Qantas urges Aussie travellers to use up COVID credits or get a refund

Qantas is urging Australians to use their outstanding COVID-19 flight credits, totalling over $400m, or seek a refund before they expire at the end of this year. Australia’s biggest airline extended the expiry date for a third time earlier this year after coming under pressure to amend its COVID-19 credit policy and being accused of inflexibility and poor customer service. The carrier is hoping to incentivise bookings by offering double Frequent Flyer points to customers who book a flight using COVID-19 credit before July 31. “We know the credits system has been challenging because of the sheer complexity of putting millions of bookings in a holding pattern for up to three years,” said Qantas chief customer officer Markus Svensson. The airline has made a number of changes to its booking system to make it easier for customers to book with their credit, Svensson added. The $400 million figure has halved from $800m in February this year, with the original figure at $2b in the two years to October 2021. Most of the outstanding credit, about 80%, can be claimed as a refund instead. Customers who booked directly with Qantas can contact the airline to request a refund, while those who booked through a travel agent have been told to get in touch with their agent. The airline has also launched a ‘Find My Credit’ tool on its website to help Qantas and Jetstar customers find their credits using their surname, email address, or original booking reference of up to three years old. Customers who booked through travel agents can also use the tool to find their ticket number and travel agent details. “Qantas has one of the most flexible COVID credit policies of any airline, including among our global peers, and we’ve extended the booking expiry date three times,” said Svensson.<br/>