Qantas Schedule Change Policy
A schedule change is an involuntary change to a flight. A UN/TK is generated to your customer’s booking to notify you of the change. A disruption is an involuntary change inside 72 hours when no change can be seen in the booking. For further information please refer to the Schedule Change and Disruption Handling Guide.
This policy allows you to self-manage your customers who have been affected by a Qantas international or domestic schedule change.
If your passenger has been affected by a schedule change on another airline’s flight number please refer to the Other Airline Schedule Change Policy.
Ticketing and Refunds
Reaccommodating Your Customer
When an itinerary is impacted by a schedule change on a Qantas (QF) flight number a UN/TK is generated to your 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.
Follow this policy if the Qantas schedule change is unacceptable to your customer or causes a misconnection. New flights must be 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 Regulations, that follow Step 4.
The steps below need to be applied in the following order:
Step 1
Qantas (QF) flights can be rebooked to an alternative QF flight or connecting QF flights.
Example: MEL QF LAX changed to MEL QF SYD QF LAX
Note:
- QF operated and marketed flights should be booked in the same booking class as the original flight or the lowest available class in the same cabin if the same booking class is not available
- QF codeshare flights operated by another airline must be booked in the same booking class as the original flight.
Step 2
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
Note:
- 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. Exception: P / U / Z / X booking classes are not permitted.
Step 3
Reroute your customer in accordance with the ticketed fare rules and route map.
Example: SYD QF DFW changed to SYD QF LAX AA DFW
Note: Rebook in the booking class permitted by the fare rule
Step 4
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 connecting flight on a oneworld airline. Refer to the oneworld Table below for permitted airlines within each region and example itineraries.
Note: Rebook the oneworld flight in the lowest available booking class in the same cabin.
Refer to the following oneworld airline table for Step 4 reaccommodation options. It shows the oneworld airlines permitted to be rebooked within a region for misconnections following a QF schedule change and is subject to each airline’s schedule and availability.
| 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 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) |
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.
For Qantas schedule changes on bookings issued on another airline’s ticket (non 081), if the new or changed flight is not acceptable or causes a misconnection to the ticketed stopover point or destination this policy applies:
- Qantas (QF) flights can be rebooked to an alternative QF flight or connecting flight on the same day or a day either side of the original ticketed flight/s. Book in the same booking class as originally ticketed
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. This policy does not apply to connecting flights held on a separate ticket.
Where a schedule change occurs on a booking with connecting flights that are married, the flights will be ‘divorced’ enabling you to rebook alternative flights 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.
Further Changes
Where a schedule change has been accepted and the ticket reissued, further changes will be considered voluntary and any additional fare, taxes and fees are to be applied.
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Ticketing and Refunds
All tickets impacted by Qantas schedule changes must be actioned, either revalidated or reissued, prior to travel.
Revalidation
For Qantas operated and marketed flights, you can revalidate the ticket providing the airline designator, itinerary and booking class have not changed. Your customer’s ticket will be revalidated through the Qantas auto revalidation process where possible for flights rebooked by Qantas.
Reissue is required in all other cases, including all tickets containing interline and codeshare flights and all tickets issued via your Technology Partner connected to the Qantas Distribution Platform.
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 existing data in the tour code box is to be retained
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 ticket is reissued the authority ‘QFSKEDCHG’ must be placed in the endorsement box.
You should refer to the ticketed airline’s schedule change policy for ticket reissue.
Qantas recommends you provide your customer with:
- the latest ticket and itinerary
- a copy of the booking showing the names and flights
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 flights that are no longer required are cancelled.
For tickets that have a cancellation fee, refund requests can be processed through BSPlink as a manual refund request. The refund application must:
- Include proof of the cancellation/schedule change
- Be requested on the original ticket, the ticket cannot be reissued
- Provide a justification as to why the schedule change is unacceptable to your customer
If your customer’s ticket is fully refundable, no authority is required.
For tickets issued on another airlines ticket stock please refer to the other airline's schedule change policy for refunds.