We all remember the confusion that followed COVID-19's clamp down on travel over the past few years. Suddenly, borders were closed, people were grounded, and those who had already booked flights were forced to huddle in front of the TV and wait for news.

The harshest part of this upheaval, ironically, came when airlines issued travel credits that expired before the borders reopened—meaning that they were impossible to redeem!

However, Aussie airlines moved quickly to prevent this from happening, with Qantas and Jetstar issuing close to $2 billion worth of COVID credits in a bid to help customers get the most out of their bookings.

But there's still a whopping $400 million of those credits out there that customers have yet to claim,and given that they expire at the end of this year, the airlines are keen to reunite travellers with their unused or forgotten credits.

Qantas and Jetstar travel credits will expire at the end of the year. Image by moerschy from Pixabay

To help travellers locate them, the airline launched an online tool in June. In the last month, over 20,0000 customers have used Find My Credit to discover their bookings, and the number of calls for refunds has reportedly more than doubled since its release.

If you think you might have some travel credits, now's the time to take action!

Qantas also launched an offer to sweeten the deal, offering double Frequent Flyer points for anyone booking an eligible flight using travel credits with a QF flight number by July 31st.

The big takeaway? You can book travel up to December 2024—so long as you get your flight in before July 31st, 2023. Your double points will be credited eight weeks after travel.

Don't worry if this system sounds a bit confusing. Qantas has you covered, with a dedicated Travel Credits Concierge Team available over the phone (on 1300 171 505) for anyone needing extra help.

Key Takeaways

• Qantas is pushing for travellers to use their unused or forgotten travel credits before they expire at the end of the year.
• The Australian airline launched an online 'Find My Credit' tool to assist customers in finding unused bookings from 2020 that were abandoned due to border closures.
• Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Markus Svensson, affirmed that many travel credits are unredeemed, ranging between AU$100 and AU$500, urging customers to use them before expiration.
• The airline has also established a dedicated Travel Credits Concierge Team to aid customers, emphasising the point that the end of the year means the end of the credit.

Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer Markus Svensson reassured customers about the initiative, saying the airline was working hard to remind them to use the credits before they expire.

'It's been great to see the response to our last reminder campaign, which resulted in millions of dollars in credits being redeemed, but there's still a lot yet to be claimed,' he said.

'We've built a new online tool to make it easier to find COVID-era credits, set up a dedicated hotline and streamlined the refunds process. We'll keep reaching out to customers, particularly ahead of these credits expiring at the end of this year.'

Sound like something you need? Then don't wait a moment longer—give the Find My Credit Tool a go (or call the Travel Concierge team on 1300 171 505), and try to track down any credits you may be due. You have until July 31st to book your flights to secure those double points and until the 31st of December to get a refund on any outstanding credits!

Let us know in the comments if you've had success with this initiative!

 

[Trudi]

My partner and had flights to Amsterdam and Vienna booked and paid for when Covid forced a cancellation. We managed to get a refund for the flight to and from Amsterdam, but not the local flight to Vienna. I should have trusted my gut and waited until we were in Europe before booking that leg of the trip.

 

[Kerries99]

I was delighted to get an email from Qantas to say I had an unused flight credit. I rang the number & was pleasantly surprised with the response. My call was answered quickly & the operator was very helpful. I couldn’t find my credit number issued by a Qantas. They were extremely helpful & escalated my enquiry. I eventually found the detail I needed & called them back. End result a full refund of $1,100 in my bank within a week! For once Qantas had exceeded my expectations & I have new found respect for them. Don’t ignore their emails & give them a call I was at first concerned the email was a hoax.