Qantas change fees are increasing by as much as 45%
Here's how to make sure you won't get caught out.
As of 28 April, changing or cancelling Qantas international flights will incur significantly higher fees, depending on the route and class.
Cancellation fee changes
| Route and class | Previous fee | New price |
|---|---|---|
| International flights | $200 | $225 |
| Trans-Tasman flights: Economy Sale | $100 | $125 |
| Trans-Tasman flights: Business Saver | $150 | $175 |
| Qantas/Fiji Airways codeshare flights to Fiji: Business Sale | $120 | $175 |
| Qantas/Fiji Airways codeshare flights to Fiji: Business Saver and Economy Sale | $120 | $125 |
International flights affected by these fee changes include those to Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South America, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA.
Trans-Tasman codeshare flights with Emirates, as well as first class trans-Tasman flights, are unaffected.
Assisted booking fee changes
| Route | Previous fee | New price |
|---|---|---|
| Australian domestic and trans-Tasman flights | $35 | $40 |
| All other flights | $60 | $70 |
These new fees apply for all classes and booking types, whenever you get a flight over the phone direct from Qantas, or at the counter, as of 1 May.
With an extra $70 now being added to your price for international tickets simply for booking over the phone, on top of fee increases earlier this year, the message is loud and clear: Airlines tend to prefer it when you book your tickets online, and are willing to offer much lower prices when you do.
Not only do you drop these assisted booking fees, but you can also grab Qantas promo codes which are only available electronically. Naturally you can still get Qantas points when booking over the phone, but there are even more Qantas points online than off.
You can avoid the assisted booking fees by going online, but when you have no choice but to cancel or amend a flight it can be very hard to avoid those penalties. With those increasing, the often-overlooked value of flight-only travel insurance is even clearer. This is cheap cover you can take out before departure, and if you have to amend or cancel your flights it can not only reimburse you for the tickets but also cover those amendment and cancellation fees.
No one likes price hikes, especially not ones like these which apply to almost all routes. If you're prepared, however, then there's no reason you'll need to pay these.
