Qantas Schedule Change Policy

This policy provides instructions on managing and servicing schedule changes.

A schedule change is an involuntary change to a flight where a UN/TK is generated to your customer’s booking to notify you of a cancellation or change. A disruption is an involuntary change to a flight less than 72 hours prior to departure where, close to departure, no UN/TK is generated to the booking and Qantas deals directly with the customer. 

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

When a schedule change occurs on another airline’s prime flight that is ticketed on a QF (081 ticket) as part of a Through Fare, rebook to another flight operated by the same airline:

• On the same day; or
• A day either side; or
• To the next available; and
• In the same class; or
• For connecting QF operated and marketed connecting flights only, rebook in the lowest class in cabin if the same booking class is not available. 

This policy does not apply to other airline connecting flights that are issued on a separate ticket.

Note: If the other airline flight affected by a schedule change is ticketed as a separate fare and is unsuitable, the flight should be cancelled, and the affected coupon refunded after travel is complete.

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.

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.

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.

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.