Qantas to downgrade or refund passengers after fare error
Qantas is set to refund or downgrade hundreds of passengers who purchased first-class flights at a massive discount due to a coding error on the airline’s website.
A spokesperson for the Australian carrier acknowledged the mistake, stating, “unfortunately, this is a case where the fare was actually too good to be true.”
Last Thursday, around 300 travelers seized the opportunity to book return flights between Australia and the U.S. at an astonishing 85% discount on the usual first-class fare. The pricing error, which remained on the site for about eight hours, allowed customers to secure tickets for a fraction of their usual cost—often paying only a few thousand Australian dollars for seats that typically sell for more than AUD20,000 (£10,000).
These first-class tickets offer luxurious amenities such as whiskey and champagne, an à la carte dining menu, a memory foam mattress, and even a “pillow menu” for sleeping comfort.
However, Qantas has since announced that passengers who purchased these bargain tickets will be rebooked in business class, one tier below first class, “at no additional cost.” The airline is also offering customers the option of a full refund.
According to Qantas’ terms and conditions, the airline reserves the right to cancel bookings and offer refunds if there is an error or mistake that is reasonably obvious in the fare price. Despite this, the airline is making a goodwill gesture by offering the business class alternative, which still represents a 65% discount from the usual business class fare. This incident is not unprecedented in the airline industry. In 2019, Cathay Pacific mistakenly sold $16,000 business-class seats for just $675 and decided to honor the tickets. However, airlines don’t always uphold such errors; for example, in 2018, British Airways canceled tickets sold for £1 instead of £200 between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
