In the same cabin and same class; or
• In the lowest available class in cabin if the same class is not available; or
• Rebook in accordance with the ticketed fare's route map and permitted booking class

All tickets impacted by a schedule change must be either revalidated or re-issued.

Additional Information: Emirates Premium Economy

Emirates offers Premium Economy on most aircraft which is available for travel agents to book on Qantas marketed flight numbers.

Due to operational requirements, Emirates may need to change an aircraft and on occasions, the new aircraft may not offer Premium Economy.

Where available, Emirates will reaccommodate customers in business class at no additional cost.  Emirates will rebook the impacted flight to an Emirates flight number in H class and revalidate the ticket to ensure the ticket is reassociate to the new flight.  No further action is required by yourself or Qantas.

If a customer needs to make a change to other sectors on their journey prior to the impacted sector being travelled, as a result of the change by EK, please contact Qantas Agency Connect to obtain an authority number to reissue your customer's ticket.  Failing to do so may result in an ADM being raised.

If a customer has been reaccommodated in economy class (involuntary downgrade), please raise a refund application via BSPlink or ARC once the customer has completed their journey to obtain a refund for the downgrade.

Rebooking to a Jetstar (JQ) operated flight

If the only alternative Qantas flight option results in your customer missing their connection or require an overnight stay, you may rebook them onto a Jetstar (JQ) operated flight.

• QF marketed flight operated by JQ - If the same booking class is not available, the lowest booking class within the same cabin may be booked.
• JQ marketed and operated flight should be booked in T class or higher

When rebooked on a JQ marketed and operated flight in T class or higher, your customer will be entitled to:

• Earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points
• Earn Qantas Tier status credits
• 23 kilos of baggage
• Inflight meal voucher^{^}

If your customer is rebooked on a Jetstar operated flight, the Jetstar carry-on baggage allowance applies.

Customers travelling on an Australian domestic itinerary connecting between Qantas and Jetstar, will need to collect their baggage and check-in at the connecting airport.

Revalidation

You can revalidate a reaccommodated Qantas operated and marketed flight following a schedule change, unless booked through Qantas NDC, if it is for the same city pairs and in the same booking class. No authority is required. Where possible, the ticket is automatically revalidated by Qantas when the schedule change is generated to your customer's booking, this includes Qantas NDC bookings.

Reissue is required in all other cases.

Reissue

For schedule changes to codeshare and other airline prime flights as well as changes to routing and booking class, and for Qantas NDC bookings, the ticket must be reissued.

Accept the scheduled changed flight or rebook your customer in accordance with this policy then follow our Schedule Change Service Request to obtain an authority code to include in the ticket endorsement and reissue as follows:

• All details of the original ticket to be shown on the new ticket including fare basis and fare calculation
• No additional collection or refund of fare, surcharges, and ticket taxes
• No change fees
• Any existing data in the tour code box is to be retained
• Authority code obtained from Schedule Change Service Request to be shown in the endorsement box

Once a schedule change has been accepted and the ticket has been reissued, further changes will be considered voluntary, and any additional fare, taxes and fees will apply.

Ticket in Credit

Your customer's ticket can be held in credit for future travel. Once you have rebooked your customer, follow the Schedule Change Service Request to obtain an authority to waive the change fee. You'll need to provide the original and the new booking references. Include the authority in the ticket endorsement when you reissue the ticket. Additional fare, surcharges and ticket taxes may apply.

This option is unavailable for Canadian flights.

Refund

If the schedule change is not acceptable and your customer does not want to hold their ticket in credit for future travel, you can request a refund of the Qantas (081) ticket. Ensure all flights that are no longer required are cancelled.

If your customer's ticket is fully refundable, no authority is required, and you should process an automated refund through your Technology Partner system.

For tickets that have a cancellation fee, follow our Schedule Change Service Request to obtain an authority to include in an automated refund through your Technology Partner system. If this capability is not enabled by your Technology Partner, process a manual refund through BSPlink/ARC and include the authority number in the application.

Unticketed Bookings

For unticketed bookings, alternative flights should be rebooked from current availability in accordance with the rules of the fare to be ticketed.

Commercial Policies

Qantas releases a Commercial Policy when extraordinary circumstances such as weather events and natural disasters may impact our customers' travel plans. A Commercial Policy provides options for affected customers and an authority to service their tickets. For details of our current policies, refer to: Commercial Policies Library

Flights to/from Canada

If your customer's flight impacted by a schedule change is to or from Canada, please refer to: Requirements for Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations

Pending publication of a schedule change

When Qantas needs to cancel a flight, we'll remove that flight from sale as soon as practicable and at any event within 24 hours. We'll generate a message to the booking indicating cancellation of the flight is imminent.

For example: QF401 20APR PENDING SIGNIFICANT CHANGE

If your customer accesses 'Manage Booking' during this time, they may also see a notification of the imminent change and will be referred to their travel agent. Should your customer need to make changes to this flight before it is cancelled by Qantas, please contact Qantas Agency Connect to obtain further details and an authority code to waive the change fee. Alternatively, please wait for the flight to be updated with a UN/TK status in the booking and follow the Qantas Schedule Change Policy as required.