QANTAS: ή .. όταν ΥΠΑΡΧΟΥΝ ηγεσίες..

H QANTAS, απαντώντας σε απεργίες του προσωπικού της αντέδρασε ακαριαία: ΚΑΘΗΛΩΣΕ ΤΑ ΑΕΡΟΠΛΑΝΑ ΣΤΟ ΕΔΑΦΟΣ και δήλωσε: «.. η εταιρεία «αποφάσισε να καθηλώσει το στόλο της άμεσα τόσο για τις διεθνείς όσο και για τις εσωτερικές πτήσεις. Αυτή είναι η απάντησή μας στις απεργιακές κινητοποιήσεις των σωματείων. Ο στόλος θα παραμείνει καθηλωμένος μέχρι να καταλήξουμε κάπου». Διαβάστε ολόκληρο το δελτίο τύπου της εταιρείας:

Grounding of Qantas fleet

Last updated AEDT 8.35pm 29 October 2011.

Qantas will stop all domestic and international flights from 5pm (AEDT) on Saturday 29 October until further notice. This is in response to the damaging industrial action by three unions - the Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), the Australian International Pilots Association (AIPA) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU).

QantasLink, Jetstar, Jetconnect services, and our freight services (Express Freighters Australia and Atlas) will continue to operate as normal.

Qantas is providing a full refund for any flights cancelled due to the industrial action. Customers can also rebook their flights for a later date.

Customers are advised not to travel to the airport unless they are travelling on a QantasLink , Jetstar or Jet Connect flight and are urged to reconsider any non-urgent travel and defer their travel plans wherever possible.

If your flight number falls within the range QF1400 - 2699 you are travelling with QantasLink and your flight is not affected by the grounding so you should travel to the airport as normal.

Qantas codeshares with a number of airlines, these carriers are continuing their operations as scheduled. These flights have both Qantas and alternative carrier flight numbers eg. QF319 and BA16.

Please be patient while Flight Status is updated on qantas.com.

Due to the significant nature of this disruption and the uncertainty as to how long the grounding will last, we are only able to manage customer bookings on a day-by-day basis.

Only customers travelling within the next 24 hours should call our Contact Centres on 13 13 13 or your local Qantas Office to discuss their alternatives.

If you are travelling in the next few days/weeks, please monitor the situation on qantas.com. We recommend that you do not change your booking until closer to the date of departure.

We understand that this will have a significant impact on our customers and apologise for the inconvenience that the damaging union action has caused. We thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Customer Support for customers flying on Saturday 29 October 2011

Domestic customers

If you are away from home and between flights today, Qantas will arrange accommodation, meals and transfers for you.

If you are away from home and beginning your journey today, unfortunately you will need to source your own accommodation we will reimburse you for reasonable out of pocket expenses including accommodation, transfers, meals and incidentals up to a total value of AUD 350 per person per day. A limit of AUD 250 per night for accommodation and AUD 100 for incidentals (meals and phone calls) per person per day applies.

International customers

Qantas will arrange accommodation, meals and transfers for you.

Full details of how to claim your reimbursement, including an online claim form will be available on qantas.com shortly. Please ensure you keep all receipts in order to make your claim.

The adjustment to flying schedules resulting from the grounding of Qantas services from 1700 AEDT Saturday 29 October 2011 may impact the travel arrangements of some Qantas customers.

For the latest flight status information please refer to the Flight Status page on qantas.com.

The following commercial policy options are available to Qantas customers holding a valid Qantas (081) ticket issued on/before 29 October 2011 who are directly affected by schedule change activity (ie cancelled and retimed flights resulting from the grounding of Qantas services) for travel from 1700 AEDT 29 October 2011 up to and including 31 October 2011.

Passengers may, without fee:

• Rebook to alternative Qantas flights (including QF Codeshare flights operated by BA).
• Re-route travel
  - Via the most direct routing using Qantas.
  - Return to the origin port via the most direct routing using Qantas.
• Change Destinations. The value of the existing ticket can be used towards the purchase of a new ticket. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticketed fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger. Applicable surcharges, fees and taxes may apply.
• Retain the value of the ticket in credit for future travel within 12 months from the original ticketed date of departure. If the new fare is more expensive than the existing ticketed fare, the fare difference is payable by the passenger. Applicable ticket surcharges, fees and taxes may apply.
• Refunds
  - For customers who have commenced their journey a full refund of the affected sector (s) will be available
  - For customers who have not commenced their journey a full refund will be available

Conditions

• Changes permitted to tickets issued on/before 29 October 2011 for travel from 1700 AEDT 29 October 2011 up to and including 31 October 2011.
• All changes must be made prior to departure.
• Changes permitted on the day of departure.
• New travel dates must be within 12 months of original ticketed date of departure.
• If the same booking class is not available, the lowest booking class within the same cabin may be booked (eg within Business or Economy cabin)
• Any third party costs/penalties, such as hotel or other ground operator fees incurred will not be waived by Qantas.
• All other rules and conditions of the ticket remain unchanged.
• This policy also applies to customers who are booked on Codeshare flights operated by Qantas.

Un-ticketed bookings

For un-ticketed bookings, flights can be rebooked subject to availability and tickets issued in accordance with fare conditions.

Tickets validated to another carrier (non 081)

• Rebook to alternative Qantas flights (including QF flights operated by BA)
• Re-route travel
  - via the most direct routing using Qantas
  - Return to the origin port via the most direct routing using Qantas.

Refunds:

• Refund are available, without fee, for Qantas (081) tickets issued on/before 29 October 2011 where original ticketed travel was between 1700 AEDT 29 October 2011 and 31 October 2011.
• This excludes fees imposed by suppliers or third parties.
• Refunds requests must be submitted no later than 31 January 2012.

Frequent Flyer Redemption Tickets

Passengers travelling on Qantas and Qantas code share operated by Jetstar Classic Award redemption tickets are entitled to the same options and conditions as listed above.

Note: Passengers on partner airline services are able to re-book or re-route subject to redemption seat availability only.