Qatar 'refundable voucher' ad vs. fare rules

[sallecc]

Hi, I'm planning to buy BKK-DOH-Belgrade for my parents end of April, with free date change option, which Qatar has (or not?)... When I'm choosing the flights on Qatar app, in 1st step summary of each flight option it says "Refundable as voucher with 10% additional value", cool... But, after I actually choose that flight, in next step in it's "Fare rules" there's no any mention of it, only: "Changes = Not applicable (See reissue conditions)" and "Reissue = Allowed with restrictions", and "Refund = Not Allowed"... No any mention of previously said "Refundable as a voucher"... should it be there in Fare Rules? I just worry if I buy it, and later I want to refund for a voucher and change the date, they might say "Sorry, not allowed as it's stated in your Fare Rules"...? Hope somebody is more clear about this, thanks! ????

 

 

[mtls2005]

https://www.qatarairways.com/en/travel-with-confidence.html#terms

 

Scroll down for terms and conditions.

 

 

Note the current ticket issue date, and complete travel date.

 

11 hours ago, sallecc said:

I just worry if I buy it, and later I want to refund for a voucher and change the date

 

IMO, you should only buy tickets when the travel plans are 99.5% firm, and the price is acceptable.

 

There are three Economy fare buckets, Classic, Conveninece, Comfort. They all have different rules.

 

 

My read, asssuming you meet the current ticket/travel by dates:

 

You can make changes, these involve a re-issue.

 

A re-issue may result in a fare increase, if the original fare bucket is no longer available. There is no "fee" though.

 

I think the published rules, which you see when you see in a booking, are standardized.

 

I think the COVID "benefits" supercede, assuming you meet the ticket by/travel by dates.

 

I'm not certain that 10% Voucher Bonus is still in place; it could be I just can't find any confirmation.

 

You can check with Qatar Airways; they are responsive.

 

No matter where the year takes you, we have you covered with guaranteed flexibility throughout 2021.*

 

*Terms and conditions
Valid for tickets issued on/before 30 April 2021.
Valid for any Qatar Airways’ tickets purchased either directly from Qatar Airways or through travel agents. If you have booked your ticket through a travel agent, please contact your travel agent.
Qatar Airways is entitled to change its Extending Our Commitment Policy with immediate effect and without prior notice to you.
Changes

All travel must be completed by 31 December 2021.
Rebooking fees will be waived if reservations are amended more than 1 hour prior to departure (for travel on/before 31 December 2021).
Rebook into the same booking class (RBD) and ticketed fare basis as the original ticket
Any difference in fare, taxes, fees, charges and surcharges will apply
Changes for travel to Australia must be made 3 days prior to original travel date
Changes for travel to London Heathrow (LHR) or Manchester (MAN) between 19 March 2021 and 18 May 2021 are permitted onto flights operated by both Qatar Airways (QR) and British Airways (BA) provided that the origin and destination remains the same or within the same country.
Refund to the original form of payment

Refund penalties and no-show fees will be waived if requested up to 1 hour prior to departure.
Refund amount will be credited using the original form of payment used to purchase the ticket.

 

 

 

 

[treetops]

Although still referred to on their website, "Travel with Confidence" was replaced by "Extending our Commitment" in October last year.  This in turn has had a few changes since then but the agents latest version can be found here, and there is no longer a 10% bonus offer.

 

https://www.qatarairways.com/content/dam/tradepartners/pdf-files/Extending Our Commitment v2.5 - Trade.pdf

 

Be aware though that Qatar are of the opinion that this is not part of your contract with them and changes down the line will be assessed under the latest/current version of this document which may not be as good as it is now.

 

Check you're using the latest version of the app, or use the website instead, as you shouldn't be seeing the 10% extra any more IIRC.

[Nemesis7]

Look you guys are reading on what’s website but im going to write to you what’s in reality as during last 6 months I used Qatar airways In 12 sectors . Yes you can change the date of ticket but there may be a difference of fare on the date of travel ( usually they will find a difference) so you will end up paying . No doubt their aircraft and service onboard is good rest is as bad as it can get .especially in Doha  The transit facility in DOH simply no comments , the staffs working the Asians mostly treat you like they are doing you a huge favor by serving . Zero facility. Fare wise Qatar Airways is the most expensive especially in business class with limited luggage to Cary on . Extra Luggauge charge are unrealistically high . 
Try to chose another carrier if you can they are more flexible and most of the tickets with Emirates , Etihad also comes with free COVID insurance till31 days of arrival to your destination and flexible on luggage policy and date change free of charge no questions asked 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Nemesis7

[cme]

Last year my wife had a ticket to Europe with Qatar but their flights were then suspended. They offered to re-book but always no flights. KLM were still flying so flew with them and cancelled Qatar. Qatar head office refused any refund, it was a cheap ticket. Contacted Qatar in Europe and full refund issued. 

[Peter Denis]

17 hours ago, Nemesis7 said:

...
Try to chose another carrier if you can they are more flexible and most of the tickets with Emirates , Etihad also comes with free COVID insurance till31 days of arrival to your destination and flexible on luggage policy and date change free of charge no questions asked 

I received a message from EMIRATES about the not used return-flight I had booked for my lady and myself (BKK - Dubai - Brussels on May 1, 2020 and return on 3 June, 2020).  Emirates had cancelled the Dubai - Brussels flight due to covid at that moment.  When I enquired about a refund in April 2020, Emirates told me I could either request a refund or use that same reservation-number as it would be valid for 12 months for same itinerary without any extra cost.   Obviously I did choose for the latter, but that expiry date was approaching so I enquired again, and EMIRATES has extended the validity of those tickets to THREE years.  Perfect service, as the ticket-prices would be considerably higher now.  So I now have still more than 2 years to decide when to use that return ticket. 

Note that Emirates also provides FREE covid-19 insurance included in the ticket-price.  For a one-way flight it is valid for 30 days (so not sufficient to cover the required permission to stay period), but for a return-flight the full period of your booked trip is covered.  Best to book a flexible return-ticket so that you would be able to use that return-leg ticket at a time convenient for you.

[mtls2005]

A quick review of the CURRENT EK policies, for newly issued tickets (from 1 April 2021), seems to indicate a few advanatges over QR...

 

And, for the OP, they do fly DBX-BEG.

 

https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/ticket-options/

 

 

Tickets booked from 1 April 2021

All tickets issued from 1 April 2021 will be automatically valid for travel for 24 months.

Within that time, you have the flexibility to change the dates and ask for a refund at no extra charge. You can make the changes online through Manage A Booking or call your travel agent.

 

 

 

Do note these little details though (applies to NEW tickets, not exisiting/open ones)...

 

 

Are there any change fees?

There are no change fees when you rebook within the validity of the ticket so you have more flexibility to plan ahead.

 

Can I request a full refund even if my flight hasn’t been cancelled?

Yes, you can request a refund if your flight hasn’t been cancelled. A change fee and/or a difference in fare may also apply if you choose to change the date or destination of your booking.

 

What can I do if my destination currently has travel restrictions and I’m not sure if this will still be in effect on my date of travel?

You have several options available to you if your flight has not yet been cancelled. You can keep your booking and look out for updates on the situation at your destination. You can also reschedule or cancel your booking.

However, please note that if your situation doesn’t fall under the requirements of our relaxed policies due to the COVID‑19 situation, a change fee and/or fare difference may apply if you decide to change or cancel your trip.

 

What can I do if my situation is not covered under your relaxed polices due to COVID‑19 but I want to cancel my trip anyway?

You can still reschedule or cancel your flight. However, please note that a change fee and/or fare difference may apply. And if you choose to request a refund for this booking, the amount will be processed according to the fare rules of your ticket.